Today was an easy (relatively) morning which I really appreciated.  I was in my morning routine, wake up at 8, shower and get ready, then eat breakfast at 9.  After breakfast I went to class.  In class we just worked on the paper and the presentation.  Class ended at noon, and from noon to one I relaxed and talked a bit of American football which only got me more excited for the season to start.

Then at 1 pm, I visited the botanical gardens located in North Dublin.  It was neat.  Walking in the greenhouse, I had a major allergy attack.  So I immediately left the greenhouse and headed towards the botanical garden.  The trees were absolutely magnificent.  It was so peaceful.  I was very happy to walk amongst the trees listening to my music and podcast for 90 minutes.  And when I was not listening to anything, it was so quiet, I could only hear my footsteps, even though there were a lot of people.  This may be odd, but there were moments where I thought, “wow, this is fantastic terrain for a golf course.”  The gentle hills created a noticeable slope.  The magnificent trees would flow along side the fairway.  The streams would create a hazard.   Main thing to takeaway from my time in the gardens are: I really let my mind wonder, and I realized from the gardens is Ireland loves and appreciates the subtle beauty in nature.

I really did enjoy today.  I appreciate the relaxed theme.  I know that tomorrow it may be different with a guest speaker and a site visit.