27 June It's nice to get out of the city full of rushing, noise and crowds. It's one thing that can revamp my soul. And today it was much needed. Eoin and I attended a two-day conference on epigenetics the past two days. It was interesting and got me excited about this new field but after two days doing nothing but sitting and listening to lectures, fresh air was in order. The group of interns and myself went to Glendalough to look at fresh water ecosystems and hike around a bit. Glorious. The weather cleared to show some blue sky to make for a beautiful afternoon. I want to return to do some more extensive hiking there in the future. Ireland has some great places to see the scenery but they are so difficult to get to. I know there is at least one weekend trip where we will rent a van but the rest of the time I must rely on places that can be reached by public transportation. Why does transportation always end up being the hardest and most limiting factor of traveling?