This sign was on my garage door when we got home!!! Thanks Hannah- I love my little sister!!
My lovely friends came to meet us for food at the MOA!! Kari, Kjersti, Me, Hannah, ArnieWednesday, December 23, 2009
WELCOME HOME COMMITTEE
This sign was on my garage door when we got home!!! Thanks Hannah- I love my little sister!! My lovely friends came to meet us for food at the MOA!! Kari, Kjersti, Me, Hannah, Arnie
and... HOME!
After my finals I had about a week to enjoy in the lovely island of Ireland before heading home.
We celebrated my friend Silvia's birthday and after a very nice weekend of lighting the advent candle and watching ELF, I headed to Spain.
Monday, December 14, I left for a fun little adventure to visit my friend Meg. I arrived in Spain and was to get on the C6 bus to Oscar Espla. Since I do not know Spanish, Meg told me to write it down and show the bus driver and ask him to tell me when to get off and she would meet me there. Easy enough...or so I thought. The bus driver told me that he wouold let me know when to get off.. well, he didn't. I ended up getting off the bus a couple stops too late and walking around for 2 hours in the dark in a country where I do not speak the language. Needless to say, I got a little scared and walked into an office building--after much difficulty and use of hand signals, I was allowed to use their phone and got ahold of Meg and she came to where I was. After not the greatest start to my mini-vacation, the rest of the time went wonderfully!! That night we just chatted and caught up a bit. The next day, Meg had to work, but I explored Alicante. I got to spend time along the Mediterranean Sea and went to Castillo de Santa Barbara and saw the most beautiful view of the city and sea. It was a great day! That night we went out to eat and had a marvelous time with a few of her newly formed friends. I returned to Galway late Wednesday night and went to bed.
Thursday was packing day! I got up and began the not so exciting adventure of packing my life into my 2 big suitcases. I had boughten quite a few gifts and so it was quite interesting to make it all fit.. BUT, I did it. Thursday afternoon was a "girls' day" where we did facials, painted nails, chatted and read Cosmo. It was a lot of fun to spend this last afternoon with these wonderful ladies that I have gotten to know so welll over the semester. We went out to eat at a fancy little restaurant and spend some time exchanging contact information. Thursday night was a night of goodbye. A bunch of people got together to say goodbye at Massimo's and have a final night of debackery.
Friday was my last day in Galway. It was really quite bittersweet! I went into town and spent much of the day with Erin and Rachel. We then decided to use up the rest of our food for supper. We put all of our food together and made a delicious meal.. it was actually quite surprising what we could do with the stuff we had! After dinner, I went into town with Linde and our suitcases! We met some people at King's Head for the last time and just had fun before we got on the 1:30 am bus to Dublin. There was quite a crew that came to the bus station to say goodbye and many many tears were shed.
After getting to Dublin it was the waiting game. Shannon and I had to wait in the airport until about 7:30 when we could check in. At check-in we were informed that our flight would be an hour delayed... we were not too excited about this, but found a Bagel Factory and had a sort of breakfast. More waiting... We finally loaded our plane and began our 9 hour ride to Chicago. We landed in Chicago at 2:00 and finally got off the plane around 2:30- the time we were supposed to be boarding our next plane. As we were super bummed that our connecting flight was missed we headed through customs and to grab our bags for re-check. As we were waiting for our bags I overheard a lady from the airlines talking about Minneapolis and I asked her what she had said. We found out that they were holding the plane for us, there were about 20 people from Dublin that were also supposed to be going to Minneapolis. We had to get our bags and RUN through the huge, confusing Chicago airport and get through security one more time. We were the second to last people to get on the flight and we were so happy to be able to just get home! The flight was pretty quick and I was so happy to see my mom and dad waiting for me by baggage claim!!!!
I learned a lot this semester about myself and about traveling and about Ireland and about life..... (i could go on)
What an opportunity! I would promote studying abroad to anyone and encourage this experience!! I would go back to Ireland in a heartbeat!
Thanks for following my blog! I appreciate all the thoughts, support and prayers as I journied through the semester!
I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We celebrated my friend Silvia's birthday and after a very nice weekend of lighting the advent candle and watching ELF, I headed to Spain.
Monday, December 14, I left for a fun little adventure to visit my friend Meg. I arrived in Spain and was to get on the C6 bus to Oscar Espla. Since I do not know Spanish, Meg told me to write it down and show the bus driver and ask him to tell me when to get off and she would meet me there. Easy enough...or so I thought. The bus driver told me that he wouold let me know when to get off.. well, he didn't. I ended up getting off the bus a couple stops too late and walking around for 2 hours in the dark in a country where I do not speak the language. Needless to say, I got a little scared and walked into an office building--after much difficulty and use of hand signals, I was allowed to use their phone and got ahold of Meg and she came to where I was. After not the greatest start to my mini-vacation, the rest of the time went wonderfully!! That night we just chatted and caught up a bit. The next day, Meg had to work, but I explored Alicante. I got to spend time along the Mediterranean Sea and went to Castillo de Santa Barbara and saw the most beautiful view of the city and sea. It was a great day! That night we went out to eat and had a marvelous time with a few of her newly formed friends. I returned to Galway late Wednesday night and went to bed.
Thursday was packing day! I got up and began the not so exciting adventure of packing my life into my 2 big suitcases. I had boughten quite a few gifts and so it was quite interesting to make it all fit.. BUT, I did it. Thursday afternoon was a "girls' day" where we did facials, painted nails, chatted and read Cosmo. It was a lot of fun to spend this last afternoon with these wonderful ladies that I have gotten to know so welll over the semester. We went out to eat at a fancy little restaurant and spend some time exchanging contact information. Thursday night was a night of goodbye. A bunch of people got together to say goodbye at Massimo's and have a final night of debackery.
Friday was my last day in Galway. It was really quite bittersweet! I went into town and spent much of the day with Erin and Rachel. We then decided to use up the rest of our food for supper. We put all of our food together and made a delicious meal.. it was actually quite surprising what we could do with the stuff we had! After dinner, I went into town with Linde and our suitcases! We met some people at King's Head for the last time and just had fun before we got on the 1:30 am bus to Dublin. There was quite a crew that came to the bus station to say goodbye and many many tears were shed.
After getting to Dublin it was the waiting game. Shannon and I had to wait in the airport until about 7:30 when we could check in. At check-in we were informed that our flight would be an hour delayed... we were not too excited about this, but found a Bagel Factory and had a sort of breakfast. More waiting... We finally loaded our plane and began our 9 hour ride to Chicago. We landed in Chicago at 2:00 and finally got off the plane around 2:30- the time we were supposed to be boarding our next plane. As we were super bummed that our connecting flight was missed we headed through customs and to grab our bags for re-check. As we were waiting for our bags I overheard a lady from the airlines talking about Minneapolis and I asked her what she had said. We found out that they were holding the plane for us, there were about 20 people from Dublin that were also supposed to be going to Minneapolis. We had to get our bags and RUN through the huge, confusing Chicago airport and get through security one more time. We were the second to last people to get on the flight and we were so happy to be able to just get home! The flight was pretty quick and I was so happy to see my mom and dad waiting for me by baggage claim!!!!
I learned a lot this semester about myself and about traveling and about Ireland and about life..... (i could go on)
What an opportunity! I would promote studying abroad to anyone and encourage this experience!! I would go back to Ireland in a heartbeat!
Thanks for following my blog! I appreciate all the thoughts, support and prayers as I journied through the semester!
I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Friday, December 11, 2009
DONE!!
I just finished my last final!! I'm so excited!!
These finals weren't the hardest tests I've ever taken (thank you Concordia College) but definately most stressful! Two questions in two hours and that determines your grade for the entire semester?! AHHHH! Needless to say, it's been a stressful week, but now I'm done. I think they went okay... hopefully :)
I'm looking forward to a weekend of not studying and enjoying the nice weather (the sun is shining here today and I have the window open)
I have to start saying goodbye this weekend. It's so weird how you get to close to people over 4 months and then have to say bye.. not knowing if you'll ever see them again. I think that's why it's so different from when I came here. Coming here, I knew I would be coming back. Although it was sad to leave my friends and family, I knew that I would see them in December. Now it's saying goodbye and hopefully see you sometime in the future. It's not, see ya later... but all in all it'll be nice to get home for CHRISTMAS!!! --the most wonderful time of the year :)
A week from today I will be getting on a bus to Dublin so that I can hop on the plane in the morning and head home. This time has gone sooooo fast!
Monday I leave for my mini-vacation to Spain to visit my friend Meg. I will be back in Galway Wednesday night and then have to begin packing up!
Hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season!! :)
These finals weren't the hardest tests I've ever taken (thank you Concordia College) but definately most stressful! Two questions in two hours and that determines your grade for the entire semester?! AHHHH! Needless to say, it's been a stressful week, but now I'm done. I think they went okay... hopefully :)
I'm looking forward to a weekend of not studying and enjoying the nice weather (the sun is shining here today and I have the window open)
I have to start saying goodbye this weekend. It's so weird how you get to close to people over 4 months and then have to say bye.. not knowing if you'll ever see them again. I think that's why it's so different from when I came here. Coming here, I knew I would be coming back. Although it was sad to leave my friends and family, I knew that I would see them in December. Now it's saying goodbye and hopefully see you sometime in the future. It's not, see ya later... but all in all it'll be nice to get home for CHRISTMAS!!! --the most wonderful time of the year :)
A week from today I will be getting on a bus to Dublin so that I can hop on the plane in the morning and head home. This time has gone sooooo fast!
Monday I leave for my mini-vacation to Spain to visit my friend Meg. I will be back in Galway Wednesday night and then have to begin packing up!
Hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season!! :)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
December!
I still can't believe it's December!! It's crazy how fast time has gone..
What have I been up to lately?!
STUDYING..... :(
I have an exam on Wednesday and one on Friday and then I am done! Wish me luck :)
What have I been up to lately?!
STUDYING..... :(
I have an exam on Wednesday and one on Friday and then I am done! Wish me luck :)
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Last week of class, THANKSGIVING, etc...
I can't believe it, today, I have officially been in Ireland for 3 months and only have 3 weeks to go. The time here has been going by so quickly it's hard to believe! I'm excited to come home and see my family and friends, but I will most definately miss it here on this beautiful island!! I have experienced so many things in the last 3 months and I am hoping that these last 3 weeks will be just as amazing!
Some random info: I am currently addicted to the song, "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble- check it out! Also, I no longer feeling silly about listening to Christmas music :) --currenlty my favorite is "It's the Most wonderful time of the Year!" or anything that Bing Crosby is singing!!
A few things that have been going on here:
I went with a bunch of girls to the midnight showing of New Moon. No, I have not read the books, but I thought it would just be fun to go with them and check out this anticipated movie. I would have to say my favorite Cullen is most definately Emmett, he's not really in the film but twice, but he's the best! haha.. All in all, ther were about 7 of us girls that stood in line for about 2 hours with some crazy Twilight fans and got to enjoy the movie. I had a lot of fun and even though I'm not the "scream when the lights dim" girl, it was really funny to be there with all of those girls! haha..
This past week was the last week of classes at NUIG! SO WEIRD!!!! I am officially done going to class in Ireland. Next week is a study week so we can prepare for the 2 weeks of finals that follow. I have two 3000 word papers due on Monday and I'm happy to say, THEY'RE DONE! I just finished the last one today. I didn't think I would be done until tomorrow, but it sure feels good to have it all finished.. now, just to print! Printing is a little bit of a challenge around here! I think that the NUIG Library has just about as many printers as Concordia (with about 10 times as many students!). I guess I'll haveta head out early tomorrow! Next on the agenda, STUDY!
Last, but most definately not least, Thursday we celebrated THANKSGIVING! I hope that you all had a fabulous day, ate too much, and enjoyed the company of loved ones! Although it was weird not being home , my new friends made it seem like Thanksgiving all the way across the globe! The other Americans and I decided that we wanted to have a traditional Thanksgiving. We then all invited some of our other friends and it ended up being a feast for about 30 people. It was potluck style with all the Thanskgiving yummies! I made stuffing for the first time ever! It takes a lot of stuffing to try and prepare for 30 people! haha.. I am happy to say, it turned out quite lovely and I am currently enjoying leftovers!! My friend Erin, was in charge of the turkey, and although at the beginning of the semester was living off of peanut-butter sandwiches, did an EXCELLENT job of preparing the bird :) Needless to say, I ate way too much! I'm so glad that I had all these people to help it feel like it was Thanskgiving for real!
I am so thankful for this experience and for all the people that are supporting me as I venture on this amazing trip! I have definately found a love of traveling and would encourage anyone to venture to Ireland if they have the chance! :)
Have a lovely weekend and I hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Connemara and such
Well... Christmas shopping last Friday was a complete success. It was exciting because a lot of the stores having stuff up for Christmas (LOVE IT) and they even have a few outside city decorations! I've already been made fun of for being so excited for Christmas, but it IS the most wonderful time of the year.
Saturday was a day filled with homework! Saturday night however, we went into town. Saturday was a BIG football game (by that I mean Soccer). Ireland played France--It was so much fun to be in a crowded pub to experience the fans and the excitement. It wasn't a great game, 0-1, France won. The atmosphere was so awesome. Everytime Ireland even had the ball in their possession people would cheer and get very excited. It's hard to explain, but it was a LOT of fun!! My friend Kallie and I then talked to our new friend Jarek. In Galway, they have these bicycles with a bench attached and you can get a ride, of course you have to pay. One of the drivers I met on my birthday because it was his birthday too and he gave me a free ride on the bicycle thing. He was super nice and we've seen him a few times since and became friends. So, we got to go on another free ride, because we're friends, and then headed home.
Sunday morning Shannon and I headed to the bus station to get on a day tour bus through Connemara. Connemara is like a county that is close to Galway. It is very beautiful and mountainous. We had a really awesome bus driver, Martin, that gave us a little tour. We even got to see Kylemore Abbey. A great tour, I would suggest taking Lally Tours for a day trip if you're ever in Ireland!
Now back to class.. Not too many plans for this week. Ireland and France play again on Wednesday so I might have to watch that! haha.. Otherwise it's definately time to be studying and getting my papers done! I just found out that my exams are done on December 11th. Since I'm here until the 19th I'm still thinking about what to do with my week!
Getting excited that next week is Thanksgiving (we're having our own here!)
Have a great week!
Saturday was a day filled with homework! Saturday night however, we went into town. Saturday was a BIG football game (by that I mean Soccer). Ireland played France--It was so much fun to be in a crowded pub to experience the fans and the excitement. It wasn't a great game, 0-1, France won. The atmosphere was so awesome. Everytime Ireland even had the ball in their possession people would cheer and get very excited. It's hard to explain, but it was a LOT of fun!! My friend Kallie and I then talked to our new friend Jarek. In Galway, they have these bicycles with a bench attached and you can get a ride, of course you have to pay. One of the drivers I met on my birthday because it was his birthday too and he gave me a free ride on the bicycle thing. He was super nice and we've seen him a few times since and became friends. So, we got to go on another free ride, because we're friends, and then headed home.
Sunday morning Shannon and I headed to the bus station to get on a day tour bus through Connemara. Connemara is like a county that is close to Galway. It is very beautiful and mountainous. We had a really awesome bus driver, Martin, that gave us a little tour. We even got to see Kylemore Abbey. A great tour, I would suggest taking Lally Tours for a day trip if you're ever in Ireland!
Now back to class.. Not too many plans for this week. Ireland and France play again on Wednesday so I might have to watch that! haha.. Otherwise it's definately time to be studying and getting my papers done! I just found out that my exams are done on December 11th. Since I'm here until the 19th I'm still thinking about what to do with my week!
Getting excited that next week is Thanksgiving (we're having our own here!)
Have a great week!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
A few pictures from my Birthday!
I thought I would share just a couple pictures from my Birthday! :)
Really awesome birthday cake that Linde and Silvia made for me! :)
Erin and Shannon were super excited about pin the tail on the donkey!
With my really awesome roommates!
Really awesome birthday cake that Linde and Silvia made for me! :)
Erin and Shannon were super excited about pin the tail on the donkey!
With my really awesome roommates!Rain, Rain, Rain
This week has been a good week to start off November. It has begun to get a little chilly and has been raining a lot more, but we've been pretty lucky with weather so far so I can't complain too much. The only thing I don't particularily enjoy about the rain is the way it soaks up your jeans and the squishy noise it makes when your shoes and socks are all wet.
The week started off pretty uneventful. On Sunday Shannon and I went to town because it was a beautiful day and I used my Eason (bookstore) gift card. Needless to say, I've been reading my new book since and in true James Patterson style, it's awesome! I got an email on Monday letting me know that next week Dawn Duncan (professor from Concordia and the lady that got the Ireland program started) and Kirsten Buccholz (from Concordia Global Education office) will be here next week and they are taking the three of us out for dinner next Monday! They will be here checking on the program and visiting with professors from NUIG.
Last night was my friend Nick's birthday! We had a little potluck with lots of delicious food and enjoyed some great company. We then headed into town to a pub to finish the night. Nick's aunt and uncle were here visiting so it was a lot of fun to meet some of his family and they joined us in the festivities. For some reason, everywhere in Ireland has a lot of sparkling, sequinned clothing and we found a silver vest for Nick. He has been quoted from earlier that if we bought it, he would wear it. I think that statement has come back to bite him in the butt! It was a fun night--I'm still full from the delicious food!
End of the semester is coming upon us and you can tell on campus. The library is always full and people are all working on papers or starting to get ready for the big exams. I have two papers myself and a test in a few weeks. After that it'll be time to get down to business with the studying for these huge exams. I'm a little nervous because the exam is the only grade you get for these classes. Nothing else has been graded so it's kind of all or nothing. I have talked to one of my professors to try to get the low-down about how all this works and I'm hoping it won't be too bad, but I'm still a little nervous!
I'm very excited for tomorrow because I am going Christmas shopping with Shannon and Erin! I love Christmas! In case you didn't know, it IS the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, I have already begun listening to Christmas music. The Monday after Halloween I thought was a great time to start that!
This weekend might bring about a day trip (still trying to figure that out!) and, of course, lots of paper writing.
Enjoy the rest of the week! :)
The week started off pretty uneventful. On Sunday Shannon and I went to town because it was a beautiful day and I used my Eason (bookstore) gift card. Needless to say, I've been reading my new book since and in true James Patterson style, it's awesome! I got an email on Monday letting me know that next week Dawn Duncan (professor from Concordia and the lady that got the Ireland program started) and Kirsten Buccholz (from Concordia Global Education office) will be here next week and they are taking the three of us out for dinner next Monday! They will be here checking on the program and visiting with professors from NUIG.
Last night was my friend Nick's birthday! We had a little potluck with lots of delicious food and enjoyed some great company. We then headed into town to a pub to finish the night. Nick's aunt and uncle were here visiting so it was a lot of fun to meet some of his family and they joined us in the festivities. For some reason, everywhere in Ireland has a lot of sparkling, sequinned clothing and we found a silver vest for Nick. He has been quoted from earlier that if we bought it, he would wear it. I think that statement has come back to bite him in the butt! It was a fun night--I'm still full from the delicious food!
End of the semester is coming upon us and you can tell on campus. The library is always full and people are all working on papers or starting to get ready for the big exams. I have two papers myself and a test in a few weeks. After that it'll be time to get down to business with the studying for these huge exams. I'm a little nervous because the exam is the only grade you get for these classes. Nothing else has been graded so it's kind of all or nothing. I have talked to one of my professors to try to get the low-down about how all this works and I'm hoping it won't be too bad, but I'm still a little nervous!
I'm very excited for tomorrow because I am going Christmas shopping with Shannon and Erin! I love Christmas! In case you didn't know, it IS the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, I have already begun listening to Christmas music. The Monday after Halloween I thought was a great time to start that!
This weekend might bring about a day trip (still trying to figure that out!) and, of course, lots of paper writing.
Enjoy the rest of the week! :)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
LUCKY!
I would like to thank everyone at home who thought about me and sent me birthday wishes yesterday!! I'm so lucky to have such amazing friends and family :)
I am also lucky to have surrounded myself with the people that I have here in Ireland. They made my 22nd birthday a success. Thursday night, I headed out with Shannon and Erin. I was lucky enough to be serenaded at midnight--my birthday had begun! Yesterday was a great day! I slept in--I have no courses on Fridays, perfect!! -- I was demanded by my roommate that I could not do any homework, because it was mybirthday. I didn't mind this demand! I had a fairly lazy day which I thought was quite grand!
For supper, everyone in my apartment as well as our neighbors decided to make some pizza! It was my first time making pizza dough from scratch and let me say, it was a success! I had a delicious birthday meal surrounded with amazing people. After supper, there were about 20 people that came over to our little apartment. It was a lot of fun! We played pin the tail on the donkey and everything! I was surprised with a WONDERFUL cake and a tshirt with my picture on it. It's probably my favorite souvenier from Ireland so far...haha! I was also blessed with a blow-up husband. Later on we went into town and danced the night away. It was a great day!
I can't believe all the wishes I got from home and from my new friends here in Ireland. I surely am LUCKY! Love you all!!
Have a great weekend! :)
I am also lucky to have surrounded myself with the people that I have here in Ireland. They made my 22nd birthday a success. Thursday night, I headed out with Shannon and Erin. I was lucky enough to be serenaded at midnight--my birthday had begun! Yesterday was a great day! I slept in--I have no courses on Fridays, perfect!! -- I was demanded by my roommate that I could not do any homework, because it was mybirthday. I didn't mind this demand! I had a fairly lazy day which I thought was quite grand!
For supper, everyone in my apartment as well as our neighbors decided to make some pizza! It was my first time making pizza dough from scratch and let me say, it was a success! I had a delicious birthday meal surrounded with amazing people. After supper, there were about 20 people that came over to our little apartment. It was a lot of fun! We played pin the tail on the donkey and everything! I was surprised with a WONDERFUL cake and a tshirt with my picture on it. It's probably my favorite souvenier from Ireland so far...haha! I was also blessed with a blow-up husband. Later on we went into town and danced the night away. It was a great day!
I can't believe all the wishes I got from home and from my new friends here in Ireland. I surely am LUCKY! Love you all!!
Have a great weekend! :)
Friday, October 30, 2009
2 months
I really can't believe it but as of Wednesday I have officially been here for 2 months. Time is flying by so fast it's crazy! The time I have left will go by way too fast! I only have 4 weeks of class, 1 week of study, and 2 weeks of finals... I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!
Last night a few girls had some people over and we had a sort of a potluck. There was amazing food! I made bagel chips and dip.. it was a hit! Silvia made nutella cake. I am most definately getting this recipe and will be making it at home!! :)
As some of you may be wondering, do they celebrate halloween in Ireland? The answer is YES! They have already started! haha.. I think a bunch of us are dressing up and going out tonight and tomorrow night. There are bands playing and even a parade on Saturday. It should be fun! I'm still contemplating a costume...nothing like leaving it til the last minute. haha!
Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!!
Last night a few girls had some people over and we had a sort of a potluck. There was amazing food! I made bagel chips and dip.. it was a hit! Silvia made nutella cake. I am most definately getting this recipe and will be making it at home!! :)
As some of you may be wondering, do they celebrate halloween in Ireland? The answer is YES! They have already started! haha.. I think a bunch of us are dressing up and going out tonight and tomorrow night. There are bands playing and even a parade on Saturday. It should be fun! I'm still contemplating a costume...nothing like leaving it til the last minute. haha!
Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
To the North- In a few pictures...
Girls at the Belfast Castle (Me, Carole, Silvia)
At the Giant's Causeway- It was SUPER windy!(Silvia, Me, Jan, Carole)
Really cool cliffs on the way to Derry!Northern Ireland- Road Trip!!
On Friday morning, we (Jan, Silvia, Carole, and myself) took a taxi to the Galway airport with our bags packed and excitement inside. We then met a nice gentleman that rented us a car for the weekend! We left Galway about 10:00 and headed north. On our way we made a few stops to see the beautiful landscape that the west coast of Ireland brought us. It was the only sunny day of the weekend and we saw some beautiful countryside! We stopped at a few different cliff areas and, don't worry, I took lots of pictures! Around 7 we made it to Derry, our home for the night. We stayed at the Derry independent hostel and found it only mildly uncomfortable (my bed was quite squeaky!).
In Derry we decided to give ourselves a night tour. We saw the walls of what used to be the outer portion of Derry and protected the people in the village in the wars. It was kind of neat to walk along the walls and we got a great view of the city. We made a pit stop at a cute little Irish pub that had GREAT live music and enjoyed a beer before heading back to the Hostel for a night's sleep.
Saturday morning we woke up and headed further north to visit the Giant's Causeway. We had to stop first of all at an HMV and buy a few CD's. The Irish radio was NOT cutting it for us. Onward hoe. On our way we saw an old castle (Dunluce, I believe?) and stopped to check it out. The Giant's Cause was AMAZING! It was really windy there and we were afraid that we were going to get knocked off the edge or something, but we didn't. It was just quite chilly and a little rainy--but totally worth it! We were there for quite awhile taking in the beauty and walked up the side to see the great view from the top!
After that stop we were cold and hungry, but headed onward to our stop for the night- Belfast. We checked into our hostel and walked around the town for awhile. There was some sort of festival going on called 'Unite against Hate' at the city hall and we got to check that out too. Belfast is a pretty large city and it was neat to see. Saturday night we were all quite tired and decided to order a pizza and go to a movie. The cinema in Belfast much quite a bit cheaper than in Galway so we checked it out. We then went back to the hostel to call it a night.
Sunday morning I was awoken by construction in front of the window. I did not think that 6 am on a Sunday morning was a great time for that! After breakfast we packed up the car and headed to the Belfast castle. It was not quite as historical as other castles I have seen, but VERY beautiful! Right when we were leaving the rain began again--it was quite a rainy weekend! After the castle, we stopped at STARBUCKS! Yes, this is the first time I've had it in 2 1/2 months...it was pretty delicious! :) We decided to check out the great shopping that Belfast has to offer. It was a good day. We left Belfast at about 6 pm and arrived back in Galway around 11:30.
It was a GREAT weekend and we all had a lot of fun! Needless to say, I slept in today :) Today we have a "Bank Holiday" for halloween, so DAY OFF. Nothing too exciting planned, just some reading and hopefully some relaxing.
Now, I need to figure out what to dress up like this weekend--hmmm...
In Derry we decided to give ourselves a night tour. We saw the walls of what used to be the outer portion of Derry and protected the people in the village in the wars. It was kind of neat to walk along the walls and we got a great view of the city. We made a pit stop at a cute little Irish pub that had GREAT live music and enjoyed a beer before heading back to the Hostel for a night's sleep.
Saturday morning we woke up and headed further north to visit the Giant's Causeway. We had to stop first of all at an HMV and buy a few CD's. The Irish radio was NOT cutting it for us. Onward hoe. On our way we saw an old castle (Dunluce, I believe?) and stopped to check it out. The Giant's Cause was AMAZING! It was really windy there and we were afraid that we were going to get knocked off the edge or something, but we didn't. It was just quite chilly and a little rainy--but totally worth it! We were there for quite awhile taking in the beauty and walked up the side to see the great view from the top!
After that stop we were cold and hungry, but headed onward to our stop for the night- Belfast. We checked into our hostel and walked around the town for awhile. There was some sort of festival going on called 'Unite against Hate' at the city hall and we got to check that out too. Belfast is a pretty large city and it was neat to see. Saturday night we were all quite tired and decided to order a pizza and go to a movie. The cinema in Belfast much quite a bit cheaper than in Galway so we checked it out. We then went back to the hostel to call it a night.
Sunday morning I was awoken by construction in front of the window. I did not think that 6 am on a Sunday morning was a great time for that! After breakfast we packed up the car and headed to the Belfast castle. It was not quite as historical as other castles I have seen, but VERY beautiful! Right when we were leaving the rain began again--it was quite a rainy weekend! After the castle, we stopped at STARBUCKS! Yes, this is the first time I've had it in 2 1/2 months...it was pretty delicious! :) We decided to check out the great shopping that Belfast has to offer. It was a good day. We left Belfast at about 6 pm and arrived back in Galway around 11:30.
It was a GREAT weekend and we all had a lot of fun! Needless to say, I slept in today :) Today we have a "Bank Holiday" for halloween, so DAY OFF. Nothing too exciting planned, just some reading and hopefully some relaxing.
Now, I need to figure out what to dress up like this weekend--hmmm...
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Some Pictures from the weekend...
Lindsay, Steph and I at the Dublin Zoo
At the Guinness Storehouse (Dublin)
A beautiful fall-leaved wall @ Bunratty Folk Park 
Me @ Bunratty Castle-- I LOVE Castles!!! 
Showing off where I go to school- Lindsay, Steph and I in the Quadrangle.Monday, October 19, 2009
Dublin
Friday night, we rolled into Dublin! We took a taxi to our hotel, which was kind of far from the city centre. We were hungry so we walked to a pub not too far from the hotel. They informed us that they no longer serve, so we had to go to McDonald's because it was the only other thing in the area. We went back to the pub for dessert!
Saturday morning we got up early and decided to take the Luas (kind of like their transit system) into the city. We got off and walked to the Guinness Storehouse. We were there for quite sometime learning all about how to make Guinness and Arthur Guinness and the 9000 year lease. It was really cool to see everything there and hear all about Guinness, and of course get a free pint at the end of the tour :) The Guinness store house is 7 stories tall and the highest point is the gravity bar which is all glass and gives you a great view of the city!
After the Guinness factory we got on a Dublin city tour Hop-On/Hop-Off bus. We thought this would be the best way to see much of the city in 2 days. Saturday was a really busy day in this sense! We went to Kilmainom Gaol (jail) which was really amazing and I learned a lot about the 1916 uprising in Dublin. I was really glad we did this tour because a lot of the people involved in the uprising have buildings and streets named after them. It was fun to recognize those names and know the story behind it.
After the Gaol we got back on the bus and saw Trinity College, Temple Bar Area, Christ Church, etc... We saw quite a bit!! At the end of the day we were pretty exhausted and hungry! We had a great meal at Flanagan's restaurant and took the Luas back to our hotel.
Sunday morning we got up and headed to the zoo. The zoo was one of the stops on the Hop-On/Hop-off tour that we saw and since our tickets were good form 24 hours, we still had time to hop-on and get there. The Dublin zoo is really quite large and had a lot of stuff. I LOVE zoos and they even had my favorite animal, the giraffe!! After the zoo we went and saw St Patrick's Cathedral. After the cathedral it was almost time for me to head back to Galway. We stopped at the hotel, grabbed my stuff, took the Luas to the city centre and said our good-byes.
It was so fun to have Steph and Lindsay here and I'm glad that we got to see so much in the time that they spent here. I think they had fun and were also ready to head home and not live out of a suitcase anymore.
I took a bus back to Galway--it rained the whole way back. We definately had great weather while they were here to sight-see! When I got home I was pretty tired.
Today I have to catch up a bit on homework and get ready for another week. Next weekend I'll be headin to Northern Ireland!
Saturday morning we got up early and decided to take the Luas (kind of like their transit system) into the city. We got off and walked to the Guinness Storehouse. We were there for quite sometime learning all about how to make Guinness and Arthur Guinness and the 9000 year lease. It was really cool to see everything there and hear all about Guinness, and of course get a free pint at the end of the tour :) The Guinness store house is 7 stories tall and the highest point is the gravity bar which is all glass and gives you a great view of the city!
After the Guinness factory we got on a Dublin city tour Hop-On/Hop-Off bus. We thought this would be the best way to see much of the city in 2 days. Saturday was a really busy day in this sense! We went to Kilmainom Gaol (jail) which was really amazing and I learned a lot about the 1916 uprising in Dublin. I was really glad we did this tour because a lot of the people involved in the uprising have buildings and streets named after them. It was fun to recognize those names and know the story behind it.
After the Gaol we got back on the bus and saw Trinity College, Temple Bar Area, Christ Church, etc... We saw quite a bit!! At the end of the day we were pretty exhausted and hungry! We had a great meal at Flanagan's restaurant and took the Luas back to our hotel.
Sunday morning we got up and headed to the zoo. The zoo was one of the stops on the Hop-On/Hop-off tour that we saw and since our tickets were good form 24 hours, we still had time to hop-on and get there. The Dublin zoo is really quite large and had a lot of stuff. I LOVE zoos and they even had my favorite animal, the giraffe!! After the zoo we went and saw St Patrick's Cathedral. After the cathedral it was almost time for me to head back to Galway. We stopped at the hotel, grabbed my stuff, took the Luas to the city centre and said our good-byes.
It was so fun to have Steph and Lindsay here and I'm glad that we got to see so much in the time that they spent here. I think they had fun and were also ready to head home and not live out of a suitcase anymore.
I took a bus back to Galway--it rained the whole way back. We definately had great weather while they were here to sight-see! When I got home I was pretty tired.
Today I have to catch up a bit on homework and get ready for another week. Next weekend I'll be headin to Northern Ireland!
Limerick
On Thursday morning, October 15th, I met Steph and Lindsay at the bus station to get on our way to Limerick. We arrived in Limerick, found our hotel and then proceeded to King John's Castle. King John's castle is in town and was a little bit smaller than the other castle's I've seen. We still thought it was pretty cool and got a beautiful view of the city. They even have an archaological dig area because part of the city fell. I find that kind of stuff really fascinating!
After the castle, we walked to the centre and found a cute little place to eat. I thought it was quite delicious. I made Steph try her first Bulmer's cider beer, because she didn't like the Guinness.
When we were on our way back to the hotel, we saw some swans and almost got close enough to pet them! At the hotel, Lindsay and I decided to check out the pool. The exciting thing about that was we were required to wear swimcaps...That was pretty funny!
When I got done swimming, Steph and I went to find some traditional Irish music. We went to a place on the map that said there was music, however they were closing. The nice lady there gave us directions going back the other direction to a place much closer to our hotel. We enjoyed some fiddling and good conversation. We headed back to the hotel and crashed so we could get up early and see the Bunratty Castle.
Friday, we left the hotel and got on a bus to the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. It was AWESOME! There was a really cool huge castle that is set up much like it would have been in the 16th century. They also have many acres of land to be set up like an old Irish countryside/village. It was so much fun!! It was like Bonanzaville, except bigger and had a castle. We left there just in time to get on another bus and head to Dublin!
After the castle, we walked to the centre and found a cute little place to eat. I thought it was quite delicious. I made Steph try her first Bulmer's cider beer, because she didn't like the Guinness.
When we were on our way back to the hotel, we saw some swans and almost got close enough to pet them! At the hotel, Lindsay and I decided to check out the pool. The exciting thing about that was we were required to wear swimcaps...That was pretty funny!
When I got done swimming, Steph and I went to find some traditional Irish music. We went to a place on the map that said there was music, however they were closing. The nice lady there gave us directions going back the other direction to a place much closer to our hotel. We enjoyed some fiddling and good conversation. We headed back to the hotel and crashed so we could get up early and see the Bunratty Castle.
Friday, we left the hotel and got on a bus to the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. It was AWESOME! There was a really cool huge castle that is set up much like it would have been in the 16th century. They also have many acres of land to be set up like an old Irish countryside/village. It was so much fun!! It was like Bonanzaville, except bigger and had a castle. We left there just in time to get on another bus and head to Dublin!
Steph and Lindsay visit GALWAY!
Last Monday, October 12th, after a long hour in class, I walked to the Hotel Clybaun to anxiously await the arrival of Miss Stephanie Forbord and Miss Lindsay Cook. After a couple hours, they showed up!! It was so much fun to see familiar faces in Galway. I was so excited to have them here!! On Monday night, I brought them back to my apartment and we made pizza. I knew they would be tired after their long flight, so we just hung around for awhile and they then went back to their hotel.
On Tuesday I had classes again. I was planning on meeting them in the City Centre around 4 after class. When I met up with them I showed them a few cool souvenire shops and then we went to look at the Cathedral. It was shortly before mass so we only saw it for a second but it was something I thought they should most definately see while in Galway. I then brought them to the University and showed them the Quadrangle and the campus where I go to school. We then stopped and got ingredients and i made lasagna!! Silvia came over and so we all sat down and enjoyed my marvelous lasagna...I thought I did a pretty good job :) After we finished eating we booked tickets for Limerick and Dublin and then proceeded to the city centre to meet up with some people at King's Head.
King's Head is probably my favorite place in the centre to go. They have live music every night and Steph and Lindsay liked it too! It was fun because I had told a bunch of people we were going, so when we got there we met up with a bunch of my friends here. I was excited to see how many came!
Wednesday Steph and Lindsay explored Salthill while I again went to class. After class I met them at their hotel and we took a bus to the city centre to find something to eat. We ate at Finnegan's and had traditional Irish food. Steph and I both at fish and chips and it was the best fish I have ever had! Lindsay had beef shephard's pie which also looked quite amazing.
It was fun to have them in Galway and show them a little bit of what I do here.
On Tuesday I had classes again. I was planning on meeting them in the City Centre around 4 after class. When I met up with them I showed them a few cool souvenire shops and then we went to look at the Cathedral. It was shortly before mass so we only saw it for a second but it was something I thought they should most definately see while in Galway. I then brought them to the University and showed them the Quadrangle and the campus where I go to school. We then stopped and got ingredients and i made lasagna!! Silvia came over and so we all sat down and enjoyed my marvelous lasagna...I thought I did a pretty good job :) After we finished eating we booked tickets for Limerick and Dublin and then proceeded to the city centre to meet up with some people at King's Head.
King's Head is probably my favorite place in the centre to go. They have live music every night and Steph and Lindsay liked it too! It was fun because I had told a bunch of people we were going, so when we got there we met up with a bunch of my friends here. I was excited to see how many came!
Wednesday Steph and Lindsay explored Salthill while I again went to class. After class I met them at their hotel and we took a bus to the city centre to find something to eat. We ate at Finnegan's and had traditional Irish food. Steph and I both at fish and chips and it was the best fish I have ever had! Lindsay had beef shephard's pie which also looked quite amazing.
It was fun to have them in Galway and show them a little bit of what I do here.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
October
I haven't had any updates in awhile, but I thought I'd fill you in on what has been happening in Galway this past week.
Last weekend was pretty relaxed. We tried out a new place on Saturday night, it was pretty fun! On Sunday morning I went grocery shopping--I really wish groceries weren't so expensive. When I got home, I made delicious brownies! Sunday night a bunch of girls came over and we watched movies, ate pizza and brownies.
Tuesday night the International Student Society put on an 80s themed party. The costume winner would receive 50 euro! Unfortunately, none of us won, but we had a great time getting all dressed up for it! It was a lot of fun!!
Yesterday I had my first ever kiting experience! It was so fun!! My friend Marcel has this big kite that, if the wind is strong enough, will lift you up and lots of people go wind surfing with these kinds of kites. I won't be doing that, but he kept talking about kiting and I wanted to see what it was all about. I had a bunch of time between classes so we went out...and I think it's probably my new favorite activity! It was so fun!!
Tonight we're going to greyhound dog races. I've never seen them, but a few people wanted to go, so I thought I'd go along. I'm excited to see what this entails!
My roommate, Jan, has a few friends coming for the weekend. I am getting very excited because my friend Steph is coming MONDAY!!!! It'll be really fun to see a face from home :) She'll be here for about a week, so I'm sure I'll have all sorts of adventures to blog about after next week. I know that we will go to Limerick and Dublin!
Hope the first week in October is treating everyone well! (I can't believe it's October!)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Cork!
Saturday morning at 6 am I joined my friends Shannon, Erin, and Dorte to head to the bus station where we loaded a bus for Cork. The bus trip took about 4 hours so we slept on the bus and then were ready for a day on the town. We arrived at our Hostel, left our things and then decided to adventure. This is only the second hostel I've ever been in, but it was really nice and had more of a bed and breakfast feel to it. We were happy because we ended up having out own room--which was quite convenient!
We then decided to hop on a bus and head just outside of Cork to go to the Blarney castle.. WOW! The blarney castle and the grounds that it is on are amazing. Very beautiful and really cool to see the castle. I also KISSED THE BLARNEY STONE!! :) We were at the castle for a good portion of the afternoon and saw a lot of beautiful waterfalls, flowers, and cool stone structures. When we got back into Cork we stopped at a grocery store and picked up some pasta, garlic bread, and wine. We went back to the hostel and ate a feast..It was quite delicious, but apparently our eyes were bigger than our stomachs--we had a little extra pasta! haha...
Saturday night we headed out! Erin has a few friends that are studying in Cork, which was nice so they could show us around and bring us to only the best places. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun that ended in getting lost and eventually getting back to our Hostel quite late! Cork is a little confusing because there are two rivers and if you don't know which one you are by...you can get quite lost! Apparently the town used to be all rivers and they decided to pave over the rivers and make streets--fun fact.
We slept in on Sunday and then walked around town for a bit. Saw a lot of really cool churches and other buildings. Erin and I then headed to a Munster Rugby match. We got there quite early and got to see the excitement build as the match got closer. We ended up buying jerseys and having a blast while cheering on Munster, who won 27-3. The match was tied at 3 until halftime--Munster came barreling through in the second half! Rugby is pretty big over here and people get really intense with it. We had a BLAST!! Also, turns out Rugby players have really nice legs and are quite attractive, I'd go back! :)
After the match we met up with Dorte and Shannon to grab a bite to eat. We were all pretty exhausted so we just went back and hung out in the hostel and chatted until we all fell asleep. Our bus left Cork at 7:25 am this morning so that we could get back to Galway for class. I took a nap this afternoon and am still a little tired, but had a really fun weekend!
Back to the books for another week! The first choir practice is tomorrow so I'm pretty excited about that. There are a lot of activities starting this week, so it'll be another busy one.
I can't believe Thursday is already October!
We then decided to hop on a bus and head just outside of Cork to go to the Blarney castle.. WOW! The blarney castle and the grounds that it is on are amazing. Very beautiful and really cool to see the castle. I also KISSED THE BLARNEY STONE!! :) We were at the castle for a good portion of the afternoon and saw a lot of beautiful waterfalls, flowers, and cool stone structures. When we got back into Cork we stopped at a grocery store and picked up some pasta, garlic bread, and wine. We went back to the hostel and ate a feast..It was quite delicious, but apparently our eyes were bigger than our stomachs--we had a little extra pasta! haha...
Saturday night we headed out! Erin has a few friends that are studying in Cork, which was nice so they could show us around and bring us to only the best places. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun that ended in getting lost and eventually getting back to our Hostel quite late! Cork is a little confusing because there are two rivers and if you don't know which one you are by...you can get quite lost! Apparently the town used to be all rivers and they decided to pave over the rivers and make streets--fun fact.
We slept in on Sunday and then walked around town for a bit. Saw a lot of really cool churches and other buildings. Erin and I then headed to a Munster Rugby match. We got there quite early and got to see the excitement build as the match got closer. We ended up buying jerseys and having a blast while cheering on Munster, who won 27-3. The match was tied at 3 until halftime--Munster came barreling through in the second half! Rugby is pretty big over here and people get really intense with it. We had a BLAST!! Also, turns out Rugby players have really nice legs and are quite attractive, I'd go back! :)
After the match we met up with Dorte and Shannon to grab a bite to eat. We were all pretty exhausted so we just went back and hung out in the hostel and chatted until we all fell asleep. Our bus left Cork at 7:25 am this morning so that we could get back to Galway for class. I took a nap this afternoon and am still a little tired, but had a really fun weekend!
Back to the books for another week! The first choir practice is tomorrow so I'm pretty excited about that. There are a lot of activities starting this week, so it'll be another busy one.
I can't believe Thursday is already October!
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