Thanks a Million

I am sitting in the Shannon Airport wondering what to say in my very last blog post ever about Ireland. The last few days of been a a glob of cleaning and packing I feel like I did not get to say a proper goodbye to Galway or the swans. So here is my goodbye.
It was always my dream to travel abroad. There was something about living in a foreign country that intrigued me, it did not even matter what country at first. When Father Art suggested I apply for the Ireland trip last minute I thought it was a sign, I was meant to go to Galway. Looking back on it I am not sure if I still believe that, but none the less I was there and it was grand. In all my expectations for studying abroad I never expected what I got. For some reason I pictured this magical fairy land where every moment of every day would be fantastic and I would never want to leave. Well Ireland, I do want to leave and it was not your fault but it was not all magic and fairytales. Sure there is bits and pieces that are magical thrown here and there, like the castles scattered around and I swear their are fairy's adding magic to the food to make in absolutely amazing. But it was just life in another country. Things went wrong and things went good. The most surprising part of the trip is that I was living on my own. I was more on my own then I ever have been and although it was hard, it is that part of this experience I am most thankful for. I can take care of myself a million miles from home, navigate my way through europe on my own which is something I never would have experience on my own.
I loved going to pubs and having a pint, not because I could drink but because of the way that they do it. Sitting in a pub by a fire filled with peet with your friends drinking the best beer in the world (Paulner) is an irreplaceable memory that I will have forever.
The swans will always hold a special place in my heart, the way they protected Donegan Court.
I wil miss my runs to the lighthouse.
I will miss walking along the canal.
I will miss the children I met at Schol Bridge.
I will miss you Galway.
Thanking for assisting in the journey to finding out who I am.

Amsterdam

Over spring break I decided to adventure europe! This included four stops in four different countries, the first stop: Amsterdam, Netherlands!!

Lets just say Amsterdam is unlike and place that I have ever been to before. There are all types of people everywhere speaking all sorts of languages. The architecture was amazing, just walking around the city would take days, observing the buildings and seeing canals on each street, it was a really beautiful city. 

Of course Amsterdam does live up to its reputation of being a crazy city loaded with normally illegal drugs around every corner. We got to see the best of this sin city by staying in a Christian Hostel  in the middle of the Red Light District which was busy all day and all night. It was like walking around another world. And Im not going to lie, I do not know how I felt about it. So many things kept secret in America were advertised on ever road and every corner. It was an adventure but I am not sure that I would ever go back again. 

I must emphasize that it was a very beautiful city! And we go to see a lot. One of the first things we did was wait in line for about an hour to get into the house that Anne Frank and her family were hidden in. Seeing the inside of the house was a very remarkable experience, her pictures that she hung up on the walls were still there. The children's height was marked on the wall. Besides for the removed furniture, everything was exactly how it was back then. 

After this we tried to lighten our moods by going to the Heineken Factory! Different from the Guinness factory but just as exciting and fun! 

The next day we went to the Keukenhof Garden where there were hundreds of gardens filled with tulips! The sun was out and the flowers were gorgeous. On the way we say fields and fields of all different types of colors. I would be lying if I didnt say I was thinking of Anacortes the entire day. And although the gardens and the flowers were breathtakingly gorgeous, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival takes the cake! 

Overall Amsterdam was the start of a very adventurous trip!

A Whole New Galway

I am writing this blog sitting in my freezing cold room while it is raining outside and somehow I feel slightly comforted. This is the first day in over a week that I have seen the Galway I have grown to know and love the past three months. Rain has been gone for a while now, leaving the city of Galway with this really warm ball of light in the sky. Everyone was outside sitting in parks I never knew were supposed to be parks. I noticed benches and sand and lawns that people can have a picnic. It was too warm to wear a jacket, or even a sweater! I was not sure exactly how to handle myself, I forgot what sunshine felt like! Oh but it was grand. Long runs next to the beach, and reading Harry Potter by the canal, getting sunburned! It truly was a beautiful time in Galway, so beautiful I had teared up a few times walking by the canal, overlooking the city on my way back to the apartment. One night we went out to dinner and had a delicious pizza and then walked to go get gelado as the sun was setting. One day I went on a run and on the way back decided to lay on the beach. One day I went to a spanish cafe by the spanish arch where they had set out tables and I ordered a tuna sandwich and smoothie. One day I walked with a few girls and had a picnic across a river from a castle. I don't know exactly what came over Galway but I just wanted to say thank you because it was the best week I have had yet.

Pictures to come!

Just a Few Steps to the Top

1:45 AM- We start our journey. Walking through the drunken mobs of teenagers in Galway to get to the bus station which will take us to Dublin Airport. We fell asleep the whole time.
5:00 AM- Arrive at Dublin Airport and are able to get all the way to our plane with not a single person to check our passport.
7:00 AM- Arrive in Edinburgh Airport!
8:00 AM- IN EDINBURGH. The moment I stepped off the bus from the airport I was able to feel the magic held within this city. The castle was perched up on a high cliff, watching over every part of the city. Everything I saw was incredible and I could not tell if that was because of the deliriousness from late night travels or just the true beauty of the city. Maybe a little bit of both.
8:30 AM- Check into Castle Rock Hostel. When you step out of the hostel you get the best view of the castle in the whole city. The hostel was run by young people in their 20's, people who wanted to do something different so they came to this city and live and work in this hostel for months. They were from all over the world: Australia, Canada, France, Spain. They really were able to make the hostel an amazing experience for us, even if we had to share a bathroom with the opposite sex.
10:00 AM- Drinking coffee at the Elephant Cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter! This was a really cool coffee shop that we went back to about three or four times throughout the weekend. After Coffee we explored Edinburgh, walked the Royal Mile which was packed with ancient buildings and cathedrals and bars and restaurants. By the time we were done exploring and went back to the hostel we crashed hard from our non stop adventure and did not wake up until dinner which consisted of Mexican food.... in Scotland.

NEXT DAY

10:30 AM- We decided to check out Arthurs Seat, which is the top of this volcano located in the city. Everyone told us it was just a few steps and then you were at the top, it wasn't difficult and it was really beautiful. Well these people have a strange sense of humor. We walked up those steps, that were made about 300 years ago and consisted of rocks shooting out of the side of the mountain, not to mention that this mountain was very steep. We get to the top and collapse on the cool grass and then look left.... on our left was the actually Arthurs Seat. We walked over to the bottom of it, looking for a trail but the only thing we could find were rocks, so of course we climbed up them. The views at the top were beautiful, again my eyes got huge and I thought this must be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. And then it started raining, making the rocks and pathways down slippery. The walk down was terrifying. We were falling left and right, stopping right before a cliff edge or a thorn bush. When we got down I almost cried tears of joy. The next morning I woke up sore from having to catch myself so many times on a steep mountain. It was an experience that I will certainly never forget.
2:00 PM- Go back to the hostel and collapse for hours.
7:00 PM- Eat the best Italian food of my life.

NEXT DAY:

10:00 AM- Go to the Elephant House for coffee.
12:00 PM- Find the Edinburgh Saturday Market and eat a scottish pork sandwich with something else that I am not really sure I want to know what it was. We explored New Town. This is one of the coolest parts of Edinburgh, they have an ancient city on the left and a urban european city on your right. The rest of the day was filled with exploring. We went on a Whiskey Tour and the Scottish Museum
6:00 PM- Got to a pub that claimed to be the oldest pub in Edinburgh where I had an amazing salmon dinner and saw the loch ness monster.
9:00 PM- Say our goodbyes to Edinburgh in an awesome pub where they played Johnny Cash.

NEXT DAY:

To my regret we had to leave. I am not exaggerating when I saw that this was one of the most amazing cities I have ever been to. It was beautiful and exciting and I have already bought a ticket back.

 10:00

The Sheep in Dingle

Down in the southwest of Ireland there is a little beach town called Dingle. I know I am becoming "the girl who called beautiful" but again I must claim that this is the most beautiful place I have been too! What was my favorite part of the weekend? Looking out the window. The sun was shinning and the hills were green and the ocean was blue and the sand was warm (as warm as it can be in February in Ireland) and everything was beautiful.
First day we toured a castle led by a quirky little irish man that adored his job. He giggled and goofed and was quite entertaining for everyone around him. The castle was really awesome but I think the most memorable thing in the castle was that little irish man. Before the castle we went to this beautiful park called Coole Park, famous for its autograph tree which holds famous authors such as Yeats and of course for being the subject of one of Yeats poems as well.
The next day we went to the beach. And that is the only important information of the day. The moment I stepped on the sand I took off my boots and ran, letting my toes touch the Atlantic snapping picture along the way. Something took over us college students when on that beach. It was like stripping off our boots and coats in the middle of february on a SUNNY day in Ireland was liberating and enchanting. We ran along the tide, hollering when the water touched above our ankles. We climbed rocks and laughed and played tag. For about 15 minutes  I think we forgot everything and just enjoyed the moment, each other and nature. I am often amazed at the affect nature has on the moods of people. No matter how modern the world around us develops, people will flock to the beach on a sunny day.
Th other notable fact about Dingle is the food. Nicole Merten, Hannah Gansey, Laura Curtis and myself had an amazing encounter with seafood. I am not sure whether it was because we were all very hungry or because it was that amazing but it was a transcendent experience none the less.
 We saw a lot of things and toured a lot of places but the memories that will stay with me forever is Dingle's beauty and its amazing seafood.

Hurling, Gaelic Football and Silent Discos

A week full of brand new experiences!! I spent my Sunday afternoon sitting high in the stands watching two games that I have never before seen. There was two matches back to back, the first one was hurling and the second gaelic football. These are traditional Irish sports, not necessarily common anywhere else in the world, and I can see why... Its dangerous! Hurling consists of a ball smaller and probably heavier then a baseball and wooden sticks called "hurlers" that kind of look like a mix between a hockey stick and a lacrosse stick. Each end has both a net and then above it a field goal type structure, three points if you make it in the net one point if you make it over. These players are hurling this tiny ball at each other in the air and when one person hits it with the stick the other guy catches it with his BARE  HAND! Of course when one person catches it the defense clobbers that player, sticks flaying all over the place hitting people in the head, the knee, and other places nobody should be hitting... only one can describe these guys: badass. I could not watch this match, I gaped at it. This was followed up by a sport that is ridiculous in a completely opposite sense. While it was aggressive still, the thing that amazed me the most was the remarkable skill and athleticism that goes into this crazy sport. It involves a round ball that kind of looks like a volleyball. The goals and points are set up the same was as hurling but you can only score points by kicking it in. What happens is that you start with the ball on the ground and while you are running you flick up the ball to your arms and carry it for no more then three steps and then you have to drop it on the ground and kick it back up immediately, its like dribbling but instead of bouncing on the ground you are bouncing it between your feet and your hands while running... Again I gaped. As an end note, there was not padding worn at all except a helmet in hurling. Puts a whole new perspective on burley Irish Men if there even was a perspective before.
Another interesting experience I encountered this week was on the late night of Valentines Day. After a marvelous salmon dinner completed with a Red Velvet cake from my favorite bakery, Griffins, the girls and I decided to go to the Roisin Dobh Silent Disco. The Roisin Dobh is a pub located down the street from my apartment and snuggled in the back is a "silent" club. I always wondered what the heck happens back there? and tuesday I decided to find out. You walk in the door and pay your 5 euro for a headset and a pint of Bavaria. Inside is a bar and a stage with two different DJ's marked A and B in front of a dance floor filled with people dancing to different beats, no music playing everyone is just wearing the headphones. Putting on the headphones I discovered the two different channels with the two different dj's playing different music! The best part was taking off the headphones periodically and listening drunk girls scream the lyrics to Adele's latest while listening to the boys try to follow along with Snoop Dog. Definitely my idea of sober entertainment! New favorite club by far.

Craic in Cork!

I found my 2nd favorite city in Ireland!!!

This weekend our special bus driver Eric took us to a great place in the South of Ireland called Cork! First day I got there, immediately found one of the only H&M's in Ireland, so of course we had a shopping spree. Later that night we found this friendly little pub covered head to toe with the most random assortment of of posters and flags and much more. We got to have some pretty great conversations with a lot of random people while I tried Corks version of Guinness: Murphys. The great thing about Ireland is that each county seems to have its own personality with its own very different accent. I am sorry to say that I did not get used to the accent until my last day... and then of course I could understand them perfectly!

While in cork we got to visit a very colorful port town famous for the last stop the Titanic took before heading on its journey! When I am old and grey and full of money I think I will retire here and live in the brightest house on the coast!

The next day saw two of the most mystical places I have ever seen: The Blarney Castle and the cliffs of Moher! At the castle we got to kiss the Blarney stone, therefore the next time you talk to me I will be filled with good humor and persuasive speech. I am hoping to take this new power from kissing this special rock and be the first women president. Meaning that when I get home I will be both a famous artist and a politician, and of course I will have an Irish accent that will make me lovable and cool. I also walked up and down a stairwell with a spell on it with my eyes closed tight (for obvious reasons stating that this is the only way a wish will be granted). This means someday also I will rule the world. 

The cliffs of Moher were unfortunately blanketed with a thick layer of fog hiding the beauty and treacherous wonder it beholds. Fortunately I had created my own sun danced lifting the fog up high in the sky allowing me to shimmy the cliff that was hundreds of feet below the water. 

On a side note I just want to express how much I love my family and how I would not be here if it wasn't for them. I wish I could be there for you guys when you need me because you have never failed to be here for me when I need you. I love you and think about you constantly. 

A quiet night in the rain

At night, walking back from the pub disobeying the forbidden rule: never walk home alone! But I couldn’t be happier that I did. I walked home alone tonight, while the persistant rain beat down on my head. When I turned the corner to walk up the canal I noticed the Black Eyed Peas playing at the Rose In Dove, and I smiled to myself as a remembered all the times I played their music driving in my car when I was 17.  The music still buzzing in my head I hiked up the small but steep hill leading to the last stretch before the luxurious Donegan Court. At the top of this hill all of the sudden the world went quiet. I had passed the man made water fall and I was distant from the Black Eyed Peas, and the sudden hush startled me. I stopped in my tracks to look if anyone else was around, but at that exact moment someone turned the corner, leaving me alone with the canal, the darkness and the rain. I got close to the railing peering down at the raindrops forming in the water, listening to the wash of the water streaming. I looked down as far as I could see the winding canal curving its body toward the University. It was such a beautiful moment, by myself with the canal hearing my thoughts. I walked further and further away from the noise of the crowded bar and as I walked more peace was ahead. I left the noise and entered the quiet, having to stop to hear the rain fall down on the road ahead. I leaned against the rock wall and closed my eyes, listening to a sound that could not be any more familiar to me but right now at that moment was a noise that had never been heard from anyone. I walked a little further, letting the puddles burry my feet while I peered down at all the water around me. I had to stop again to stare down at the canal, wondering how many people it had stolen quiet moments from before me. The absence of the swans made the canal more lonely. I closed my eyes again wanting the moment to never end. Wanting the grace I felt from the endless amount of water to flow inside me forever. The warmth of Donegan Court got the best of me as I walked fast home to recollect my magical moment by the canal. How odd I found it that my first truly spectacular moment happened in the nights darkest hours, and in Irelands wettest moments. However the peace and gentleness that tourist all around imagine Ireland to hold, was bestowed upon me on its ugliest moment. Just like life shows you its light when you are least expecting comfort. 

Aran Island Excursion

And I thought Galway was beautiful! Being on the Aran Island was like experiencing Ireland for the first time. And the most amazing part was that we got to experience it all first hand. We rode bikes up and down the green hills nestled in by the sea. We passed cows and chickens and sheep and rams, all with ocean front property. Everybody’s property was separated by 3 foot walls that were made out of rocks. The walls looked so delicate that when I tried to go kick it over I thought the whole wall would go crashing down but those Irish farmers are smarter then they look! Across the island we had the best lunch I have ever tasted in my entire existence on this planet. And all it was: tea sandwiches and hot soup. Our tour guide (and his dog) lead us to the first cliffs I have had the pleasure of seeing while being in Ireland. We all laid down and peek over the 300 ft drop and gaped in amazement at the waves crashing below us. I took 405 pictures, but no picture could provide the breathtaking views we saw today, or the quaint rolling hills of farmland we biked through. It was a truly perfect day and we were blessed with truly perfect weather on the truly perfect excursion in the almost perfect country of Ireland.

Stay tuned for my past trips to Dublin and Connemara! I was struck by the Irish flue and have been laying in bed doing anything but blogging and homework 

The Good The Bad and The Ugly

While magical Ireland steel glistens in the rare sunlight each day, it has bore its ugly head to the students of Oregon this week. Now before I start to ran/blog about these experiences, I also am so very glad I have been through this for I have learned a tremendous amount both as a young adult and a woman. Also keep in mind that I have a tendency to make things dramatic. From here on I will talk about The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good- Ireland is gorgeous. We went on a walking tour of lead by a representative from the University and I could not stop taking pictures of everything. I was that annoying girl running to the beginning of the line and then stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to take a picture of a breathtaking door on a rustic house that I was taken aback by. There is an endless amount of artistic energy flowing through this city that makes me feel like someday I might be able to pull out the painting skills I have been yearning for since kindergarten and be Galways number one international artist. In my dreams I will come back famous, 100's of pictures of the "catedral" and the swans in tow. Another good about this city is the countless night time entertainment that goes on every night of the week! The stereotype that all Irish people are alcoholics was seriously undermining their abilities to party. This may seem harsh or maybe negative but its something about the way that the Irish drink that make it alright. It is simply part of their culture and friendships and relationships are built within their social atmosphere.

The Bad which then leads to the Ugly- I had a terrifying experience this week in two different ways: Irish clubbing and international registration for english seminars. On Monday night we all went clubbing with local Irish students. They really showed us a great time but once we got there and once we lost them it was a bit of a nightmare. Without going into to much detail I was singed by a cigarette of someone passing by, stepped on by numerous stilettos and lets just saw my "personal bubble" was seriously invaded without anyones permission. Leading on to that, we went through a nightmare this morning. Registration for international students went something like this: wait in line for one and a half hours, then squeeze 15o students into a stairwell, force them to organize themselves by numbers and then proceed to not get single class you hoped for because we got all the leftover classes the Irish students did not want. Needless to say it was an experience!

I am leaving for a new part of Ireland tomorrow morning, Dublin! I will compare the different masses thoroughly and report back, Im hoping this catedral holds at least 38 minute masses. I mean it is a much larger city.

I have been here six days and yet it feels like I have been here a month. I keep waiting for someone to wake me up from an apparent alter universe I am living in! Walking to a simple convenient store is like walking through a fairy tale, passing old brick buildings covered with ivy, walking over canals with quaint bridges and swans gliding to greet you. From my kitchen window I can see the giant "catedral"straight ahead, the old castle looking University to my left and the ocean with all the rivers and canals leading to it on my right. This is obviously a dream I am living in in which I will probably not wake up until that fateful day in May. Instead of listing off my day to day experiences, I am going to write a list of things that I have learned while staying here thus far. 

Lesson 1- Bathrooms are called toilets

Lesson 2- There are a lot of sheep.

Lesson 3- Salads are not really salads here, they consist of a pile of lettuce sided with meat. 

Lesson 4- Galway has not entered the 21st century, there is not WiFi anywhere

Lesson 5- Do not pick up the plates at a restaurant after eating and do not leave tips!

Lesson 6- The bacon is cooked, it only LOOKS raw...

Lesson 7- Nothing is built for comfort here.

Lesson 8- It is more then socially acceptable to order a beer at 3 in the afternoon

Lesson 9- Guinness tastes amazing in Ireland and only in Ireland.

Lesson 10- Two new drinks that are very good and a staple for everyone who cant handle Guinness: Kopper Burg and Bulmers Hard Cider

Lesson 11- People do not pick up after their dogs. At all.

Lesson 12- A line is called "a que" here. 

Lesson 13- When someone says that a person "has crack" that means that the person is funny not that they sell hard drugs. For example "the two priests on campus have great crack, you'll love them for that."

Lesson 14- Mass here is very different. First off it lasts 36 minutes, everyone mumbles prayers and nobody sings, not even the priest. At communion people kneel around the alter and wait for someone to come around and give them the bread. 

Lesson 15- Registering for classes is a nightmare for international students. 

Lesson 16- Sorry Portland but Galway is quickly becoming my favorite city in the world!