23 September 2008: Dublin, Ireland

To finish the story from the previous night, I walked out of the house with Tiny Brunette, who gave me directions back to Melissa's place but said it was a long walk. I wanted to give her the slip of paper with the website on it, but Tobey was watching from the porch. I asked Tiny Brunette for directions three more times to stall, and Tobey finally went inside. When I saw that the coast was clear, I gave the slip to Tiny Brunette and told her to give it to Helen. I waited until she had gone inside, and then I booked it. I ran like I had never run before.

I had figured that the dudes inside were about 95% pure talk, which was fine during the night. But now I was rather confident they would be pissed and try to come after me. So I ran my little heart out. I was a modern-day Ferris Bueller, cutting through lawns and leaping over fences to try to get out of the housing complex that Helen's house was in.

The only thing going through my mind was "thank God I don't have my pack with me." I'm telling you, I was like a freaking acrobat. A freaking acrobat running for his life.

When I got out of the housing complex I was finally able to catch my breath, and I asked another girl for directions. She confirmed that it was, in fact a very long walk and told me to take a taxi. I told her I didn't have the money for a taxi, which was true, and that it was against my principals, which was more true. She told me again just how long a walk it was, and when I protested that the first point I had made was still valid she gave me 10euro for a taxi.

And it was, indeed, a very long taxi ride.

I got to Melissa's just as she was leaving and I went in and grabbed my stuff. As it turned out, neither Crona nor Emma had made it back home the previous night, and so it had only been Melissa. I was still glad that I hadn't needed to wake her up but, lordy, what a time it would have been to go back.

I walked with Melissa to her class and she asked if I was sure I coudln't stay one more day. Damn. I wished I could have, I really did. My flight wasn't until the next afternoon, so I would have been able to catch the bus from Galway to the airport the next day with plenty of time, but I had to go back to Dublin to get a new ATM card-- a new ATM card which had been sent from New Jersey and without which I would have been completely without money when my temporary one ran out.

But my oh my, how much I wanted to stay one more night. I guess you could throw Melissa into the 5%ers. The fake Keira Knightley, along with Scarlett Johanson, Aisling, and the real Keira Knightley.

So I got on the bus back to Dublin, with Melissa telling me "call if you come back." And when I got back to my old hostel in Dublin, there was the card waiting for me. It occured to me that I could have even gotten back to Dublin, picked up the card, and made it back to the airport in time for my flight, but better safe than sorry. Still... damn.

Carl, the guy from the hostel front desk, was at classes when I checked in and he didn't get back until 5:00. At that point there was no work left to be done, and I didn't really feel like asking for a bed without work again.

Since I was leaving Dublin the next day, and since sleeping at the airport is both rustic and bad-ass as hell, I decided to go to the airport that night. I went to the first hostel in Dublin, the really shitty one, just for one more terrible shower-- it seemed only appropriate. Wouldn't you know, there was a pretty red-head in the bathroom, and when I asked her how long she had been in the hostel she said that she got there two weeks ago. Unbelievable. I haven't a clue where she had been during my five days there, but I figured it was even more of a sign that it was time to leave Dublin.

So I went to Dunnes for one final time and picked up a loaf of bread and 40 slices of ham, which I hoped would tide me over until I got where I was going the next evening. Then I hopped on the bus to the airport, and when it turned out to be 4euro more than I had expected-- and 4euro more than I had-- a New Zealand family paid the rest for me. How I love those New Zealanders.

I got to the airport at just before midnight and fell asleep in a chair, which I figured wasn't a whole lot exciting than a Tuesday night on the town. Plus, like I said, it WAS rustic and bad-ass as hell.

Although I do wish I had been at Melissa's place instead.