happy place

So, I've found my new special hang out place. I'm almost hesitant to blog about it because it's such a gem of a place, but I will :)

There are fifteen people total in my program, and tonight four of us decided to go out and explore a new area of town. We had such a fun time getting to know each other in a smaller group. I was tempted to just stay in tonight, but with a little pushing from my roommate, I didn't and I'm so glad. We found this small, absolutely beautiful pub decorated with trinkets and decorations everywhere. There were only Irish locals there, which is rare with all the visiting students in Galway. The bartender was extremely friendly and happy to have us there. As a whole, I wasn't expecting the people of Ireland to be so welcoming but they are always more than happy to talk to you about your stay here. The bars and pubs here are all so fun, especially the ones with live music. There was a man who played the guitar and piano who played anything from Neil Young, to traditional Irish music, to more Jazz-y things. We joked that this pub would be the place we return to when any of us are having a bad day. It was just such a warm, relaxing pub and a perfect night.