Last Two Weeks

The last two weeks of my time in Ireland have been the best and worst. Although I grew so much closer to my new friends, I also know that it will be months before I see them again in the Spring. As for my Irish friends that I'm leaving behind, I will be lucky if I ever see them again at all. True to Irish culture and tradition, we ended the semester with crazy parties and fun memories. One thing's for sure: me and the other SMC chicks will be keeping up Irish tradition once we get back together in the Fall ;)

I'll never forget the people I met and things I did. From my very first SMC trip up until Galway, I had a great time traveling Europe and the Irish countryside. Dublin remains my favorite city in the world and I cannot wait until I go back (and I will be going back, believe you me!). The only regrets I have are not meeting my great friends sooner in the semester. But honestly, how could I have planned that out!? The wonderful thing is that our paths eventually crossed and we shared some incredible times in Ireland (and Paris!). I wish I could write down all the amazing times I had, but that would take far far too long.

How have I changed during my time in Ireland? Well... That's a long story. I definitely think Ireland has considerably opened my mind. Yes, it is okay to drive on the other side of the road! Haha but in all seriousness, I no longer feel so attached to my "American-ness". The rest of the world has it goin on as well, ye know. I've realized that religious, political, national, and so many other barriers are pointless and only hinder people from loving people. I'm friends with Atheists and Catholics, Libertarians and Liberals, Turks and Russians -- and very happy with all of them =)

I've also discovered a lot of freedom while I've been away. I now know how it feels to be an adult -- living on my own, cooking on my own, managing money on my own, and being completely responsible for myself and my safety. It feels good. I'm a grown woman now. I went to Ireland a teenager and came back an adult.

I'm going to miss my home in Maynooth. Not only because it's a cute little cobblestone town and there's no persecution for your beliefs, but because of the people that changed my life and my way of thinking. I'd like to thank my closest Irish friend, Eoin =) and yeah, Simon as well! And my SMC chicks, Colleen and Alayne -- and Katt! (you're an honorary SMC chick) And the crazy, crazy boys of Hurley 3.

Thank you so much for making me a better person. I'll never forget you and how you made me who I am =)



Goodbye, Maynooth. I'll see you again soon, probably even more changed than when I left you last.

Goin out with a bang ;)
--Hardcore

Galway!!

So I went to Galway a little while ago! If you don't know what or where Galway is, it's only the very best city in Ireland!! Or, well... Okay, I definitely think Dublin is the best, but Galway is MOST Irish. It looks just like Diagon Alley from Harry Potter! The city center is just a cute little road that's all cobblestone and the buildings are all tradition Irish-looking. I went to this amazing little town with Katt, whom I've become great friends with in Ireland =) We took a 3 hour bus ride from Maynooth straight to Galway and got off in the town square. After approaching strangers and placing a call back to my Irish friends in Maynooth, we eventually found our hostel, which was located RIGHT on the main road!!

That night we explored the little town and found this adorable cafe down a random alley, called the Cobblestone Cafe (SOMEDAY I WILL OWN A BAKERY EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE!!!!) and ate some traditional Irish bread and butter pudding. It was delicious! Then we walked around a bit until we found a cute Italian restaurant on the main road. I got a glass of wine and enjoyed the live music with my pizza dinner =)

Afterwards, Katt and I explored the town, visiting the Spanish Arch, the riverbank, and the Claddagh. Funny story here. Our map showed a dot that said "The Claddagh". So we wandered over in that direction and walked around for bit, not finding anything. Eventually I walked up to a little boy and asked where the Claddagh is. His response? You're in the Claddagh. You've been in the Claddagh for probably the last ten minutes. Haha so its just this big hunk of land along the river! But it was nice getting lost in Galway.

The next morning, we woke up super early to catch the bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher. We had a very interesting and slightly silly tour guide -- he made the day that much more enjoyable. On the way to the cliffs, we stopped by a castle (go figure, in Ireland), a tree fairy (as I took the picture the tour guide snuck up behind me and scared me in front of the whole group then blamed it on the leprechauns haha), and a tomb in the Burren Mountains. We grabbed dinner in Doolin, a cute little traditional Irish town where I had my first Irish stew (DELICIOUS) in a pub. Finally, we made it to the Cliffs!! And wow, they did not disappoint. First of all, this weekend had UNBELIEVABLY nice weather -- clear skies with a few puffy clouds and 80 degree temps. Katt and I took some crazy awesome pictures and maybe got a little too close to the edge ;) but hey, it was worth it!!

Afterwards, we took the coast route back to Galway, which was breathtaking. We stopped by these mini cliffs, which were almost better than the Cliffs of Moher!! Once we got back into town, Katt and I ate at an Irish pub then headed out to see the nightlife. We had a pint (well I did, she had a Cosmo, yum!) at the King's Head and got creeped on by a local. Once we escaped, we stumbled upon an American pub! It was there that I rode on my first ever mechanical bull. And yes, it was epic.

The next day we walked to Salthill and enjoyed the sunny weather on the beach. I found some sea shells to add to my collection from Florida (both sides of the Altlantic woot!) and we watched a dog play in the tide. When we got back, we got lunch at Quay's, where I tried oysters for the first (and last) time! It was fun trying something new, but sorry, not for me!! Then we went to the Claddagh ring store and we each bought an authentic Irish Claddagh ring =) Then we shopped around a bit for souvenirs and whatnot, discovering the town. I mailed my postcards to Simon and Eoin (who don't even appreciate my amazing handwriting!!!!) and got a banana ice cream cone! Then we got dinner at McDonagh's and upon Eoin's recommendation I tried the Seafood Chowder. Good work, Eoin.

Then we sat on the riverbank and watched some Irish boys play soccer as swans swam on by. It was a relaxing evening watching the sunset. Unfortunately, our trip ended there and we had to catch the bus back home to Maynooth. It was an absolutely amazing weekend and I didn't want to leave!!! I will most definitely be back.

The City of Lights

So! I went to Paris. It was a while back, May 8-11, but hey, better late than never? So the trip started out with Alayne and I getting completely lost in the outskirts of town thanks to poor directions from the hostel. However, we eventually found the sought after Rue de Harpignies (best road ever to ask for directions to with an American pronunciation by the way). The hostel was pretty nice, and we immediately slept, woke up and had a wonderful French dinner, then went to sleep to prepare for an epic day. The next morning we went straight to the Eiffel Tour and it was so impressive! We were walking around looking for it and just as I suggested we get a map, Alayne pointed to the sky and said "Look!!" It was so amazing seeing it in the distance!! Once we actually found it, we had a grand time taking oodles of pictures and fighting with a mob of fellow tourists for free spots to shoot. Then we hopped on the "Hop on Hop off" bus and toured the city. It was a wonderful day and I learned tons about the city as we drove through.

Eventually, we hopped off at the Champs de Elysee, which is the main shopping street of Paris. We walked down to were it ended, at the Arc de Triomphe. We had planned to go up top and take a look around, but decided to just go on to the next site when we couldn't figure out how to cross the street =) Our next stop was to this super tall building that offered a wonderful view of the city. It was really interesting to see the city from that view, and quite relaxing to sit in the cafe and enjoy a drink. Finally, we ended the night with a riverboat tour. Although we were super exhausted, I still really liked hearing about the history of the city and seeing it from a different perspective -- the river! We saw a lot of the same sites as we did on the bus, but from a different view. I had a wonderful time, and had a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tour at sunset on the river.

The next morning we woke up early to get to the Louvre! With our Paris Passes we were able to cut the ridiculously long lines and walk straight in! This museum was huge. And it was so amazing to look up through the glass pyramid and see the beautiful outside of it. The first thing we saw was the Mona Lisa (of course), then we saw Venus, and then some neat Egyptian statues, including the Sphinx. Eventually, we made it out of that crowded, hot mess alive. Although the art was beautiful and it was all well worth it... the Louvre was very difficult to maneuver.

After that, we headed over to see Notre Dame. We walked around and enjoyed the calming atmosphere, only to follow that up with a bargain hunting spree on the neighboring street. We bought all our souvenirs and then sat down with a crossiant and coffee, watching the gypy ladies charm and trick American tourists. Fun =) Then we took a stroll around Paris, taking in the city for the last time in daylight and appreciating our trip. I had an absolutely wonderful fun and got to know my new friend Alayne better, which I am so grateful for =)

Belfast

So I'm back from my week-long trip to America and enjoying Ireland in full bloom! Spring is upon us, and the Emerald Isle is finally living up to it's name! Everything is green. Everything. I've been trying to take as many pictures as I can, but that's proven to be a harder task than I imagined. The other day I went around campus with my DSLR and snapped some shots of my favorite places. There's a secret little garden behind my religion classroom that I'd visited in February, but it wasn't anything to look at back then. Now it's covered with green ivy and vibrantly colored flowers. I love this town and I'm gonna try to take even more pictures of downtown Maynooth later this week.

Anyway! The point of this post was that I went to Belfast yesterday with Brendan and Katt! It's the capital of Northern Ireland, which is a different country and part of the UK. The train ride over was breathtaking; we followed the sandy coastline of the Irish Sea up into the rolling hills of Ulster. Once we arrived, we had to immediately find an ATM to withdraw some pounds! It was different from English pounds though, because it's the only currency in the world that says "Ireland" on it. I almost kept 5-pound bill as a souvenir, but it's worth like seven dollars... so the one-pound coins were enough for me ;)

We took a short bus into the city and walked around a bit, admiring City Hall and Victoria Square. Once we located the tourist office, we arranged to have a bus tour after a quick bite to eat. I had a traditional Irish lunch of bread, cheese, and and tomato. Yum! Then we got on the bus, snatched a seat on the upper level, and prepared for a flash of Irish history.

Northern Ireland is a separate country from the Republic of Ireland, which is mostly Catholic-dominated. Northern Ireland, on the other hand, is mostly Protestant. In the 1970s a conflict arose between the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles. The Catholics, or nationalists, wanted to unite with Ireland and the Protestants, or unionists, wanted to stay in the UK. Many people were killed as the conflict escalated, and the deadliest city at the time was Belfast. As a result, peace walls have been erected to prevent the two opposing groups from fighting. They were quite a sight and reminded me of the Berlin Wall.

On the tour, we passed by the headquarters of the Ulster Volunteer Force, which was the main army for the unionists during the troubles. Bus tours had previously not been allowed to pass by the area, because it was so probable that they would be a target for violence. Oddly enough, it was located right next to a KFC and I was traveling with my friend Katt, who's from Kentucky ;)

There were murals up all over the city commemorating those killed and the people involved in the troubles.

 We also passed by the Stormont parliament buildings of Northern Ireland. I was pretty excited about going to Belfast because Brendan and I had just learned about it in history class on Monday. In class we discovered that the parliament buildings are waayyy too big for Northern Ireland (it's a tiny, tiny country), but they built it anyway because they wanted something impressive. After that, we found out that the Titanic was built in Belfast. It's a popular saying that "The Irish built it, but the English sank it". Ha! -here in Ireland, I've come to hate the English just as much as they do ;)

I got plenty of pretty pictures of the city and thoroughly enjoyed its history. I'm thrilled that I got to go to another country, even though it's still on this tiny, little island. Well, I have a busy week ahead of me, full of religion papers that need writing and English finals that need studying. I miss you all and I'll see you again in FIVE WEEKS!!

An Irish Prom

Well, for the first time ever NUI Maynooth held a Prom!! Although they have a similar dance for Irish students in secondary school, they have never experienced a Prom. Being an American, I was pretty excited to go! Meagan, Mary, and I found out about it in the school newspaper, and quickly arranged some dates. Mary went with her boyfriend, Ben; Meagan with her French friend, Tom; and I with my German friend, Hendrik. We immediately ran into Dublin upon deciding to go and got some super cute dresses, shoes, jewelry, the works.

So, once Tuesday night rolled around, we all got ready in our dresses! I wore a coral-colored cocktail dress with black shoes. I had a white corsage and pinned a white boutonniere to my date, Hendrik. Once everyone was ready, took a huge taxi over that fit our group of ten. Once we got there, we took couples pictures and sat down for a three course meal of delicious Irish food. After dinner, we danced to a live band, followed by a fun night in the dance club next door. I finished the night on a wonderful note with all my friends. It was a delight reliving my Prom experiences and finally going to one more!

Blimey! It's London, mate!!

So I went to London last weekend!! I had an amazing time with my best friends here, Meagan and Mary. We left at a ridiculous hour on Friday morning. We woke up at 2am and took a taxi at 3am to the Dublin airport. From there, we waited until 6am to catch our flight to London! THEN we had a crazy hard time finding our hostel! You see most people might have prepared themselves for once they got to one of the biggest cities in the world by bringing a map or even looking up the address of their hostel. Us? We're too cool to bother ourselves with such trivial matters. Therefore, we just winged it and figured it out as we went along. It ended up being a fun little adventure, and we finally got to our hostel around noon. After that, we crashed and prepared ourselves for a fun night out on the town! Once we recovered, we met up with our other friend, Brendan, who had already arrived the day before. We met under Big Ben and ended up getting dinner at a wonderful Thai restaurant. It was there that I tried duck for the first time! I had a duck curry, and it was absolutely delicious!! After that, we got some treats at a local convenient store and then visited Brendan's hostel, where a bunch of other Maynooth students were staying. We had an interesting night, which ended with a walking tour of Westminster at 2am given by Brendan, the history buff.

The next morning, Mary, Meagan, and I started the day a bit earlier than the day before. We headed out for our first tourist destination around noon. We figured we could just walk through town, because the destinations aren't too far apart. On a map. We quickly shifted strategies and bought a day pass for the Underground after a few blocks ;) Our first stop was at London Bridge! We got out and walked around a bit to find the actual bridge, walked across it, and passed by the Monument on our way to Tower Bridge. It was so amazing! And it was a wonderful time, because it had just stopped raining for us to take some pictures! After we crossed Tower Bridge, we headed over to find Globe Theatre upon my request. Ever since my senior English class when we Google-mapped Globe Theatre, I've always wanted to visit! Unfortunately, we didn't have a very detailed map and ended up walking in circles. As it was getting quite late and we didn't want to be wondering the streets of London alone after sunset, we decided we'd come back the next day to find this mysterious theater. Anyway, we had a game to watch!! It was the finals for Six Nations that night, which is the biggest Rugby tournament for the UK and Ireland. Not only that, but the final match was between

France (the best team in the league) and England! It was the perfect game to watch in London. So we headed over to a Fish and Chips restaurant in Waterloo, where our hostel was, and enjoyed a traditional English meal! It was breaded and fried cod fish served with chips, which are really big, yummy french fries! After dinner, we slid on over to the pub next door, the Wellington! It was a really big and quite beautiful pub, which had huge TVs, perfect for our game plans. We stole a table in the back and sat down to enjoy the night. Meagan and I treated ourselves to a drink and ended up talking to a few English guys during the game!! A wonderful end to a great day.

The next morning we began exactly where we left off -- finding Globe Theatre. It was surprisingly easy to find after having spent all of the last evening looking in all the wrong places. However, once we finally found it, we discovered that it costs around 10 euro to see the inside. On a tight budget, we decided to skip going inside and just admire it from the outside. On the way to Globe Theatre, we stopped by St. Paul's Cathedral. It was HUGE. So huge, in fact, I found it impossible to fit into one picture frame. And this was not just a typical Cathedral. It was a US Capital building look-a-like!! I know, I know, we should sue, but whatever I let it go. So then we took the Underground to Camden Street! It's an outdoor market that stretches on for blocks and blocks. I loved it there! That's where I bought my very European-looking leather jacket for 10 euro cheaper than what the salesman wanted from me =) After Camden Street, we headed over to Buckingham Palace, where we spied on the guards and took some fun pictures of the palace! Then we walked down to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey one last night. There we played the part of the typical tourist and took a bunch of pictures on front of Big Ben at sunset. We headed back to Waterloo and got dinner at the Wellington, then took a bus back to the airport to endure a looooong 9 hour wait for our flight. However, we had fun passing the time with each other, and it was definitely worth visiting London =) I had a wonderful trip and would do it again in a heartbeat! I have to thank Mom and Dad for funding this thing and making it all possible =) Love you guys! I'll come back soooon!

St. Patrick's Day in Dublin!

Last week was one Irish experience!! I spent St. Patrick's Day in the heart of Dublin with a bunch of my friends from across the globe. We got up super early (8am!? ridiculous for students...) and got together in my friend Mary's room. I came decked out in my green Dunder Mifflin shirt (oh, yeah!), some green Irish necklaces (thanks, Mom!), and even sporting some face paint. After we got ready together, we caught the train into town prepared for the festivities ahead of us. The train was PACKED full; there were people sitting on the floor and standing for the duration of the 40 minute commute. But once we got there, our group of about 30 people traipsed through the streets of Dublin towards O'Connell Street. If you don't know anything about Dublin, O'Connell Street is like Michigan Avenue or Broadway, the heart of the city. 

So we stood around waiting for the parade to start! There's a St. Paddy's Day parade every year down O'Connell Street, but you have to get in line early, because, well, it's the biggest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world! We waited for three hours, but we had a great time doing it =) After buying all the souvenirs our budgets would allow, we took lots of pictures to pass the time. Once we ran out of pictures, we began to drink the morning away ;) Hey, we're in Ireland -- might as well blend in with every other person there!

Once the parade started, we cheered and danced and watched the craziness! Afterwards, we crossed the Liffey (the main river) and started to celebrate this glorious day in the best pub in town! Although I would never make a habit of it, I did down a few drinks before 3pm ;) I ended up having a wonderful day with my friends, it's just so unfortunate that I won't be able to celebrate St. Paddy's in Ireland next year! I hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day back in the States and no one got pinched ;)