1 Month down, 4 to go

After being in Ireland for a bit over a month now, I've decided that starting a blog would probably be a good idea. I've never really been one for journaling, always preferring to keep memories with pictures, but I figured "writing" about everything that's going on would be a good idea. On that note, this post is going to be S
SUPER long since I've got a month of information to get through.

I can honestly say that I don't remember much of the first day I got into into Ireland. I had been up for something along the lines of 30 hours (I can't sleep on planes...) and was so jet lagged and in shock that I wasn't in America anymore. I remember getting off the plane, going through immigration, where the man was very nice to me when I had to ask him to repeat himself a bunch of times, meeting Coleman (the "go to" man for my program in Ireland), and then meeting up with the other kids who were staying in Cork. We all went out for a drink to get to know each other, than walked back to were they were living. I caught a cab, went back to my hostel, and promptly fell asleep after being awake for a grand total of 38 hours!

The next day my Interstudy group went to the Blarney Castle where yes, we kissed the Blarney stone. After an afternoon out, Coleman drove Matt (the other kid who is in Galway with me) and myself to Galway where we were settled into our housing for the semester. I live in a building called Cuirt Na Coribe which is SO nice! It's like 10 times nicer than my housing back at UD. I feel like I'm living in a 5 star hotel or something. I have my own room, which is pretty awesome. I live with three other American study abroad students- Paige, Michelle, and Kelly. They are all awesome people and I'm actually really glad we're rooming together. It was nice to be able to complain with someone who understood when you were frustrated that you didn't understand something (like how class registration is completely different here than in America). Walking to class is also much different than at home. I walk max 5 minutes at home, where as here its around 20 minutes walking along a major road and over a bridge to get to school. It can be very hard to convince myself to get my butt out of bed and walk to class when you can hear the wind and rain hitting against your window, that's for sure.

Now onto living in Galway. I love it! It's a cute town, and I've yet to meet one mean person. Seriously. Everyone here is so friendly and welcoming, often asking where you're from and starting a conversation with you. That might be one of the biggest differences I've noticed. At home, when people say "Hi, how are you?" they are not looking for an answer longer than "I'm good." Here in Ireland, people seem genuinely interested in how you're doing and what your story is. It's beautiful here to put it plainly. Yes, it might rain when its sunny, and the wind sometimes threatens to blow you over, but to be honest you kinda get used to it after a while. The grass is greener, the water is clearer, and the air doesn't always smell like smog. It's glorious.

Since getting here, I've been to see a few notable things. For example, the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands, and Dublin where I visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Castle, the Guiness Factory, and the Abbey Theater.

 Sunlight coming through the clouds on the Aran Islands

View from the top of the Blarney Castle

Sunset at the Cliffs of Moher

Mr. Horsey from the Aran Islands came to say hello. Then promptly tried to eat my hand.

Oddly enough, some of my favorite things I've done/found have been found completely by accident. Like when I was in Dublin this past weekend. My friends and I had split up for a few hours so we could wander around and do any last minute things we wanted. I walked randomly around town and walked into a church near my hostel. It was absolutely amazing. I didn't take any pictures since I didn't want to be disrespectful, but in my opinion, it was better than St. Patrick's and Christ Church Cathedral by a long shot. Also the best pubs, cafes, and shops I've found are no where near the tourist spots, tending to be more off the beaten path. If I could give one piece of advice to any traveler or study abroad student, it would be to wander aimlessly. Get lost. Because when you do that, you tend to find the best treasures.

Kerry, Matt, and I sitting on the edge of the Aran Island cliffs (so cool!)

Kerry and I on the Aran Islands