Belfast!

I feel that there are a few important things that I need to say at the top of this post:

1. A very special thanks to the American girl whom I met at the Dublin Airport. In my opinion, it was no accident that two young North American women, wearing their enormous backpacks as identity, ended up on the same bus at the same time and were booked to stay in the same area of town for the same amount of time. Thank you, Jesus. I spent a lot of time with this girl, and we helped each other out over the past few days as we got settled in Dublin. We’re both at the very beginning of our Europe trips—mine lasts for a month, hers for 3—and the companionship we offered each other was just so needed.
2. I am struggling to adjust so much more than I expected, and I feel quite humbled and weak. I’m waiting for when I actually get the hang of living out of a backpack.
3. One of the biggest things I have noticed since the moment I hit Dublin was the lack in air quality. I’m spoiled in Winnipeg. There wasn’t a place I could go where I wasn’t breathing in some sort of chemical particulate.

Now that those points are out of the way, let’s get on with it. I’m on a train to Belfast at the moment. This morning I had the worst stomach ache in the history of Janice. As I made my way downstairs to check out of the Dublin hostel, the gentleman at the front desk could tell immediately that something was wrong. He set me up in a bed in a room by myself, took my backpack off my hands, and offered twice to go to the “chemist” if I needed anything. Initially, I felt so awful that I told him I’d be staying another night and I phoned the hostel in Belfast to cancel. But after a nice nap, I felt so much better and decided to head for Belfast anyways.

I keep getting these stomach aches, although the one I had yesterday wasn’t as bad as today’s. Any ideas from the peanut gallery as to why? I’ll note that I’ve eaten 12 bananas in the past 3 days, and my anxiety has caused stomach aches before. I probably answered my own question.

The view of Dublin out this train window is lovely. Via Rail’s slogan is accurate—this really is a more human way to travel. I can’t wait to see the countryside! And we just passed what I can only presume is a carwash on-the-go for trains!