O' Kelly's

True Loves,

Dad-this one is for you. Two words. O’ Kelly’s. That’s right, we found an authentic Irish Pub and I don’t think my life will ever be the same. My Brazilian friend Tereza said “I think that Irish Bars are the same in every country.” While I don’t have enough experience to know if this is true, I do know that it’s the kind of place you want to be a regular at. Where the bartenders have red beards, where you feel a foreign warmth that only comes from being around people that are drunkenly crowded into a bar, and where the Beer, Whisky, and Bailey’s are served quickly and in great portions. It’s the kind of place that even drinking responsibly gets you drunk. I went with my new friends and stars of my German life Josh, Martin, Martha, Elodie, Laura, Chris and many others. It is something else to sit in a cozy nook of a bar where there are Italians, Swiss, Brazilian, and American all together enjoying each other’s company. We drank until we were speaking German fluently.

The next day, Martin, Josh, Martha and I went to the Schwarz Wald or the “Black Forest.” It felt like we had stepped into the inner intestines of Christmas. You could smell the fireplaces, the pine trees were covered with snow, the shops filled with hand carved nativity sets. It truly is a beautiful place to be. It’s a place that makes you feel blessed. You wonder what you’ve done to deserve being in such a magical place. On the train ride back we debated what kind of magical creatures lived within the forest, I’m sure they exist.

I feel like I’ve fallen in love with this place in such a short amount of time. I love the streets, the food, the people. Of course I miss my friends back home. Not being able to text is especially hard to get used to, but it’s nice to know everyone is at home and safe and hopefully I can catch up on all your lives soon.

With Love,

Emily