this one is for mona

Because I woke up to a message from Maura telling me to update my blog, I figured I should make the little princess happy. So, here it goes!

Right now, it's about 5pm, and I'm curled up in my bed, in my sweatpants, with Bear by my side. I just turned the heat on, and I'm settling in. Soon, I'll have to get up and make dinner with the very limited amount of food I have left. But, we are going away for the weekend to the Dingle Peninsula, so I decided it was best to not but anything quite yet. So, looks like I'm going to have a ham and cheese toastie...again. I had one for lunch. But, at least they are easy. I may have to make 2. They are not too filling, and I'm really hungry.

I only had one class today (I know, my life is so hard). But, it was a good one. It was Irish Women in Society. I really like it. The professor (or lecturer, as they call them here) is so funny. She's like the kind of person who is a funny mean, and doesn't really care what anyone thinks of her. I was a little scared by her at first when I met her outside the classroom before I even knew she was my professor. But, on the first day of class, she was not was I expected, and was actually so funny and just doesn't really care about anything. She told us she didn't even care if we came to class because she said she wouldn't want to sit and listen to herself talk for 2 hours, so why should we. Yeah, I like her. HAHA!

After class, I had to hand in a sheet of paper telling the people from Arcadia what classes I am taking. The beautiful woman, Grainne, who ran our orientation was there, and she was so sweet. She asked me how I was doing, remembered who I was, and asked how I was settling in. It is really nice to know that there are people here who remember who I am, especially when the college is so big. It made me feel so happy. We chatted for a little while, then my friend Brenna and I decided to go downtown to shop for some boots for me! But, I didn't find any, of course. They don't really make shoes over here for people with big feet like me. A little bit discouraging. I am definitely not like the Irish girls over here. You think I would be because well, I'm Irish, but it is like a completely different world being a girl here, mainly when it comes to what you wear. The girls here dress up SO MUCH! Like, I'm talking spending hours getting ready to put on a very very short dress that barely covers what needs to be covered, and heels that make them about 7 inches taller than they really are. It's crazy. If I ever dressed like that to go out back in Vermont, I think people would think I was going to a themed party. I look so frumpy next to them, in my jeans and boots, which I think is the cutest outfit ever. But, I look like I am wearing pajamas compared to them. And, since I don't really wear make-up anyway, I look like I am about to go to bed! haha! Maybe one night I'll just buy something really gross and cheap to wear out. Probably not. I think I would die in those heels. I honestly don't know how they do it!

But anyway, I had an amazing cupcake today on my walk back from shopping. So delicious and class (they don't say classy over here, just class...I'm definitely adding that one to my vocabulary). It was some sort of light lemony cake with yes, get this...cream cheese and butter frosting. OH MY GOD. I believe the woman told me that it was lovely, or beautiful, or gorgeous...some sort of amazing silver dollar word like that...to describe it to me. But, let's be honest, she had me at cream cheese. It was amazing. It tasted like a class (heh, like that?) version of my favorite Alden Merrill lemon cupcake. SO GOOD!So now I'm home, resting up from such a busy day filled with one class, which started at 1, which I think I forgot to say! My life is so hard here!

Last night, we went to a few pubs to hear some music. We started at Hole in the Wall, a place we heard was supposed to be great, with really cheap drinks and a good atmosphere. We walked in to what looked like a pretty traditional pub, with all the decorations you would expect. But, as we walked around to find a seat, we found ourselves walking through a dancefloor, with neon lights, and Beyonce playing. Definitely did not fit the vibe we were looking for. But, we stayed for one drink (which was normally priced, not cheap like everyone said) and headed out to one of our favorite traditional places, Taffe's. The band was someone we had heard before, but they were great! We started chatting it up with some of the locals, and met 2 very nice guys, who at the end of the night when we left said that it was "good craic!" (that means good fun for those of you who may be confused) So fun to hear that used on us! We are so Irish now!

Now it's very rainy and dreary out, and I am very comfortable in my bed. I think tonight is a good night to finish my student teaching application for St. Mike's, that is due in a week. I just want to be all done with it so I don't have to worry at all anymore. It will feel good to have it out of the way! I'll force myself to finish!

Hope everything is good at home! Love and miss you all!

the perfect Irish weekend!

I need to get a lot better with updating my blog. But, this one is going to be filled with fun things...so much happened this weekend! So on Friday, it was so beautiful out! It was sunny, and warm, and the perfect day to go exploring. So, after our classes we went down to the Claddagh region of Galway, right by the water. It was amazing! Definitely the most beautiful scenery I have seen since I have been here! I was in heaven! I couldn't stop taking pictures! Everywhere I looked, there was something else to take a picture of! It was perfect, and just what I wanted. Then, we were getting so hungry, so we decided to try a resturaunt right by the Spanish arch. We didn't look at hte prices beforehand (it turned out to be a little expensive) but the building was so adorable. It was like an old house, with old books everywhere and worn in candles that had wax dripping from every direction. I got beetroot and smoked paprika risotto with goat cheese. Very unlike me to pick this out, but it was SO GOOD! Then, of course we had to get dessert, so Abby and I split a raspberry tart, which was the best thing ever! Definitely worth the little extra expenses. It was the perfect end to the perfect day of exploring! After dinner, we went to Taft's...a favorite pub here, and listened to a live band the entire night. They were awesome, and so good! Nothing traditional, but they played some classic rock songs...not the cheesy ones. We knew most of them, and could sing along like silly Americans!

Then, it was up early to go to the market near St. Nicholas' Church downtown! This was so perfect, and the most fun little place! People were set up with fresh veggies, cheese, dips, and all sorts of yummy homemade things. It was the cutest thing. Then, at the end of the market was the doughnut man...who made fresh doughnuts right there on the spot. OH. MY. GOD. Honestly, it was the best thing I have eaten since I have been in Ireland, maybe even in my lifetime. I am already planning my trips so that I can be back on Saturday mornings to get a doughnut from him. Everyone needs to fly to Galway to get one. Wow! And, I even had this after we went out to breakfast where I got a waffle that was doused in sugar syrup and melted butter. Needless to say, I needed something a little less sweet in my mouth after that, so my friend and I bought some cheese, fresh bread, and sun dried tomatoes for lunch! It was delicious! Later that night, we decided to go to the pubs again, this time for some traditional Irish music...and boy did we find some! Abby of course made friends with one of the men in the band, and they even dedicated a song to us! It was so cute! But, we got to talking to some other old men, one from Australia and one from Ireland. They were old friends, and friends with Abby's new friend, so we were all having a blast together! I told the musician how my dad was in a band, and he told me to bring him back when they visit and they will get him up on stage to sing! How perfect? They were the cutest! Such a perfect traditional Irish night, hanging out with the old men!

Then, it was up early again for a bus trip to Connemarra with some friends! The bus drove us all teh way through the countryside, which was incredible! There were sheep everywhere, and stone walls. It was right out of a movie! So so beautiful! When the adorable tourguide wasn't talking, he played Irish music in the background. It was the cutest thing! We took stops to get out and take pictures when he saw something he wanted to show us. Then, we eventually made it to our destination...a BEAUTIFUL abbey that is a boarding school for girls. It is AMAZING! I would love to go to school there! So beautiful! The trip was well worth it. We were back by 5, just in time to make dinner and curl up into bed after a long day!

But, it has been such a wonderful Irish weekend. I am so happy that I got to explore where I am living for the next few months! It is beautiful here!

I'll get better about updating this! Hope everyone is happy at home! I miss you all! Love you!

Down in the Claddagh
Saturday Market
Kylemore Abbey

nutella

Hey ya'll!

So, I'm sitting at my desk eating stale crackers and nutella because we have no food in the house. Abby and I are about to go grocery shopping, and we are going to try to be big girls and buy real food, instead of just bread and cheese...we thought we could live off of toasties (grilled cheese) but that's pretty impossible. So, hopefully we will buy some protein and I can start eating like a real human.

Last night, our housemates made us dinner. They made us lasagna, and it was so good! It wasn't like lasagna at home...it was with a creamy sauce, not a tomato sauce. It was so good. I was dreaming about it today. They made us chips (french fries) and garlic bread too. It was so sweet of them. We were at the table for over two hours, just talking and laughing and having girl fun. I really like them. Abby and I really lucked out in living here.

Today was a very busy day for me, running around campus doing all sorts of things. We went into campus to go register for our English seminars, which apparently is a huge deal here. There were only about 3 spots per international student for a class of 17...not too fair, but whatever. So we get there to find out that we need to take a number, and then come back and line up by our numbers. It was so disorganized and very old fashioned. But, long story short, I got into the first seminar that I wanted...Poetry before 1800. I hope it's worth all the trouble and waiting! Then I had my teaching literacy class. I am absolutely in love with the professor. I missed the first week of the class because I just found out about it a few days ago. But, he let me in, and it was the best class I have had so far! He was the nicest man. Granted, it is filled with incredibly annoying education majors who suck up to the professor and think they are funny when they are not, but I'm used that that by now. I am absolutely staying in the class for him. I think I have already developed my first academic crush! Soon, we will get to work with children at a homework club! I am actually so excited for that! Then, I had to run to my postmodernism class, where we are looking at modern art and the meaning behind them. This is also the perfect class for me. Even though it is a huge lecture and I never have to really go because he wouldn't notice anyway, I really don't think I am ever going to miss that class. It is too good. Oh yeah, and in between waiting to get in line to register, I sat on a bench outside and read "Lolita" for my class. I love doing that here, and it was such a beautiful day out! It feels like spring right now!

After a busy day of classes, Abby and I went to "Soc Day" where all the clubs on campus try to get you to join! I joined a bunch...like the photo soc, traditional soc, food and drink soc, irish studies soc, best buddies, and a bunch more. They are going to send out emails, so hopefully I will meet some new people that way, and try out some new things.

It's only 4 and it has already been such a busy day! But, it gave me lots to write about in here! Hopefully I'll have some fun stories to tell you about from our adventures tonight!

Love you all! Miss you!

Homestay in Ballyagran!

I made it back safely from my homestay in Ballyagran...a really, really small village outside of Limerick. Another girl from my program and I stayed with a family who lived on a farm. They had 4 kids...3 boys and a girl, ages 9-15. The kids were adorable, and the little girl, Aoife (pronounced like Eefa) was so attached to us. She was adorable. The youngest son, Paul, was also adorable, while the other 2 boys, Colin and Eoin (pronounced Owen) were very nice as well. I'm really glad that we got to stay with them. We were lucky that we ended up with such a nice family. Even though it was a little awkward at times, it was really interesting to be placed in a family...and that is exactly what it was. It was like they just threw us into this family, and we were members of it for a weekend. They had nothing planned for us...no special trips or events or anything. We literally just hung out with them for the weekend, doing exactly what they would have done if we weren't there. It was a little weird at first, because I would find myself standing around the kitchen really awkwardly, but it was definitely a very authentic experience. My favorite part of the entire weekend was taking a walk with Paul and Aoife down the street to hte village, which only consisted of their church and school, which is probably the size of two houses. But, the scenery was incredible. It was actually out of a postcard that you would get from Ireland. It was so nice! And the kids were so happy to show us around, telling us all about what it is like in their town and making fun of us for how we say words and what we call certain things. At one point in the walk we walked by a herd of cows, and of course I was taking pictures like crazy. Aofie then asks..."Do they not have cows in America?" I told her we did, but these were special because they were Irish cows! After that beautiful walk came my least favorite part of the homestay. When I was in bed that night, I was woken up by their incredibly annoying dog barking and howling literally what sounded like inside my ear. I guess the family was used to it because nobody did anything about it. I was about ready to go downstairs and let the thing in or do something with it so it would just shut up and let me sleep. But, eventually, it went away...but not before waking me up one more time. That was my least favorite part. But, I'm sure it could have been a lot worse, so I am very happy with where we were placed. And, it was really nice to get into the countryside and see what a real family was like. We even went to mass with them (aren't you proud of me, mom?). But, I am glad that we only did it for the weekend, because it was definitely a little awkward being thrown into a family. So, now I am back in my bed, picking out the final classes to register for. It is actually really stressful. This school is so big that the professors don't really care if you really need to get into a class. I like my small school where I know the professors by name and they can sneak me into a class even if it is already full. But, hopefully it will all work out. I will keep you posted. It is now time for me to go to bed since I got no sleep with that dog last night! Hopefully he didn't follow me to Galway and will keep me up tonight! Love you all!

First post! Let's see if I can keep up!

So, since everyone is making a blog, I feel like I should too! And, now you can all read about my crazy adventures here in Galway, and I don't have to tell them in separate emails!
I have officially been in Galway for a week now. Can you believe it? And I have been out of the country for almost 2! I know! After all the nerves and tears, I'm sure some of you are surprised that I even made it here! But, I did, and so far it's been very very fun! Galway is beautiful! It is freezing here, which I thought I left behind in Vermont, but it is still so pretty. I think the cold is more tolerable here because I am in Ireland, so it makes it ok! Since we are right by the water, there was some crazy frost and ice on the trees that looked absolutely beautiful! All white and icy! It was like being in Candy Land...what is that place? The ice forest or something? You know what I mean.
Our house is awesome! Much better than the hostel that Abby and I got lost finding on our first day, walking probably a mile away from it with 400 pounds of luggage, only to realize we passed it and it was right in front of our face. Sharing a room smaller than a dorm with 5 girls I had just met was rather interesting, but it worked out. But, living in a house is so much nicer. Abby and I have our own room, with our own bathroom (thank god). We live with 3 other Irish girls...Lisa, AnnMarie, and Kate. They are all so sweet and so much fun! We have different schedules and stuff, so we don't see them all that much, but I'm sure that once we get to know them, we will be hanging out a lot more! Actually, right now our smoke alarm is going off. Probably burned some toast with nutella or something (which Abby and I are planning on living off of).
I started classes on Monday. Lots and lots of English, with lots of books to read. But, education is so different over here. They actually never go to classes, which is so funny. They are all lectures, and no teacher knows your name at all. And, all we have to do is write an essay at the end...the most perfect set up for me! But, all the classes seem so interesting, so maybe I will end up being that loser American who never misses a class. We'll see. I'll let you all know!
I have made some great friends over here too! Everyone is so nice. And, my favorite part about this whole place are the people in Galway. We will go into a pub for lunch, and people will just come up to us, unannounced, and ask where we are from (maybe we look like we are from far away). But, they are genuinely interested in where we come from and what we are studying. We have met so many nice people! The pubs are definitely the place to be...even if it's just for coffee in the afternoon (not everyone is drunk all the time in a pub hahahha!) People are so friendly and always willing to help out! They are definitely my favorite part about being here!
The shopping and downtown area is beautiful too. Just like a Church Street, except bigger and in Ireland! It's so nice. Just walking around and people watching is so fun! And, going into every pub I see...there are over 600, which is about 14 a day if I want to see all of them in the time I am here, so naturally you can imagine that I have been busy! haha!
Right now I am in my incredibly comfortable bed, staring at Abby working on her computer. We are going to make dinner with a few friends tonight then go to the pubs to hear some music! Hopefully I'll be good about updating this...or else I'll have to send out emails!

Love and miss you all so much!