Forgive me pretty baby but I always take the long way home

This afternoon, I felt whimsical. There's just no other word for it. After a morning of running around trying to get my i.d. card, finding a bookshop that sold the novel I need to read by Wednesday and declaring my courses, I should have been frazzled. But on my way home, going towards the bridge, I noticed a path by the river. So I took it. It wasn't much, but it wasn't the parking lot either. The path went under the bridge, where I passed two fishing rods, a boom box, and below in the water, two boys in a boat. I wound around the corner to the stairs leading up to the bridge and my way home. Now, on one side of the river is the university and on the other is a large field. On my way to school this morning, I thought to myself that I'd like to explore that field, and I wondered where it led. This afternoon, I noticed a boy in a blue shirt with a grey backpack hop over the guard rails onto a small path. So I did what anyone would expect me to do and I followed him.

We walked through the field past an old ruined building with scaffolding in the middle and through the grass onto a tiny road. Then we crossed a red bridge and walked beside a giant whitewashed wall with red paint trim. The wall turned out to be the stadium for Galway United Football Club. I followed this boy past buildings and bed and breakfasts and rock fences and then the grey backpack turned into a row of houses. So I continued alone. I found the cutest little house I’ve seen yet, turned down the wrong road and came back up again. Finally I found the turn to take me home. At the bottom of this road is a hotel and across the street you’ll find a Courtyard Marriott and a gas station. But at the top of the road there is a field with two ponies and blackberries. Then there is a house set back from the road and on the other side of the house is a smaller field with two more ponies. The boys don’t know it yet, but we’re going to feed carrots to the ponies this weekend (Kasha went to London to see Muse in concert). Personally, I think they need a good brushing and if it were up to me, I’d hop the fence and take care of that and help myself to those blackberries. But I also don’t want to get arrested, so we’ll just stick to the treats.

Tonight I plan to do my poetry homework and start reading a novel for Irish Women’s Writing. The rest of the weekend will be spent reading (a lot) and writing. Those are my responsibilities. I know that my classes are going to require a large amount of work and that it’s not going to be easy, but that is my sole responsibility. Reading and writing! I still can’t believe it. No doubt my enthusiasm will calm down in an hour or so, but for now, even though the rain has come back and my legs are screaming at me (I ended up wandering for 3 hours at least), I am content. And I hope, my friends, you are too.