Cork!

Finally we have reached the final destination, our apartments in Cork.  I have been "moving in" this afternoon, which so far entails leaving my luggage in the room, taking a brief tour of the college and the city, buying a very cheap mobile phone, and getting lost for a couple of hours, before dinner at Subway (we were tired).  Now that I'm finally back in the room I'm of course on facebook, and updating this, rather than unpacking.  But it's so nice to have a room to myself, after sharing the one at the hostel with five other girls!
The last couple of days in Dublin were spent in a crash course in Irish culture and schooling, led by the Arcadia staff, the highlight of which was the talk by the Garda (or police) on safety. ("Maybe we should be a little stricter on jaywalking, hunh?")
Further exploration of the city led us to the Guinness brewery (all 7 floors--people walk like crazy in Ireland), and to the Book of Kells, an ancient manuscript of the four gospels, with intricate decorations.
Last night, as a final hurrah in Dublin, we saw Riverdance! It was absolutely amazing.  Sort of took you through the history of Ireland, from its celtic roots to the famine to Easter Uprising to the rise of Jazz in the 20th century.  Everyone was trying to dance afterwards.
Now I'm in my room in Cork, still putting off unpacking.  Most people are going out soon, but I need a restful evening...also I'm a bit homesick.  It's been really fun making friends with the other girls on the program (getting over jet lag is a bonding experience), but I miss y'all. And sometimes I feel really different here (besides the American accent, I mean :) ).
But I've had this in my head all week:
"On God I rest my salvation
my fortress will not be shaken"
Many thanks to Shane and Shane and to King David for an encouraging reminder.  No matter how much is changing around me, I will rest on God, and He won't change.