Galway Girl

It’s now day 4 in Ireland and it’s a rainy day, as always, and we get most of the day to relax and rest up for our first excursion this weekend. I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night, because when I got home from town I found a huge black spider on top of my bed, so I was paranoid all night that there were more spiders in our room….. So needless to say, I’m really appreciating a slower day to relax and catch up on some sleep.

While today is a nice relaxing day at our home at the Park Lodge, yesterday was a busy and amazing day in Galway. I am absolutely in love with the city, and I am so glad we live so close to it and will be going there frequently throughout the semester. It is hard to even explain the city to someone who has never been there, because I cannot possibly do it justice. The center of the city, Eyre Square, is a lively youthful place with beautiful cobblestone streets for walking between the amazing restaurants, pubs, and shops that fill the streets. The buildings are colorful and decorated with traditional Irish banners and décor that make it such a hub for the Irish culture. Throughout the day we saw several amazing street performers and bands playing traditional Irish music that was amazing to listen to and makes me excited to hear all of the live music that they have frequently in the pubs. We had lunch at a really great artisan bakery called Griffin’s, which had amazing desserts and really good soups and sandwiches. All of Galway is so beautiful, and we walked around as much of it as we could. We went to the pier by the river, the dam, a gorgeous Irish Catholic Cathedral, and so many other amazing places around the town. We also did a little bit of shopping around the mall and found a store that is the equivalent of Forever 21 in the states, so I’m sure we’ll be back sometime soon to do some shopping there. I can’t wait to go back at night so we can check out the pubs when they all have the live music and dancing that we’ve been hearing about. Plus, Galway is a college town, so it will be the perfect place to meet Irish people our age and hopefully make some local friends! I absolutely love the city and I can’t wait to spend more time there. J

Last night after getting back from Galway and resting up a bit, we decided to go into Spiddal to check out the pub scene for the first time. We’ve discovered that drinks are very expensive, especially in a smaller town like Spiddal, so none of us have been drinking a whole lot. I did get lucky though, because I was talking about how I hadn’t tried Guinness yet, so the bartender gave me a smaller glass to try for free. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but it wasn’t the worst thing in the world…. He eventually added some sort of raspberry flavoring in it for me, which did help it a lot so it’s probably something I could get used to.

We also got pretty lucky again when a large group of college students our age wandered into the pub we were in. We have heard that Spiddal doesn’t really have any people our age once school starts, so we weren’t really expecting to have local people to hang out with. But last night it just so happens that a group of high school friends who grew up in Spiddal decided to get together one last time before they all go back to school. We started talking to a couple of them when they came up to the bar to get drinks, and eventually they invited us over to sit with them and chat. One guy in particular, Einne, had a really good time talking to us and he gave us the “lowdown” on everything we should know as college students in the area. He told us the best places in Galway to eat and go out and where we would find the best entertainment and the most people our age. He also told us little cultural tips about Ireland and what Irish people think of Americans. Luckily for us, he said most Irish people really enjoy Americans and that we blend in pretty well until we start talking… haha J. He also had a pretty hilarious American accent that he did for us, using the phrase “I want a hamburger.” It was just really fun to meet some of the local people our age, and they’ve invited us out with them in Galway so hopefully we see them again!

Well that’s most of what has been going on here in the last couple days! Tomorrow morning we head out to the Aran Islands for the weekend, which should be amazing so I’m very excited! So far the trip keeps getting better and better, and I can’t wait to see what else it has in store for us! J

The First Days

Today is day two in Ireland and there is definitely a lot going on! It still feels surreal to be here, and I feel like I am on vacation instead of the reality that I will be here for the next three months. I am so excited to be here, but I am still adjusting to the large amount of new things that have been coming my way for these two days, and I'm still trying to get rid of the jet lag that hit me pretty hard! While it takes awhile to get used to, I already love it here and I know in week or two I'll feel more settled and at home here. Plus there's always so many new and exciting things to keep us busy, so that is always good!
Yesterday was definitely a crazy day, and there was a lot of traveling and waiting and some more waiting.... After Ali and I landed, we had breakfast in the airport in Shannon and took a little time to get our bearings. Then, we took a bus from Shannon to Galway where we would be meeting our group, which went smoothly for the most part.... except for an unfortunate incident where Ali's luggage fell off the bus :/ But besides that bump in the road and getting a little lost around Galway for a bit, Ali and I eventually found the bus station where we were meeting our group. By the time we found it was about 11:30 and we weren't meeting our group until 3, but with how tired we were from not sleeping in over 24 hours and the very heavy luggage we were carrying around, we ended up just sitting in the bus station for the next 3 and a half hours. By 3 o'clock, everyone from our group was there and we headed to our home at the Park Lodge Hotel. Its a very rural, simple resort but it is extremely beautiful and the people that own the resort are extremely friendly and accommodating. Although I wouldn't mind a little more closet space ;) For the rest of the night we just got time to relax, and in honor of our first night, they opened the pub at the resort for us and we got to relax and get to know each other a bit.
Today I slept in as much as possible, and then at 11 the people at the Park Lodge put on a huge breakfast for us. They pretty much had every breakfast food you could imagine or want, and it was all so delicious and needed after such a long day of traveling and airplane/airport food. Later on in the afternoon, we all walked to the closest town, Spiddal, to check out the shops and stores. It is such an adorable and beautiful town, and I am excited to spend more time there. There are lots of little shops and cafes, and there is also a gorgeous beach on the outskirt of the town that I know I will be spending a lot of time at. I've slowly been learning that things are quite expensive in Europe... For example, most public bathrooms charge you 20 cents to use, and gas stations or grocery stores will charge you 22 cents for a plastic bag. I've definitely been learning something new everyday here so far!
Overall, it has been a crazy couple of days and I can't wait to see what else this trip has in store for me! This weekend we are going on our first excursion to the Aran Islands, which I've heard is gorgeous so I can't wait to go! So far the people have been amazing, especially the accents, and I cant wait until we get to go out and meet more of the Irish people! Tomorrow we are spending the day in Galway, which will be a great chance to get to walk around a bigger city with a lot of college students! I will try to update my blog as often as I can, but it is very tough to get an internet connection around here which makes it difficult! Thanks for reading! :)

30,000 Feet Above

It's 5:10 am Ireland time and I can't sleep because my tailbone feels like it's going to break soon, and the turbulence jostles me awake every minute or two. So I thought it would be a good time to work on a blog post that I could post when I get to the airport and get some wifi......

Right now we're somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and it's too dark to actually see anything out of my window. The screen in front of me tells me the following things: we have 867 miles to go, it's -65 degrees outside my window, we should land at 6:50 am, we're going 600 mph, and our altitude is 36006 feet. Wow. Did I mention I hate planes? I'm well aware of the statistic that significantly less people die in plane accidents than car accidents, but nonetheless I find planes absolutely terrifying. The way I see it, it's possible to survive a pretty bad car accident, which I've done, but when you're plummeting to the earth at 600+ mph, you don't stand a chance. But luckily so far we've stayed in the sky and despite the turbulence that hasn't let us take our seatbelts off the whole flight, I think I've calmed down significantly. I also have my dear friend Ali to thank for a lot of that, she definitely helps calm me down. We do sort of feel bad for the middle-aged man that's sitting next to to us though.... He clearly travels a lot and I don't know how pumped he's been to have two 20 year old anxious, chatty girls sitting next to him. He did help us force Ali's slightly too big carry-on bag in the overhead compartment though......

It has been a very long day of travel, and Ali and I being unable to sleep is definitely not because we aren't tired. We were airport bound by 9 am Minneapolis time, and we still have about an hour and a half of flying left with it being about 11:30 at home. We will also be losing the entire night considering it will be 7 am when we land instead of 12:30 am like it is at home and we feel like it should be. That should make for quite a first day in Ireland since we might be experiencing just a tad of jet lag. Did I mention I hate turbulence? It isn't the smoothest of flights currently....

Even though I'm in the middle of the Atlantic and only a few hours away from Ireland, this whole experience doesn't feel real yet. I think the one moment where it finally started to hit both Ali and I was at the Newark airport as we were standing in line to board our plane. We were slowly inching forward and taking our last glimpses of US soil, while listening to an Irish mom and daughter talk behind us about their trip to Sea World. In that moment Ali and I both just looked at each other and started laughing for no reason other than maybe it being the only reaction we could muster to the thought "wow we're actually going to live in another country for 3 months." I don't think I'll ever forget that moment. 

Well for the most part it's been a pretty smooth day. We've been able to navigate the airports and track down our flights with almost no hiccups, except for one close-call gate change. I feel so fortunate to being on this trip, especially with one of my best friends in the world at my side, and I am so excited for everything that lies ahead. We have just over an hour left in our flight, so hopefully the sun will be coming up soon so I have something interesting to look at. But if you're reading this it means I've safely landed and off on my first adventure in Ireland! I know I can't wait! :) 

My Bad

So. The time to pack everything up and finally head out to Ireland has basically arrived! Tomorrow morning my family and I will be heading to St. Joe to help me move my stuff into the apartment I will be living in for the spring semester, and then they will say goodbye and send me on my way to Ireland with my travel companion Ali! Yet, with full knowledge of how soon this is happening, it is 2:30 in the afternoon and I'm sitting here writing a blog post instead of even beginning to pack. Yes that's right, I haven't even started to pack yet. My bad.
I have always had a bit of a procrastination problem, but I really didn't think it would apply to packing for this trip. I am so incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity, but fitting everything I'm going to need for 3 months into a of couple suitcases is not an easy task for me. I have always been the person who packs a week's worth of clothing when spending a weekend at a friend's cabin. Having to decide which select items of each type of clothing I'm bringing, instead of just packing up all my options is proving to be harder than I thought it would be.
It is honestly almost impossible to believe that the time to finally go on this trip is finally here. When people say "I don't think it's hit you yet," I couldn't agree more. I honestly don't think it will feel real until I'm stepping off the plane in Shannon and am finally physically in Ireland. In any case, I'm incredibly excited for this to finally be happening and I can't wait to get things rolling tomorrow!

Well I suppose it's time to start packing.... Wish me luck :)

Crunch Time

With my departure date to Ireland just over a week away, I thought it's probably a good time for my first post on my travel blog! In just 9 days I will be heading to Minneapolis and meeting up with one of my best friends, Ali, and hopping on a plane headed for Ireland. After the months and months spent choosing a program, applying, interviewing, being accepted, and then waiting, it seems crazy that the time is finally arriving. But nevertheless it has, and it's time to get prepared. With my last day of work being yesterday, I am finally starting to focus on packing and preparing for the trip. In technical terms, I will be staying at the Park Lodge Hotel, Spiddal, County Galway, Ireland. It is a very rural area where we will not even have full-running electricity, so it should be pretty interesting. But, as you can see on the map, it is a coastal city and I've heard it is gorgeous so I am extremely excited to be there. Otherwise, all I know is that is supposedly rains a lot and we are in rural areas a lot of the time, so I need to bring mainly waterproof, rugged clothing.... which I don't exactly have yet, but I'm working on it. I'm hoping that now that my focus can be completely on the trip, everything will come together and I'll get what I need. Packing for me is going to be tough, considering I'm a habitual over-packer. All in all, I'm very excited to begin my journey soon, and I hope you'll keep following my "once in a lifetime" experience, which I will try to portray as vividly and interestingly as possible! :)