missing traveling

i read a great article last week in the new york times travel section called "lost in ireland" about a travel writer who doesn't take a map and just goes around. he went from dublin to co.kerry trying to find the reeks. and for those of you who've been long time readers, might remember i used to do a lot of hiking in the reeks when i lived in ireland. so reading this article made me laugh because i've driven around that area a bit and i just don't know how you can "miss" the reeks. yea, most days they are covered in clouds and mist so you can't see much of them. but they are there. and i went on a few amazing hikes there. and i all want to do right now is grab my backpack, rainjacket,  waterproof pants, gaters and head out hiking on sunday. so i recommend checking out that article for a bit of a laugh. and i loved how he was there around all-ireland time. my first time in cork back in 2005 - i loved watching cork win the hurling all-ireland! and then i also watched a few other cork games in pubs both gaelic football and hurling.

reeks ridge - my last hike in ireland february 2009

snowy day in the reeks - january 2008

one of my many times at the top of ireland

the reeks - one of the most gorgeous days i had in the mountains june 2008

panoramic - snowy day in reeks january 2008

and now i just want to travel. after sunday i don't have a job. i have no commitments to anything right now.  so i'm seriously trying to figure out how to get back to europe. i want to go back to ireland for a few days and then maybe amsterdam, and i really want to go to vienna, budapest, prague and maybe switzerland and germany? i want to go for 3-4 weeks. and i'm trying to figure out where to start on trip like this. while i'd love to go somewhere else than europe, i'm planning on traveling by myself and going to south america alone, i'm not super comfortable with. so starting to look up flights, and see which way would be the smartest to do it... 

any advice? ideas of places to go in that region? i was thinking going marchish. i know it isn't the warmest time of the year, but it would be the best time for me to go. now just need to start saving money.

i have a few more days in dc, and then i'm back to jersey. and i'm just not feeling it this week. i'm counting down to sunday and totally faking it this week. and sadly i don't care. this group of kids seems to be having a good time, so as long as they are having fun and can't tell i'm totally checked out... 

and it doesn't help that is is raining again on a thursday. it has rained 4/5 capital hill days. like poured all day, so totally not fun. at least this week i'm not sitting out in the rain for 1.5 hours. but i did have fun with the capital hill police this morning, we have to get 360 kids through security to get onto the floor of the house and i was at security and we were joking around the whole time and at the end they said you sure you don't want a job here, you're pretty good at this. it made me laugh.

anyway, almost done hanging out on capital hill on a rainy day. for the last time.