My orientation ended on Monday and classes don’t start until next Monday, so I have had a significant amount of time with absolutely nothing to do and no real friends living in my time zone. The first day filled with this downtime was difficult, as I repeatedly found myself simply looking through pictures of people I love or sitting amongst my roommates as they discussed tv shows I’ve never seen. However, we were given bus passes that allowed us unlimited access to the Dublin bus system for three days and I decided the next day I would take advantage.

So today I woke up, perused a list my friend Allison sent me of her favorite things in Dublin, scanned the bus schedule, laced up my hiking boots, and just started walking. Carrying my trusty backpack filled with some books, a carrot (a large one, not a singular baby carrot, that would be absurd), and a protein bar, I tried to navigate through UCD’s overwhelming campus to the bus that would take me down to Killiney Park, Allison’s favorite place. Well, UCD is a large place and trying to follow Google maps on one’s phone whilst carrying both coffee and oatmeal is more complicated than I originally anticipated. But after a few wrong turns and dead ends (and ultimately lukewarm coffee and oatmeal), I eventually made it to the stop and hopped on the bus.

Unfortunately, I am not yet intimately familiar with the Dublin bus system and its inner workings, so I sat on the bus a bit longer than necessary. When I had realized my mistake, I quickly hopped off at the next stop (although I had no idea where I was) with the intention of getting on the line that would take me to my destination. As I checked the schedule to see when such a bus would arrive, to my dismay, my shining chariot was not due for another 37 minutes. At this point I was 53 minutes from Killiney Park by foot, so I had a decision to make. I began walking.

My path took me along what seemed to be a main suburban road, fairly empty save for the high walls of the neighborhoods surrounding me on either side: not the most scenic walk, but not the least scenic either. It was a beautiful day, with a beaming sun and a slight breeze that made me glad I had thrown on my sweatshirt (that still has yet to be washed since being worn for a week straight in Iceland, whoops). This lengthy walk up a rather steep hill allowed me to be alone with my thoughts and my backpack, which made me quite happy. Happy enough, in fact, that I started singing to myself. With my hiking boots laced and my backpack buckled, I felt like an explorer quenching her thirst for adventure. I had no idea where I was, and that was kind of the point.

I would like to have more days like this where I decide to “just go”. It is so easy to find excuses to stick to our routines or remain in our comfort zones and so often I blame homework or obligations for consuming my time and energy. Although these things are important and need to be accomplished, I know that sometimes, its okay to push them to the side in pursuit of new discoveries. In my journal, I have a list of my favorite days from my life, and not one of them includes scanning my textbooks or reworking equations. Rather, my favorite days have come from times when I have decided to “just go” and partake in adventures outside of my norm, both small and large.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus calls us to “just go” and make disciples of every nation. He commissions us to go out and spread his name and in return, promises us that he will be with us “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, NIV). Jesus wants us to go out, experience his beauty and power, and share it with the people around us. He wants us to break out of our comfort zones and take risks in order to love others. And although he promises that “just going” won’t be easy, he promises that he will be right alongside us, and that it will be worth it.

Throughout my day, I did eventually make it to the breathtaking views of Killiney Park (pictured below!) that Allison promised. I also made it to the town of Dún Laoghaire where I sipped a delicious smoothie and chatted with a very kind lady who had moved to Ireland from Korea eight years before. I eavesdropped on some trendy Irish teens discussing school drama on the bus and listened in to an acupuncturist advise a client while I pretended to shop for apricots. It was an odd day filled with introspection and observation and very much lacking in human interaction. (By mid-afternoon, I hadn’t talked to a single soul and I think I may have overwhelmed the poor above-mentioned Korean lady with my eagerness to socialize.) Being here has been hard and lonely, but I know that if I were at Vanderbilt right now, I would not have the opportunity to “just go” and wander the Irish coast on any old Wednesday afternoon.  This world is a beautiful place and I'm quite curious to see where else I end up.