During my last weekend of studying abroad at Oxford, I received the amazing opportunity to travel to Dublin, Ireland, with a group of close friends. We explored the city, ate at pubs that had some of the best food I’ve ever tasted, and went to the National Museum of Ireland, where we saw bog bodies, people whose corpses have been naturally mummified in bogs for thousands of years.
However, the highlight of the trip for me was when we toured Trinity College Dublin, the world-renowned institution known for its rich history and magnificent architecture. Even though the sky was gray, as I walked across campus, I couldn’t help but imagine myself as a student there, enjoying the scenery and listening to the birds as they called overhead.
We even got the chance to see the Book of Kells, a manuscript containing the four Gospels of the New Testament, which is around 1200 years old. What I liked most about my visit, though, was entering the university’s vast library, which is one of most beautiful rooms I’ve ever stepped in. The room was two levels, and nearly all of the bookcases stretched from floor to ceiling. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the pleasant smell of the place, which can be attributed to the aging of the books themselves.
Visiting Dublin was certainly something I’ll never forget, and I am very grateful to have shared it with close friends, people I plan on staying in touch with for the rest of my life.
