Vanessa's Ireland Blog

reflections

2006-12-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

Its all over.

I really can´t believe it already. After reading my friend Regina´s blog note (who I met on a bus in Venice when we discovered we were both from seattle and we both knew Douglas Chavis...random..) about her study abroad experience, i have to agree when she says that we are no longer studying abroad, but rather we have studied abroad. Literally since I came back from Australia, I had the intention of studying abroad again, and for the past 8 years I have spent so much time thinking, talking, and planning this studying abroad experience - and now its finally come to an end!

As you can imagine, this experience carried a lot of expectations when I first departed. Typically most say that their abroad experience more than exceded expectations, but I think it might be more appropriate for me to say that they took my expectations and threw them out the window! My time abroad was completely amazing, but also completely not what I thought it would be. I surprisingly know much more german, (ich werde dic wermissen!), got just a little tooo wet, and made much more lasting friendships than I ever initially thought.

Most also typically say ¨oh it seems like yesterday when I first arrived¨. However for me, I think of the first day I arrived in Galway - and it seems like that was a whole different life for me. I dont know if its the fact that I have changed, or so much in my life has changed, or both, but that girl who first dragged her three giant bags through the rain to her hostel on the first day is not the same as before! Lets just hope that the changes are all for the better - I think they are! I´m much more comfortable in my own skin, happier, and even more confident than before - watch out melanie, I am SO not gonna back down from any argument anymore (if only my ireland experience taught me to be more mature...).

Still, I owe all these learning experiences to the people surrounding me. To all those I met here in Ireland, and to those who I left back in America - you have no idea how much your friendship, support, and love has enhanced my experience abroad. I know I will never ever forget your compassion you gave to me. Even if it was as simple as a small email, text message, or inviting me out - every single time it made my days! I could not have done it without you!

So I leave Ireland with a heavy heart, but also with the determination to come back - I´m already going to start saving again (slowly...but surely!). Caution to all my euro-pals: I will be knocking on your door in a couple of years...and even more caution to my home-town friends because you will be knocking on those doors alongside me!!

Ok so now speaking in present-day terms: I am in Barcelona at the moment - a bit cold at the moment, but still enjoying my time here. Although, admittedly I am tiring very quickly of living out of my backpack - I REALLY just want to throw my clothes all over the place and take a long bubble bath. But tomorrow I already head out to shannon, and spend one last night in Ireland before making the big flight home!

So Barcelona is great - full of sandy beaches, gorgeous views, and Gaudi! I really enjoy the sights here (Las Ramblas, Park Gnuell, Mt. Montjuec, Olympic Stadium) , but enjoy the relaxed lifestyle even more! Staying out late, getting up even later - I could DEFINITELY get used to this! Don´t even get me started on mid-day siestas! ahhhhhh!

Oh yes - AND theres LOADS of shopping....

In fact, I think that´s where I´m headed to now!

Adios mis amigos!

xoxoxoxoxo

Finals Fiasco

2006-12-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

It was a cold and stormy morning when I woke up, so I decided against going for a run, which is not like me since today was my very first final exam for NUI Galway! HOWEVER, since my exam was commencing in a hotel in another town, I figured the hour long walk would give me enough fresh air and blood pumping to clear my head. Packing lightly, I packed some water, gum, and a snack in a bag; and of course my most important items: key card, and identification which I placed in my back pocket. I gave them one last look before sliding them in my jeans and taking off! As I strolled out the door I suddenly realized: I forgot pens to write my essay! How stupid of me! So I turned around to grab some pens, but when I reached in my back pocket for my key, I discovered that wasn’t there either! How absent-minded of me – I almost left with all the essential items! I especially would need my identification because with out that I would have had to pay 20 euros and possibly not even allowed to take the test! Luckily Elisa was awake and she let me in the door as I grabbed a few pens. But when I went to look for my ID and key card – they were nowhere be found… I had JUST had them less than 2 minutes ago! I checked my pockets, my purse, under my sheets, in my books, in the refrigerator – I even entertained Elisa’s thought of them being in my shoes and flung off my left boot: NOWHERE! Julia woke up as well and the three of us scoured the entire apartment looking for my identification and key. Nowhere. I was running out of time, so I decided to forget my ID card and rely on my good looks and charm to get me into my test (so you’re now thinking: she’s doomed!). On my taxi ride to the hotel (no more time for walking), I theorized that they must have fallen in the toilet when I went to bathroom, and I flushed it down…either that or it was an evil demon-possessed leprechaun.
Well luckily (ha! luckily…) I managed to get into my test, and didn’t even need to pay the 20 euro fine. And the test didn’t go so bad either – I spent nearly the entire 2 ½ hours writing, finishing with just 5 minutes left. So for the first time the entire day I was able to sit back, cross my legs and breathe. Suddenly, I felt something…and there, tucked in my right shoe – both my ID card and key card lay there…

So now I really better get good marks on my exams because it’s the only way I can restore my belief (as well as the belief of others) that I truly am an intelligent woman!

Off to the library – I hope I find a spot! It’s good thing I have my ID with me, so I can be allowed inside…now where did it go again…?

Study Week?

2006-12-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

Classes ended on thanksgiving, but rather than jump into finals, the Irish like to add a little extra time to study. Hence, study week. However, for most Irish people this is considered ‘time-to-learn-an-entire-semesters-worth-of-knowledge-cause-I-spent-this-entire-year-in-a-pub’ week. So this entire week the library here has become the new hot-spot. And I’m not kidding – lines start to form outside the library at 7:30 am in order to find a place to sit. You also have to show ID when entering! They have bouncers to control the inflow of people – ok no they don’t, but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the next time I entered, one would be there – either that or having to pay a cover charge (which you have to admit would make them a TON of money).

But unlike the Irish, my study week has gone a bit differently. Here’s my last week:

Sunday: Dinner and going out in celebration for my friend Robert’s birthday!
Monday: Movie night with the girls
Tuesday: Out for a pint of Paulaner at the bierhaus with pals
Wednesday: sex and the city and ate some delicious potato salad made by my roommate, as well as some daily grocery shopping, town exploring etc.
Thursday: Open day for the campus – this is where I made a fool of myself dancing…BUT on the bright side, Corrib Village apartments asked our flat if they could show our place to new students. Since we agreed, we each got 50 euros cash!! WOO!
Friday: finally settle down to study right? Heck no! I just got 50 euros! Hello Galway Shopping Centre (aka Santaville for the Christmas season).
Also went out to the Kings Head and danced the night away to a cover band – who thought Pearl Jam was from Australia…believe me, I was quick to correct them!
Saturday: out to the markets, then went home for a pizza dinner with my roommates. That’s when I was going to go out, but suddenly the weather took a turn for the worst (100kmh winds and rain – just a little bad) so I decided to cuddle and watch television movies and let Elisa examine my feet to see if I had bad circulation or not… J

So today is Sunday – and the horrible weather has continued onward. So I have spent the ENTIRE day inside – finally forced to study!! So after the world’s longest breakfast, shower, and room-cleaning, I actually managed to take a look at some of my papers. But then shortly after I took some photos…then watched a little TV…did a crossword…and now here I am writing in my blog…

Well lucky for me my first final does not start until Thursday – so this coming week can be my study week right?! Great! Ok study week starts right NOW!

OH I think I hear Julia watching TV in the living room – I wonder what she’s watching…

Until next time!

Xoxoxoxo

Note to all worried parents and people that are reading this that might be my future employers: I really am not that much of a slacker, I am really a hardworking, determined individual. I actually have been studying quite a bit during the day. I even admit to waking up at 7am to get to the packed library! yuk!

Michael Flatley: you would be proud!

2006-11-30T07:59:00.000-08:00

In order to have an enriching experience abroad, I believe that its vitally important that one should try to adapt themselves to the culture and lifestyle to the host-country.

Now in Ireland, most have taken the easy route by taking on the traditional act of drinking 2 pints of Guiness before lunchtime...me however, I'm much more daring and bold (and too poor!) for that...

...Which is why I decided to take up Traditional Irish dancing!!

Think Riverdance. Subtract Michael Flatley, then add me. If that doesn't make you laugh, nothing will.

So for the past 2 months, I have been attending traditional irish dance for beginners every wednesday night, learning 1-2-3's, side skips, and jumps. Mostly though I have been flicking my feet around on the floor and having a really good laugh looking at myself. (the pic is me and my original group!!)

However, I didn't think that I would be sharing this good laugh with anyone else - until I found out that we were going to preform in front of an audience! So my group and I last week actually put a routine to "Lord of the Dance". But it was actually a really great experience - I managed not to forget much and had fun!

So naturally when our instructor asked our group if we wanted to preform again for high-school students on open day (where they come to the University to check things out - dancers included I guess...) - I agreed! One good way to end the semester right?

My roommate Julia and I (she was also in the class) went to the preformance hall a bit early, hoping to see our 12 other dancers and go over our routine a couple times before going on stage. However, instead of 12 girls - there was just one other girl! Our instructor didn't even show up! Luckily, the hip-hop instructor was there and we went to her for advice. But instead of solving our problem, she said to us "ok I've got your music - you know what you are doing right? Cause youre on next!"

So about 2 minutes later, there I was: standing in front of about 150 uniform-wearing, 17 year olds, with two other girls on my side,no practice, waiting for our music to change and start out with our 1-2-3's!

as you can guess, about 30 seconds later, we all three had forgotten the rest of our routine and were simply dancing in circles, wildly kicking our feet around. It wasn't going too bad - they didn't know we were messing up so maybe we could trick them into thinking we were actually doing alright.

That was until the girl in the middle, holding our hands, fell flat on her butt, pulling Julia and I down! Luckily we both manged to stay on our feet and continue to step around. But that definitely didn't stop the laughter and jeeringfrom our audience - and actually from the three of us as well! We finished shortly after by throwing up our hands, with giggles on our faces. We were rushed off stage almost immediately while the more advanced hip-hop dancers ran on to make a recovery.

Julia and I left the stage with damaged pride (and the other girl with a damaged butt), but also with large smiles on our faces! Julia turned to me and said she would never forget this experience she had with me - and its true. I think I will always think of Julia as someone I could publicly make a fool with anyday!

So I think that that in order to have an enriching experience abroad, one must make a complete fool of themselves, and most importantly have someone to share that experience (and hopefully a good laugh) with!

until next time!

xoxoxoxoxo

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today is Thanksgiving Day, and so far I have single-handedly put a turkey in the oven! Ok so that sounds like nothing, but there has been a lot of work to get to this point. First, I had to walk 20 minutes in the rain each day to the store this entire week in order to get prepared, walking from store to store to store to find the right things (you wouldn’t believe the confused looks I got when I asked for fried onion bits – cross green-bean casserole off the list!) My greatest trip was the one that required me to walk back home with a 10 kilo sack of potatoes on my back! So I really have a great “back when I was your age...” story to tell when I’m 80.

So what am I thankful for? Well one thing for sure: today is my last day of classes! Although I am glad not have to sit through boring lectures, the ending of class simply signifies that exams will be coming up – and in the Irish school system, the most critical part of any class. One of my classes, 100% of the grade comes straight from the final. In all of them, it is certainly needed in order to pass the class. So instead of being able to enjoy the rest of my days free and careless, I’m about to become a slave to my textbooks. In fact, I plan on getting up early to go to the library starting tomorrow! My roommate Julia will be there at 9am – I think I might need a little time to recover from my soon-to-be amazing holiday feast! I’ve got it all: the turkey, the mashed potatoes (which BETTER be good!), stuffing, gravy, green beans, I even made my own cranberry sauce! However, my favourite part of all is missing: the pumpkin pie! They have no canned pumpkin here – I guess you just can’t have it all can you? HOWEVER, I did buy whipped cream for dessert – now that I am surely thankful for J

Here are some other things I am thankful for:

1. Wellies
2. My new athletics team sweatshirt – I got it on Tuesday, and it’s the only thing I wear now (mainly because all my other clothes are dirty!!)
3. Sex and the City girl’s nights: friends, sex, wine, and chocolate – what more could you want? (to mom and dad and other family members: I’m just joking!)
4. Digestive cookies – name sounds like something grandmas and constipated people would eat – but they are so not that – and even if they were I would still love them!
5. Crappy instant coffee (makes me appreciate espresso SO much more)
6. The castle along the ol’ corrib river, and the Salthill cceanside – two best places to go on a run – best views I think I have ever witnessed
7. The Saturday market – where I get the best apples and hummus EVER (oh yeah, and super good doughnuts too!)
8. Sunday morning runs with Annelies, my little therapist here in Ireland (maybe its those awesome views – but man I can get emotional when I run!)
9. SKYPE! A bit hard to explain, but all you need to know is that you need to have it
10. NUI Galway – its lovely charm thus giving it the ability to attract old but rad celebrities. It just sounds so cool to say “I go to school with Martin Sheen”

But most importantly I am thankful for you who is reading this (unless you are some creepy internet stalker – then go away I am really not thankful for you). Whenever I hear that people are reading my blog and wanting to know how I am doing, or sending me a message (or skyping me – you get extra points!) - it truly makes my day! I know that I would not have survived this experience without the support of my friends and family – both back in the US and here in Ireland.

Although wine, chocolate, and sex does help (again family: joking!)

Off to baste the bird!

Until next time

xoxoxoxoxoxo

the result: look at my wonderful turkey! yum!!!

Finding Family in Edinburgh

2006-11-15T05:21:00.000-08:00

It is so very sad - school is coming to an end - but that means crunch time: exams are in just two weeks, research papers are due after this weekend, and the library is now becoming the new late night place to hang out - even celebs like Martin Sheen have been spotted here.

However that didn't stop me from putting away my books for the weekend to go travel once more! So last weekend I took a short plane trip (and cheap - only 6 euros total!) to Scotland. I traveled with my friend Bianca, and another fella named Patrick, whom I honestly didn't even really know until we met up to catch the flight together!

The three of us started our adventure when we arrived in Edinburgh (safely this time! no close-crash incidents!) late on Saturday night. We checked into our hostel - which we discovered was a 38 mixed bedroom dorm - aka a giant room with a bunch of beds. Not wanting to really spend much time there, we quickly put our stuff away and went out on the town. We ended up on the grassmarket street, which is lined with pubs, nightclubs and lively atmosphere. Our first drink was at a place called the Three Sisters (which reminded me of my sisters! ahh!) - and despite the negative degree weather, there were people outside barbecuing and having drinks! From then on we hopped from bar to bar, usually ending up in the places that offered free shooters or free entrance! Finally we made our way back to our lovely room to have a good nights sleep - along with the other 30 plus people.

After a somewhat restless sleep (one of those 38 people decided it would be an excellent idea to play Counting Crows songs on the piano....) we got up early to start our 'culture' day. We walked all around the Royal Mile street from the parliament house, all the way up to the castle. On our way we encountered many fun people and things. We took photos with Scotsman dressed in their full attire, sampled fudge, learned all about whiskey (which we all discovered is a drink we don't really prefer), and took amazing photos of the enormous castle on the hill. Finally we ended up for dinner at a place called SNAX - where we got some amazing grilled paninis and chips - for cheap too! We walked everywhere and saw so much! It was a great and exhausting day!

So then we found a new hostel to stay in (the other one just wasn't quite our style!) - and this time it was with just 14 people - they were all americans who were also studying in Ireland (Cork) as well, so we got along with them quite well. We decided to just go out for a movie night, and saw The Departed - a movie coincidentally about Irish gangs in Boston. Martin Sheen was in it! He died though - but next time I see him I'll have to congratulate him on an impressive death scene, even if it was just him falling off a building...(sorry to ruin it for those who haven't seen it!)

So on our way home, Patrick could not stop singing 'we are family' song - over and over. Before we knew it, Bianca and I caught on and we were all singing together! For the rest of the weekend, this became our theme song and at any moment if any would start the song, we would all join in! We started our own little family for the weekend!

The next day however, our family grew! We were joined by our three friends Judith (not my roommate Judith, but another one!), Robert, and Florian (aka Flo). They had been in Glasgow and the highlands earlier that week (they didn't see Nessy however...). But before we met up with them, our little family explored the oceanside and took a tour of the Brittania (the royal ship) and also went to the Museum of Modern Art (which was surprisingly one of my favorite things - really interesting!). It wasn't until about 5 until we met up with the others, so we had an early dinner at SNAX (I love this place) and I even got to try some HAGGIS (minced meat cooked inside a lambs stomach) for free! It was ok...An old Scottish man next to me told me its made from a three-legged bird, and right now since its hunting season for them, its the best time to have some...;) lets just say I got my moneys worth!

That night we were lucky to discover that we had the entire room to ourselves! We also discovered that the next day was Patricks birthday! So of course we celebrated, and at midnight we sang happy birthday as loud as we could in the bar! And of course followed by 'we are family...'

We had to leave the next day sadly, but before we left I was determined to climb to a place called Arthurs Seat, which was just the top of a hill. However, we all decided to hike up together. It started out a bit cold and rainy, but in the end the sun cleared up just as we made it to the top! We had an incredible 360 degree view of the city and beyond! Absolutely beautiful! It was a great way to end the trip, and boosted our moods for heading back to Ireland.

Just before we left however, we retired into a Starbucks - the first one I have been to since Berlin!! It was quite an amazing starbucks - with giant windows facing the castle. So I sat and slowly enjoyed my tall soy latte while staring out towards Edinburgh city. Oh and of course - we stopped one more time at SNAX to grab a bite to eat!

When we arrived back in the Airport, Judith Robert and Flo all got a bus ride back early, while Bianca, Patrick and I had to wait for our busline (we bought tickets already for a different bus line) - so our little family was re-united once more! We of course sang our little song again while waiting for the bus! We were a crazy family for sure - but also a fun one!

So now back in Galway, I have just one more month left before heading back home! Time has truly flown by, but I am enjoying every minute of it! The people I have met here have been just incredible, and I think I will be mostly sad to leave them. But its good to know that no matter what: 'We are family!!!'

xoxoxo

my family: Judith, Robert, flu, Patrick and Bianca (and of course me in the middle - where else would I put myself huh?!)

Best Week Ever?

2006-11-11T03:03:00.000-08:00

Ever since I got back from Italy, life here in Ireland has been wonderful, for a number of reasons:

1. The weather - although a bit frosty, the sun shines everyday and my feet are wonderfully and happily dry! Pictured is my daily walk from Corrib Village to School - b-e-a-utiful!

2. Parties - from halloween, to athletics club, to even my roommate Elisa's surprise party - there has just been a lot of fun and exciting events with new-found friends.

3. Martin Sheen - did I tell you I go to school with Martin Sheen? Yeah and I saw him! Its funny- I am about as far as you can get from hollywood, yet this is pretty much the only time I see a celebrity.

4. School - I actually am ahead of the game and getting a lot of work done!

ok so everything was going great - until came thursday. I decided to go out with friends to an 80/90's dance club, and happily broke a sweat to Phil Collins and Micheal Jackson! Rad!
However I must have crossed the 'borderline' (ok I don't even know if that song is 80s or not..) because I woke up the next morning feeling extremely worn out, tired and out of money. However I managed to drag myself out of bed, and even decided to treat myself to a coffee at the espresso stand (spending more money - I don't know what goes through my head sometimes). I ordered what I usually got back home - a grande drip - thinking nothing of it. However, having only dranken instant-can-this-really-be-called-coffee coffee practically since I have been here, the real stuff hit me like a ton of bricks. I vibrated my way through the next 5 hours of classtime, feeling sick to my stomach. To make matters worse - I got a group assignment back - which we failed (ok not quite, but pretty much). A 44 out of 100 (which is like a C in Ireland). But hey - if I blurred my eyes, those 4 look quite a lot like 9's.....

So here I was: failed paper in shaking hand, but also feeling like I could sleep for hours. My best week ever has come to an end - right?

well, maybe worse days were coming, but it didn't stop me from feeling extremely happy. My entreprenuership teacher told us that we can't be afraid of failures - maybe he said that to make us feel better about our grades to come - but I surely took it to heart at that moment. I realised that sometimes we make wrong choices: even if they are as minor as staying out too late while listening to cheesy music, drinking too much coffee, and failing school (ok that might not be as minor..). But this time I wasn't going to dig myself into a deeper hole by dwelling on it - but rather I was going to just be happy with what I have - like great friends and fun!

Ok sorry for that 'Full House' moment - that 80/90s stuff must have hit me harder than I thought!

off to Edinburgh today - lets hope my stomach can handle the haggis!

xoxoxo

Vanessa (who is pretty much best friends with Martin Sheen)

Flirting with death, and Italian boys (and yes they are different things)

2006-11-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

It was the beginning of a wonderful weekend. I had successfully made my way to the airport (the correct airport too!) and was on my way to Venice, Italy! I sat down next to a few lovely school teachers from county Cork, and had a great conversation about Ireland while flying across the European landscape. They even gave me mints to suck on when we took off (to help with your ears – although I think I chewed mine up before the plane even started moving). However, just as I was about to receive my second mint for our descent into Italy, our plane began to rumble. Thinking it was just some turbulence, I popped the mint in my mouth. However, before I could even swallow it down the plane sudden dropped, then rose again – dropped even more sharply, then rose again. My new mint-loving friend and I exchanged glances. The engine suddenly went into overdrive and we rose up sharply, shook around, then made an even bigger drop! THEN the lights all shut off – a few people gave a little shriek. My neighbour sucked down about 4 more mints. The girl in front of me jokingly exclaimed “we’re gonna die!” – so not funny. I simply sat there, closed my eyes, and said a prayer, honestly thinking for a moment that I really was going to die. Yet, just as I was trying to convince myself that the ice cream in heaven is probably better than Italian gelato anyway, the engine calmed down, and the plane levelled. The lights stayed off – apparently that’s normal when you are landing at night (good thing we were all aware of that). God knew I wasn’t quite ready heaven ice cream just yet…
So shortly afterward we made our landing, and everyone’s faces returned to their normal warm tones. Yet, just as I thought I was safely on the ground, I was rushed onto an even more deadly mode of transportation – I giant shuttle bus that would take us through Italian traffic to the city center of Venice. Luckily we made it there in one piece, and I quickly checked myself into a hostel. The next morning I had made arrangements to leave early on a train for Florence, not getting much of a chance to see Venice (but I plan to later in December!). I arrived in Florence around noon, and I got to do something that almost made my whole trip worth it --- I took off my jacket! Yes, the sun was shining and I was actually able to bear my pasty white arms! Taking advantage of the great weather, I put my stuff away (at a hostel) and went for a hike up to the mountains to get an amazing view of the city! Taking as many side streets and long routes, I was able to explore the less touristy parts of the city, and got more of a local feel of Florence. However, it did not prevent me from acting like a total tourist – taking pictures of everything I saw, constantly referring to my map, and of course – buying gelato!
Being an obvious traveller, I was an instant target for the bold and ultra friendly Italian men. As I was walking down the street, holding my map out in front of me, an older Italian man grabbed my map and said ‘come here’ and led me into his leather clothing store and spent 5 minutes with me circling all the places in Florence I needed to see. The owner at the hotel did almost the exact same thing, made me sit down and told me that if I needed a ride to any place, he had his mo-ped with him and could take me there. Then in the grocery store another younger Italian boy helped me pick out a bottle of wine (although I was actually just looking for some olive oil for a salad dressing), then bought me a cappuccino. He told me we were going to drink the wine together later, but I told him I was going to meet up with friends and needed to go!
This actually ended up being true, when I came back to the hostel, and heard some girls talking over how to get back to Shannon, Ireland on Monday. Turns out these girls were on my same flight home, and they were American students studying in Galway! Erin and Katie, two girls from New York, suddenly became my new travelling partners, and new buddies! We went out for some fabulous gelato that night and agreed to see the statue of David at the academia. We waited in line for nearly an hour, but met some really funny old women, who giggled and took pictures with the postcard pictures of David’s you-know-what. Once inside, we stared in awe at the enormous David, and (his giant you-know-what) – as well as many other sculptures. Then we spent the rest of the day exploring the town areas, taking photos, and finally ending up in the central market area where all the street vendors were located. Again I felt the wrath of bold Italian men, selling fake Prada purses and leather belts. My best advice: look straight into the ground – one glance even remotely in their direction will cause them to assume you are extremely interested in what they have to sell, and will not stop asking you what price you would like to pay until you’ve reached the end of the block.
After our market experience we were quite exhausted, so we settled for another cup of gelato, and then went inside the supermarket to buy a baguette, cheese and little bottles of wine for dinner. We ate outside in the streets soaking in the cool Italian night!
The next morning the girls got up rather early to head to Venice, but I decided to stick around Florence for a few more hours. I had a lovely jog, a giant breakfast, and then slowly walked the streets of the market place again. This time however, because it was a weekday (Monday), the market opened up even more and offered a huge food market as well! Making my way through stacks of cheese, rows of fresh olive oil, and even hanging chunks of raw meat, I settled for a dried fruit stand, selling nearly every kind of dried fruit you could want. I picked a variety of dried cherries, strawberries, kiwi, passion fruit – even dried limes! So on my train ride back to meet the girls in Venice (and to sadly head home) I munched on my fresh dried fruit, nuts, wine all while rolling smoothly through the Italian countryside. It couldn’t have been a better way to end the trip…
But it did get even better! I had some spare time to walk around Venice before meeting the girls at the bus station to take us home, so I attempted to navigate my way through the maze that is Venice. After almost giving up hope, I actually ran into the girls again, also in the same predicament. However, we put our lost minds together and found that we were not far from the waterfront – as well as a great gelato stand that my travel book had recommended!
So my trip really ended like this: I purchased what is called “glandulotto de passeggio” (in the picture!) – basically a brick of chocolate-hazelnut ice cream dropped into a giant cup of – get this: WHIPPED CREAM. To make it even better, we got to sit and eat our treats just as the sun was setting along the water (although Venice could have been burning down in flames for all I cared – I had whipped cream!). I questioned whether my plane really did crash, and I truly was in heaven. Luckily I will be returning to my gelato-filled nirvana later this year. I’ll just be sure to pay extra attention to the planes emergency exit – just in case!

as for the Italian boys - well they aren't so bad after all - here is my new italian friend Paulo from next door, who says that all italian boys are liars - except for him of course!

I've been adopted by Germans

2006-10-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

So I guess I didn't get the notice - but apparently this week is family week at NUI Galway. Two of my roommates, and close buddies, Julia and Judith had their entire families over for the last 4 days or so. So not only was I a bit friendless in my home due to them touring around Galway with their families, but when they were around I was constantly reminded that my family was not! The worst (although best at the same time) was seeing Judith's family, who is structured just like mine: three girls all close in age, with fun loving mom and dad - and loud and lively even more so than mine! Mel: our arguments would have been put to shame by these gals! haha!

However, I did manage to find my own family this weekend by hanging out with a few friends: almost all who happen to be german! It was actually great fun being around them. In the last few days I have learned all about the tele-tubbies thanks to my southern-german friend Robert who knows WAY too much about that show, been advised that if I stand on my head in the mornings, my circulation will improve (which I actually tried this morning!) , and even managed to slip in a few WWII jokes here and there!

Apparently my jokes must have been good (or really really bad) because a few of my new pals came over last night for home-made, grandma's recipie style German pancakes! They were quite amazing. It even puts up a fair fight with the early morning blueberry pancakes a la KeMaWiCo at the lake (but I think we all know who wins that fight!).

Although Julia and Judith's parents have left, I feel the luckiest because I have found a temporary family here that will stick around for the next two months to keep me company - and of course Julia and Judith can join!

HOWEVER: this weekend I also missed the notice (where my mail ends up I just don't know), and apparently now its boyfriend weekend, with 4 of my friends' boyfriends coming to visit....lucky for me I am off to Florence Italy this weekend! Chao bella!

xoxoxo
Vanessa

Paris holds the key to your heart....

2006-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so unlike the normal Anastasia I did not go to Paris and discover that I was truely a princess. However, I did manage to fall in love --- with the city of course! But our love story begins like most in 'Once upon a time'....

The sun was rising as I woke up early from my little Corrib Village dorm to meet my travel buddy Gwen. Gwen, a girl I met in my marketing class, is also an American from Chicago (with the chicago accent and all!) and like me was dying to go travel and see Paris. She was very organized, inquisitive, and never hesitated to ask a question in order to get answers, but also easy to become stressed when answers weren't found. As for me, I know that I am a bit on the carefree and laid back side, but I rarely pay attention to detail (as I bet most of you have noticed with my frequent spelling errors that I never double-check on). So it sounds like our personalities would clash, but when it came to traveling, it was a match made in heaven! She saved my life (and my wallet) by planning out our train travel, accomodations, and sight seeing and I helped her to just go with the flow when things didn't go as planned. PLUS we both share outgoing, energetic, and talkative personality traits, so we were always having a good time!

We left just in time to make our plane from Dublin to Brussels, Belgium, where we plopped our bags at the nearest hostel we could find. It ended up being quite a great hostel - it even had a wonderful little bar in it with a buy-one get one free happy hour. So of course we couldn't resist! After our happy hour we hit up the streets for more drink specials and ran ourselves right into what is called Grand Place, which a large open cobble-stoned area surrounded by some of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen! Whether it was the extra free drink, the night lights, or just the fact that I was closer to Paris - but it was an amazing place to be!

The next morning Gwen and I woke up early to take a look at more of daytime Brussels, discovering that there wasn't much to explore. We took another look at the Grand Place, then to a momument so appropriately named Mannekin Pis - a small fountain represented by a boy taking a pee, and the water comes out...well you know where! However, we did manage to find many chocolate shops (alot with free samples!) and shared a waffle bought from a local street vendor. We also ran into some street markets, which I absolutely love, and once again finished our explorations at Grand Place to say our goodbyes before heading to Paris!

So we took the train off to Paris, and I ended up having to sit by a family (Gwen and I got seperated!) traveling from the Dominican Republic to visit Paris Disneyland. It was my first time (and probably only time) that I became tri-lingual: the boy I talked to started to speak to me in french, realized I was American and we tried again in English (although he could not speak it well). Then I realized he could speak spanish so we ended up having a 3 language conversation, switching languages often in mid-sentence. So it was a limited converstation, but quite entertaining for the train trip!

Ok so Paris: day one!
We sucessfully navigated our way through the sunny streets (yes it was sunny - no wellies needed here!) and into our cramped, but adorable little hostel. I could have stayed in a garbage dump for all I cared - we were in Paris!!! A bit hungry, we almost immediately went back out towards the city center to find our way through shops and restaurants. Finally around 7 or 8 we found a great little sit-down place where we both had chicken, rice, bread, and of course some Bordeaux. It took us awhile though to figure out what we were actually getting, but it was quite good! Then after a very long dinner we thought it would be fun to find a place to drink and socialize, but as we were leaving we realized that the restaurants were just starting to fill up, and the bars were just opening - so we were a little on the early side of things. Since we already had dinner, and bars were bare, we settled for an early night in - which I was thankful for because I had huge ambitions of seeing ALL of Paris the next day!

Paris: day two!

I got up a little extra early to go for a small jog on the city streets (I know, I'm crazy). It was not long after when I stumbled upon a giant street market, just getting set up. I mean, it was huge - taking up 3 or 4 blocks, right in the median of Rue du Temple. I ran swiftly past fishermen in boots (so there IS a need for wellies here actually!) loading fish onto ice trays, women setting up displays of exotic scarves and jewelery, and even locals placing fruit neatly into trays. I wish I could have explored more, but there was all of Paris to see! Still, it was a great way to start the day, and an instant mood booster! My love affair with Paris was in full swing!

After a yummy crossiant and coffee breakfast (free from hostel - yay!) we started our quest to explore all of Paris! We started out with the Picasso museum, moved onward to Notre Dam, shopped at markets and watched street preformers in the Latin Quartier, stopped in Luxembourg Park for lunch and watched the kids play with their toy boats, made our way to the Effiel Tower (and up to the top of course!), then to the Arc de Triumph to see the tomb of the unknown solider, and finally we made it to the lourve musuem (where the Mona Lisa is placed) but by then we were too late to get inside. But I did manage to score a free chesnut roasting on an open fire! A street vendor was cooking them just outside the museum and I came to observe and he gave me a free nut! All in all it was a great day and each location we stopped at I could have easily spent the entire day just relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere. But unfortunately time was not on our side. Even The next morning we had plans to go visit the Opera in the morning before our train, but we got a little side tracked when Gwen wanted to make a stop at the Poste - which ended up taking way more time than planned! However, I managed to discover a cute little french bookstore, so my time did not seem wasted whatsoever (although Gwen I think was a bit dissappointed). We skipped over the Opera and headed to the train station and back to Brussels. I was forced to be separated from my love - but I know someday love will find a way to bring me and the city back together again!

Back in Belgium:
Gwen and I seperated ways that evening, as she went home and I explored more of Brussels. A friend I met in Ireland, who was from Belgium, told me about her friend living in Brussels so we arranged to meet up. Thinking that I was going to be Irish, he told me to meet him at an Irish pub for a drink, then he took me to the Grand Palace of Belgium, which was quite impressive. Along the way home we talked about politics and our hatred for slimy snakes! He was very nice to take me around, making me feel a little less lonely in the city.

The next morning I discovered that all I had left was 20 euros - and I still had to buy a bus ticket home! So whats a girl to do when she has woes about money? Go shopping of course! My hostel was conveniently located next to all the shops - and I took advantage of the 3-story H&M clothing store, and tried on as many crazy outfits as I could, and finally settled on a 2 euro pair of earrings! I managed to feed myself for free by simply stepping into the chocolate stores - SO many free samples were offered! I felt like a kid in a candy store!

After a long day of traveling, I arrived back in Corrib Village at midnight with 5 euros, sparkling earlobes and chocolate stained teeth. However this time as I walked through the door, I felt like I was coming 'home', which was a new and exciting feeling for me. I really feel comfortable and relaxed in Ireland now, a place where I feel welcome.

However that night the only thing that welcomed my presence was a slug on the kitchen floor...ahhh home sweet home...

Guiness and blood sausage - the perfect race-recovery meal

2006-10-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

It was a fairly normal friday - I of course had no classes to attend, so I simply spent the day wandering the streets Galway, taking advantage of the overcast but rainless weather! I was initally in town to buy an umbrella (my 3 euro one broke in the wind in Belfast - so I have been walking around all week with a dented umbrella, looking quite cool I must say) but as I was lurking around the isles of Dunnes, I recieved a text message from my athletics (running) team captain, saying that I was entered in a 10 mile race tomorrow at Galway Bay with the athletics team! The race was called Galway Bay 10 - and its name pretty much explains it all. It is a 10 mile (why they decided to use miles instead of kilometres is beyond me) race all along the Galway Bay area. At first I was pretty excited - a good motivator for an easy long run on a calm Saturday morning.

me stretching with our team captian Laura >>>>>>>>>
However, calm was not the case here! Right along the ocean side there was an enormous red and white striped tent (think circus style a bit here) and inside was a huge venue with a stage, bar, and massage tables! Plus we all got bright orange shirts to wear, adding to the vibrant environment. However, I now realized that this was 'kinda a big deal' - so I started to get a bit nervous! It didn't help either when I decided to go outside for a little warm up jog, because the wind was so intense! At one point I actually think I was running backwards for awhile....

So we all lined up at the end of the bay, ready to run straight into in the wind for 2 miles. The mayor of Galway, wearing rather flashy gold necklaces (I don't know if it was just for the race, or what) sounded the gun and off we went! Yes, the wind was terrible - but I think that my cross country captains and my father would have been proud - I found two older (and a bit bigger) men running next to each other, and I simply ran right behind them - so the majority of the wind was literally over my head! So after those two miles, I enjoyed my calm long run, and finished quite happily! To check out my race, go to this website:

http://www.galwaybay10.com/

Afterwards I rewarded myself with a massage, a guiness from the bar (we got 3 free drink tokens!!), and about 14 bananas which I took home to my roommates - I love being a poor and starving student!

Then later that night I went to a party with friends, and we all decided to meet the next morning for a traditional Irish breakfast at a local bar. So sunday at 11 I once again rewarded myself by gobbling up eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, ham, and blood sausage (aka black pudding). I actually really liked it!

And now a time for my mother to be proud...that night I cooked for my roommates, along with a new pal Bastian: good ol beef stroganoff!! it worked out well and everyone enjoyed it! And in turn, Bastian promised us some home-made german pankcakes! I cannot wait!

Ok, so I think I have written enough! But some updates I should fill you in on: I'M GOING TO PARIS TOMORROW! well actually I am going to brussles first, then making my way via train to Paris for two nights! I am so thrilled! I even have a little book of french that Sybil gave me, and I am giving myself the 4 hour bus ride to Dublin tomorrow to learn!

Anyways, I'll let you know how my weekend goes... I love it when people ask me what I am doing this weekend and I say - oh ya know, Brussels, Paris...;)

until next time!

xoxoxoxo
Vanessa

ROAD TRIP!

2006-10-02T03:36:00.000-07:00

So this week has been quite a blast!

Besides all of the excitement of my new tapered pants, I had a couple of great nights out with friends (shaking my booty in them), going to athletics, and even attending a traditional Irish dance class! This has added on to the soreness from before, and I walk like I have no knees, but its all in good fun!

However I think that my weekend was the most memorable - my two roommates, a friend, and I all decided to rent a vehicle and take a road trip up to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Even though I was the youngest person in our group, I was given the privilege of driving most of the way because I actually had the most experience driving (since all the others don't drive until 18, and even then rarely drive a car!) At first I was quite nervous with taking on the task of driving on the other side of the road, but quickly it became a fun and thrilling experience! It took us about 6 hours to navigate our way through narrow roadways, rolling hills, and towns where the majority population consist of sheep, and the only thriving businesses are a petrol station and a pub. Yet, finally we arrived on Friday evening, with just enough time to do a little exploring through the Botanical gardens, then grab a drink at a little club!

(me at the wall w/ the roomies)
So Belfast: a somewhat smaller city, but with a huge background of religious/political segregation, and issues that still remain today. The next day we visited the giant wall that separates the catholic living sector from the protestant living sector, murals of gunman painted alongside house walls, visited the Europa hotel (the most bombed hotel in the world) and told stories of violent action of the IRA that still exists today. Even as we drove home on Sunday, there was a news story that someone in Belfast had been shot that night before!

Ok so now that I have made you think I was crazy for visiting such a dangerous city, it was actually not all that bad. After our tour we spent the rest of the day happily shopping in the neutral city center. It was quite fun and I felt quite like a normal Irish girl - shopping with friends in a giant mall, eating at the foodcourts, and giving advice on what looked good on one another. We even managed to shop in the Gap, where I helped Judith pick out a pair of pants...I think my old managers at the Gap would be proud!

The next day we packed up and went over to the Giants Causeway, located above Belfast along the coastline. It is quite a magnificent geographical landscape with ridges made from volcanic lava explosions pre ice-age era, but the best part are stories the Irish tell that are the real reasons Giant's Causeway was made. Legend has it that there was a Giant named Finn MacCool (who actually obtained great knowledge from putting his thumb in his mouth) that wanted to get to the coast of Scotland to fight another giant, and he built a causeway to get there, but then hid from the giant (he sucks his thumb AND runs away from fights?? I don't know how much of a 'legend' this guy is!) by pretending to be a baby - when the Scottish giant saw this, he thought - "if the baby is this big, I don't want to see what the father is like!" so he ran away, destroying the causeway, which is what created the landscape that is visible now! So turns out that thumb sucking made him pretty clever....Now mom I bet you regret stopping me from doing that as a child - you would have one smart child to be proud of (either that or you would be forever Scottish giant-free!)

Then we made our way back home - and of course took the opportunity of having a car to load up on groceries! Now I am back into my normal routine, attending classes, getting excited about pants, that sort of thing. However, I still miss you all incredibly and think about my friends and family all the time! I also have been thinking about my sister Alison and her plans to be married at the end of December! I so badly wish I could be there to help her try on dresses, sample cakes, etc - I guess Melanie will have to take on that hefty task for me! Actually I just wish I could be there to give her a giant congratulatory hug! In fact I wish I could give a lot of people hugs, but I guess they will have to wait until December. So watch out when you see me: remember to plant both feet firmly on the ground, keep them shoulder width apart, and brace yourself for the enormous body tackle I will be giving you when I come back!

Ok well I think I hear my roommates calling for dinner - until next time!
xoxoxoxoxooooooooooo

Hey Mom! Now we can share pants!

2006-09-27T04:46:00.000-07:00

I do believe that at one point in my life (i think around the 5th grade) I proclaimed to myself that I would NEVER wear tapered leg jeans - only old moms wore those (no offense mom - you look awesome in tapered leg!)....

however I think now my 5th grade self would look down on me in shame, because that day has come - I bought tapered leg jeans....

NOW before you all close out this window, take this blog site off your favorites list (cause I know you all have it as your number one spot!), and vow to never speak my name again, let me explain myself:

1) Instead of calling them tapered leg jeans, they are actually called "skinny jeans". They come in all sizes and even the farthest of "skinny" people wear them - they are actually in style! Think Audrey Hepburn....

2) Having Tapered Jeans means that they don't drag past my shoes, which means that I don't get my pants wet - and as I mentioned before about having cold wet feet, this function of these pants makes life much more wonderful - great for going out!

3) I secretly really like them! They are comfortable and kinda cute!

So much apologies to my 5th grade self, as well as anyone who opposes to wearing "mom" jeans - I know you all now see me in a different light. But when in rome.... (or wet rainy Ireland!)

PS: other updates (besides my new jeans)
1. I bought a plane ticket to Brussels (only 30 euro both ways!) and from there I plan on taking a train to Paris! I met another girl yesterday who I think will join me on my journey - should be fun!

2. I started Athletics Club on Monday - we started off the year with 4 x 800s - which I have not done since 2003! Needless to say that it is wednesday and I still cannot walk normal!

3. Last night I went to a bday party, and tonight I am going to my friend Annelies' for dinner - then we will all go out! Yay I have a social life!

4. I miss everyone so much - I love all your emails, updates, and comments - keep them up!

until next time!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Goodbye fresh vegetables...Hello chick flicks!

2006-09-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

I honestly think that at the moment I submitted in my last blog that I was thankful Fiona moved out b/c of the space issues, was the exact moment that an 18 year old Cork girl living in Centrepoint Apartments (about 30 minutes walk from everything - no joke) got a call from Corrib Village letting her know that space was available to her in apartment 109!!

On Friday I went to a pals house for a lovely little girls dinner night filled with risotto, wine and a game called Ligretto (very fun). However, the while the wine effect most of the girls by making them sleepy, my consumption had a reverse effect - and I decided to join my roommates out at the pub (a swankier one this time called BAZAAR) and then to a dance club called the Living Room(so fun! We stayed until it closed!). This was when Judith informed me that we had a new roomie that just moved in that night! However the only thing else Judith knew was that she had a TV with her, as well as a ton of stuff!!

So the next morning I finally managed to meet our new roomie named Christine. Originally from Manchester, she has been living in Cork for about 9 years now. She still has a bit of an English accent to her and seems very laid-back and chill. Here are some other cool qualities about her:
- she can understand a bit of Irish Gaelic!
- she has a DVD player (which is perfect for my movie class - I was not looking forward to watching Psycho by myself in the library....eeeh!)
- she likes to watch chick flicks like New York Minute, and How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (great for lazy sundays!)
- she has loads of good music - and wants to share!

So in celebration of obtaining a new roommate (and to drink away the sorrows of our lost food storage) Julia, Judith, Christine, and I all went out again - first to a bar called Richardsons and then of course to our new favorite dance spot, The Living Room - again, we stayed until it closed! Overall it was a great night and Christine was a lot of fun. She even showed us that if you ask for blackcurrent with your beer, it pretty much tastes just like juice. Just what Ireland needs: beer with a taste suitable to go along with your breakfast cereal!

So not much else has been going on since the excitement of a new roommate. On Saturday morning I visited the street market and got a lot of lovely yummy fresh fruits, vegetables, and cheeses! Sunday I did two amazing things: 1) homework (aka watched movies for my film class) 2) I cooked! I made tacos for Judith, Juila, and I - and it was actually pretty good!! And the other amazing thing is that I want to do it again!

So peeps: send me your best American recipes so I can cook for everyone! Try to keep it fairly simple (as I have little to work with as you have seen), and inexpensive is always good too!

I look forward to some great recipes!

Until next time!
xoxoxoxo

I fell in love today....

2006-09-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

Even though I have been attending school at the University of Galway for 3 weeks now, each of my professors began their lessons today by stating “welcome to Galway everyone”. I believe it is because today the normal Ireland weather finally arrived.
Saying that I woke up to the “firm pitter-pat of rain” would be the understatement of the century. All day long it has been pouring down with rain – I think it stopped for about 30 minutes – right while I was in the shower...funny….
The other day I told an Irishman that I was from Seattle and he said “oh yeah the Galway of the United States – so you are used to this weather right?” Not in the slightest bit. Whoever dubbed Seattle as the rainy city obviously had never traveled anywhere near Galway. Actually in all honesty it probably rains about the same amount as it does back home, but I simply never noticed because everywhere I needed to go I could drive, then go back indoors. Now, without a car, and the ALDI (a grocery store I do my regular shopping at – great prices, sketchy produce…) being 30 minutes walk away, the rain is a bit more noticeable. Walking across four lanes of traffic, holding onto a 16 roll pack of toilet paper all while trying to keep dry under a tiny 3 euro umbrella is quite the feat - and not looking totally ridiculous – well that’s just pretty much impossible!
Speaking of looking ridiculous…I actually loved my entire day out in the pouring rain because of my new love in life….wellies. Yes, sorry to disappoint all you dashing single Irishmen, but my heart goes out to my lovely green rainboots (called Wellies here). Although I might look a little like I belong back in the 4th grade, but not a drop of water touched my toes – and everyone knows that the way to a woman’s heart is through my warm and dry feet!

So even though I wrote just yesterday, I forgot just a few things to mention. And since you all are dying to know everything about my life here, here’s a couple new updates:

1. Tuesday and Wednesday were clubs and societies day – a couple days for students to visit club booths, get info (and loads of free candy!), and sign up for stuff! So here is what I signed up for:

Athletics club (aka track and field – training on Mondays and Tuesdays!)
Christian Students Club
Business Society
Dance Society (Irish dancing for beginners on Wednesdays)
International Students Society
Photography Society
Recreational Therapy Society (I really just wanted a sucker)
Traditional Irish Music Society
Volunteers Society
And last, but certainly not least (I saved it for you Amber):

Ultimate Frisbee Club – a club that I have always wanted to be a part of, and now I can finally do it!

However, I am unsure how I am going to fit all of these clubs into my week – but I’ll make it happen – maybe I’ll have to drop Recreational Therapy Society (tear).

2. Fiona moved out! Turns out that she was originally signed up at another apartment room, so they made her switch out to a place just across the street. So now we are back down to four people, but there is still a possibility that we might get another roommate. At this point, even though I am sad to see my little Irish roomie go, I can now buy frozen chicken! So I won’t be the least bit disappointed if we do not get another flatmate.
<<

Ok well it is actually getting late, and it looks like I’ll be falling asleep to the gentle sounds of howling winds and buckets of water coming down from the sky! At least I have my wellies to snuggle with.

Goodnight!

xoxoxo

Requirement #1 to being Irish: wait 5 hours in a hard plastic chair

2006-09-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

<<<>

Well Corrib Village life has settled down since I have last written. The town was a little quiet this weekend, as most Irish students go home for the weekend…I would too for a nice hot Irish breakfast (blood sausage and all!). However my weekend was anything but settled down, as I had another guest come to visit for the weekend! Sybil, another friend from UW, has been traveling all around Europe this entire summer, and is attending school in Vienna (the place I promised to go back to!!) for the semester. So for the last 5 days or so, she has been here with me and has actually entertained me more than I have her! She is always full of energy and fun, and so I never go to a place with her and not have a great time. The weekend we spent just walking around, making fun home meals with my roommates, and of course going pubbing (Sybil even scored a date!), then on Sunday we took a tour of Coonemara, which are basically some beautiful mountain ranges that I hope to go hiking around sometime! There is also this place called the Kylemore Abby, which is this gianormous castle in the middle of the mountains – its now a monastery, inhabited by just a handful of old nuns. However I think the best part of the tour was my new friend Desmond, the bus driver who had been doing tours of Coonemara since 1956 (you can’t drive a car until age 18 – so you can imagine how old he was). He repeated everything he said 3 times, drove wildly over the road, all while singing Irish folk songs at the top of his lungs! However, he was very nice and even gave me his number and told me to call him anytime! So was this my turn to score a date?

So this week, while Sybil got to go on her date, I got to wake up to go to the Immigration Office to avoid getting deported! Thinking that I was going to avoid the long wait by getting there at 7:30 (when the office opened), I was greeted by 36 other non-EU citizens thinking the same thing! So we all waited together outside until 8:15 (when someone FINALLY came to open the doors), grabbed number 37 and waited until just before noon to be served….luckily I had a good book with me, and the Dunnes store was nearby, so I entertained myself well! Now I am officially a legal visitor of the wonderful country of Ireland! To celebrate, I spent the night playing card games and beer pong with a bunch of USA pals I have met…luckily I made up for being completely American by taking Sybil out to McDonaghs famous fish and chips for lunch – greasy and delicious!!!

So tomorrow Sybil leaves me =( and I will be having one of my first weekends without my pals by my side – what will I do? Originally I had plans to go with my roommates to Belfast, but we have decided to rent a car for the next weekend and drive up there! So I will certainly be spending my Sunday saying my prayers in hopes we don’t die driving on the other side of the road. You all should do the same..!
>>>sybil and I at the Kylemore Abbey ( its the big giant castle behind our goofy faces!)

xoxoxo

First years and fire alarms

2006-09-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

In the matter of two days, Corrib Village (my accomodation for the semester) has trasformed. Once a rather peaceful complex situated along the slow-moving river Corrib, the village used to be rather quiet and full of new students and even older tourists with their children and grandparents.

That was until the first years (freshman) moved in.

It all started when on Sunday night the fire alarm went off in our complex at 2AM. Someone had come into our building and smashed the fire alarm, waking everyone in our building and the building adjacent to us. It was actually quite funny - you could tell who was american and who was not. All the americans quickly got up, put on some shoes, and made their way outside and towards the parking lot, just as always practiced. I was on my way out as well until I was stopped byJudith, who after detecting no fire, simply called the security and waited inside for them to check it out.

But wait - I think it might have been earlier than that...
It probably started when our Italian roommate Elisa noticed that there were purple sheets on the bed next to hers (she has a two bedroom room). Then towels appeared in the closet. We had thought this whole time that it was just going to be the four of us - HOWEVER that was obviously not the case - someone was moving in.

It turns out that all first year students do not start school until the following week. So instead of the four of us sharing a refridgerator the size of a middle-school gym locker, we were adding on another! We all anxiously awaited the arrival of our new roomie - what would she be like? Was she Irish? Elisa said she had a feeling that she was Japanese...I don't know how she got that from purple sheets and stack of towels, but that was our only guess!

So we waited...all day friday...and saturday, sunday, even monday. Yet no one showed up (she missed the alarm - too bad!). Was this a practical joke? Judith began to be relieved - I think she was just as frightened of the thought of trying to make space for more frozen chicken as I was! Over dinner I made a comment about how maybe our new roommate was a ghost, or maybe invisible - and literally a minute after I said that - the door to our place unlatched and our new roommate (along with her parents) suddenly became very visible. A small, blond, 17 year old Irish girl named Fiona was now the 5th addition to our place!

However it did not take her long to become invisible again - she brought in her things with her parents, and said goodbye to her parents. It wasn't more than 15 minutes later she came into our living room and annouced she was going drinking! I was hoping to be living with an Irish student, and I think I got as true an Irish girl as I could ask for!

I went out myself, along with Judith and Julia, for a little 70s dance night, and then to a hole-in-the-wall place called just that - The Hole in the Wall pub. It was on our way back home that I noticed a small change in the Corrib Village environment - maybe crowds of people drinking cheap alcohol slyly in a circle outside (too young to go out to the pubs! haha!), the small girl puking on the backside of her apartment, or the fire alarm that was going off in another building (at least not ours this time!)- ahh yes, the first year Irish students had arrived!

So although Corrib Village is no longer a serene calm place to relax, I look forward an entertaining night culture at Corrib Village, which I actually think of as more humerous than annoying - lets just hope for no more 2AM alarm wake up calls!

until next time!

xoxoxo

Friend filled weekend!

2006-09-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

So this week of school has been quite stressful, yet interesting. Rather than sign up for classes before school starts, students here at NUI Galway just simply go to the lecture and then decide if that is the class they would like to take. So this week I have been scrambling all around campus, attending classes from "Ireland in the 19th century" to "Media Law". The first couple of days were quite stressful - not only could I not find half of the classes I wanted to attend, but the ones I did weren't that impressive. However things started to get better when I attended a International Business Law class - the professor was quite enjoyable and rather than lecture on the first day, he just told us to relax, put away our notebooks and just talk with him. It finally put me at ease a bit, and our class discussion about the world (how it was getting smaller and countries are coming together through business) was actually interesting to me. So there was one class I could finalize onto my schedule!

Speaking of small worlds, this thursday my two roommates from college, Tasha and Bree Anna, came into Galway to visit! Tasha is also studying abroad in Spain so she decided to make a pit stop on the way there - and Bree Anna was along for the ride! It was just funny/awesome to be sharing a lunch on Quay Street with two friends from home. I would constantly have to remind myself: hey! I'm in Ireland! My old home and new home were colliding together. It was a bit of a 'blind leading the blind' case, but it was quite fun figuring things out with them! Thanks girls!

The first night we spent out at the Quays bar where we watched table dancers...not that kind though! They were three girls dressed in celtic skirts, doing traditional dances - looked a lot like riverdance, all dancing to the beat of a live band. It was quite good! Now that kind of table dancing I wouldn't mind watching - or even participating in - in fact I tried my hand in a little Irish jigging - however I can't say I scored any applause....

The weather this weekend was absolutely BEAUTIFUL (I think Tasha and Bree brought it in with them) so we spent the Saturday out on a tour of the Cliffs of Mohr and the Burren territory. We took a giant tour bus along a small bumpy road, which caused Tasha and mine's complexions to remain little on the yellow side that day. All the while, our tour guide told long and detailed legends of the County Clare and County Galway region, and didn't have a problem stopping to look at a baby cow, or a "tatched roof" (which after some confusion we realized was a thatched roof!). Yet, it was worth the temporary motion sickness to see all that we saw that day. It was quite beautiful - and it made it even better to know that I had someone to share it with!

So early this morning they left back to the Airport and onto London. Then 5 minutes later it began to rain...thanks girls for taking the sunshine away from me! =) I am so jelous of their adventures that are sure to come upon them, but I am almost looking forward to starting a everyday life here in Galway - getting settled and continuing to meet new people. Although that will last for about one day, as my friend Sybil is coming to visit again for a couple of days! I guess my holiday time is not quite over yet - lets just hope she brings sunshine with her too!

xoxoxo
Vanessa

Regular Life Begins....sort of...

2006-09-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

(my room in Galway - I bought kids sheets with boats on them to liven up the place =>)
WHOO!

So much to write about – So I am now back in Galway and school started…well today actually! However I still am not registered for classes – in fact I was not even a registered student of NUI Galway (National University of Ireland) until about 4 o clock this afternoon. I think the Irish are much more laid back than Americans. I am used to being completely signed up for classes at least a month in advance, sometimes more!

Luckily I have decided not to take any classes on Mondays and Fridays (convenient huh?). So I start tomorrow, with International Business Law. How exciting!

But I guess I should rewind a bit, starting with student Orientation, which was last Thursday, but feels like it was 8 months ago. We pretty much just sat there and listened to people speak from 9 until 4, but it was all worth it in the end when we had a wine filled ceremony, along with a party at the college’s bar (yes the college does have a bar on campus…).

I guess what makes it all seem so long ago is the fact that the people I met during that day now feel to me like old friends. It really amazes me how just one comment, look, or physical bump towards a stranger can change so quickly into a friendship. For example, I overheard the girl sitting behind me during orientation saying that she had not met any Americans. Hearing this I introduced myself, and just hours later she, along with the two people sitting next to her and I all had dinner together at the hostel that night. An even rapid example: I bumped into a guy while waiting in a line and just after a small conversation I ended up joining him and his friends for lunch about an hour later – and now he, his friends, and my roommates all might go to Cork this weekend together! It’s just simply amazing!

Ok so after orientation night, the next two days were filled with trying to figure out school class timetables, take campus and city walking tours (we visited the church where Columbus said his last prayers before coming to discover the New World), AND the worst part: trying to move in! I discovered that my little dorm-esce type room is nicely located near campus – but about a good mile and half away from the city. So you can imagine how ridiculous I looked walking through the city (twice) with my luggage, trying to wheel it along the cobble streets, then once more again holding bags of groceries. My back does not like me at all right now.

Yet, I have finally found a home, after many days! And I love my place. Although I feel as if I am back in freshman year, I do have my own room and space, and share a kitchen with three other girls: one older, very smart, and very talkative Netherlands girl named Judith, a much more reserved, yet very adorable and very nice German girl named Julia, and then there is Elisa the Italian girl – who can barely speak a word of English, and thus far has been mainly hanging out with her other Italian friend. Judith and Julia are some great girls to live with, and I have been hanging out with them watching episodes of Sex and the City and CSI while drinking tea nearly every night. Its been really good so far – but I am also interested in meeting Irish people sometime soon. A German friend of mine is living with all other Irish people, and today she said that the Irish people “make party” all night in her room, and left a big mess in the kitchen the next day…ahh a reminder of home back at UW – I think UWers would get a long well with the Irish folk!

Anyways, I think I could go on forever on the little things/people/situations I have encountered in the last few days! I’m sure I will have many a rainy day where I will have time to write (in case I have not mentioned it, it does not stop raining here – ever.) so you will all be updated – whether you like it or not!

Until next time

xoxoxoxo

"home" again!

2006-08-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

So after settling down in my Dublin hostel, and having a much-needed conversation with my mother, I was feeling relieved to be in a somewhat familiar and safe place. There was loud music playing just outside our window, so a girl and I went to go check it out - it was a small pub just around the corner, with a live band playing right in the middle of the pub. We got a beer, and almost instantly befriended a group of girls from Boston who had just come from North Ireland. They were visiting a friend who lived in a small town with just a store, a gas station, and a pub - they had a lot of great stories to tell about local Irish life! They also had some great pictures as well - I hope that I will be able to do some small town traveling - I see all the unique and tiny shops and houses along on my bus rides, and wish I could stop to explore! Anyways, the pub was great. I even got to try my hand in a little Irish dancing and a lot of Irish folk-song singing (the Boston girls already knew most of them - there are not many to learn I am told!).
The next day I had myself a rather large breakfast, and the walked it off by visiting the James Joyce museum. It was rather small, but I just finished an English course where we read his works, so it was really interesting. His life long love actually came from Galway and in her old house, their love letters are stored and on display - I will have to check that out!
I look an afternoon bus back to Galway, and I actually had a funny experience on the bus. This might sound weird, but at one point in my bus ride, I realized that for the first time since I have left I was not planning and thinking about what was in my future, but I was also not even thinking about past memories and people - I was just completely in the present - and totally comfortable! Right at that moment on the bus I felt that everything was going to be ok! and right when I walked in, the place was packed! There are so many foreigners getting ready for tomorrow's orientation! Right now I am sitting in the main area, and there are like a ton of people all around me with their computers, looking up information for tomorrows day! I have been doing a little research on what I want, but of course my blog takes priority! Maybe I should get back to work! I'll keep you updated on tomorrows events!

xoxoxoxoxo

Sleepless in Hamburg

2006-08-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

So I did some S-bahn hopping around Berlin (I need to make a shirt that says I heart S-bahn) before deciding it would be much more economical of me to take the bus to Hamburg. Overall it was a pretty good experience, if you don't mind waiting for 30 minutes for a late bus, and it being full of noisy stubborn old smelly Germans who don't mind putting up a fight with young spanish-speaking girls for a front seat (yes this did happen). However when I got off the bus it began to pour down rain - a little unpleseant reminder of home (and an even more unpleseant reminder that its pretty incredible weather in Seattle right now!). Yet I found my way to my hostel named "Instant Sleep" - I think they named it that because that is the type of substance you need to take when you leave there. I was set up in a 24 mixed dorm room, which basically was a giant room with 24 small beds right next to each other. Turns out my bed mates next to me were a middle aged man who spent like 3 hours in the kitchen, then would start to talk to his food (he put a cherry tomato on his nose when he sat down to eat) and a younger guy who didn't come home until 6am but from that point on snored non stop, along with a couple of foul words ever now and again.
But that was actually my only bad experience of Hamburg. I actually had a really great time there, dispite the weather and sleeping conditions. Hamburg is a very mixed town - full of artists, liberals, students and sailors. It is quite beautiful there - right along the water - with the busiest harbour in Germany, and a Japanese garden - oh yeah and the infamous Reeperbahn where the prostitues hang, and that is closed down at night and only open to men over the ages of 18...However my night there I didn't get much a a chance to see these sights - it was already beginning to get dark and so I just simply decided to find a place to eat. At a local potato bar, I actually met a canadian guy that was staying in my hostel (and he wasn't talking to his potato!) so we walked back together. It was funny because as we walked back, he began to point out all these old buildings that had graffitti artwork, posters and other things on them - he thought they were so cool. I normally would have thought that is was nothing special at all, but when I gave it a second look, I realized it was pretty amazing. Here stood these old buildings that had simply been taken over by the city by its people. On these buildings I got to see a true reflection of Hamburg. I think that is the one thing I have valued most about this trip - I keep meeting so many different people that have challenged my ways of thinking, and opened my mind up to new perspectives!
Still wanted to see some other parts of Hamburg, I woke up early the next morning (which was quite easy thanks to my sleeping neighbor) and checked out. On my way out this guy (I think he was Austrian) looked at me and said "you could work as a waitress anywhere" -??? Yeah I was glad to check out early and move on! So I walked along the infamous Reeperbahn (its open for everyone in the morning - very...interesting place), along the water, then took the S-bahn (YES Hamburg has an S-bahn too!) to the airport.
I walked into the Airport and for some reason I was feeling a bit lazy and just decided to ask the information desk where Ryan Air was. However when I did, the girl gave me a dead stare. Then she asked me how much time I had. Turns out I was in the wrong airport, and the place I needed to be was an hour away! She set me up with a bus that was leaving for that town, but I would still need to get another bus to the airport. When I got on my first bus, there was luckily a man who spoke english who told my story to the bus driver, and he actually ended up calling a cab for me while we rode to the city, so that I was be assured to get to the Airport on time. I was so thankful that they were so willing to help me! I honestly don't know if that would happen with a foreigner in America.
An hour and a half, and about a half a pack of chewing gum later (I need something to nervously knaw on while I rode) I arrived and made it to my flight right on time! And although it was pouring down rain in Germany, I arrived in Dublin on the early afternoon to sunshine and a warm breeze - a good way to end a rather hecktic day. I even found my hostel without a map! This is a good thing, as Ireland is now officially my new home for the next 4 months!

Ready for Berlin? GO!

2006-08-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

My next day in Germany was probably the most educational experience of my life. Being the ambitious woman that I am, I thought I would do it all in one day by signing up for an 8 hour walking tour of Berlin. Starting just before 11 o clock, I was actually pleasently surprised to find that our tour guide for the day was the man who started the tour-guide business back in 1992(His name was Terry Brewer from Brewer's Best of Berlin tours). An older man with an obvious huge passion for history (and for walking!), we toured all around the east side of Berlin , while Terry told us everything he knew about Berlins past, present and future. I honestly think we left no street corner unattended to - literally. In fact, one of the coolest things I experienced on the tour was down an old side street. He stopped us in front of an old broken down building and told us a story of how a Jewish Girls School had been raided by the Nazis (one of the first raids) and they were taken away to concentration camps, where the majority of them were killed or sent away to work. Turns out that building we were standing in front of was that very same building - and you could even see traces of bullet holes to prove it. Terry mentioned that people walk by this building every day, yet most don't even know about the massive events that occurred at that very spot in the not-so-distant past. Berlin is a lot like that in general - it is a very modern city with lots of new and extravagant buildings, but then right next to those buildings are ones that are severely damaged - a constant reminder of the past. It makes me think about what went on in other places I have been, and what life must have been like years ago.... So besides just the girls school, we also got to see the great tourist attractions: the Jewish memorial, Brandenburg Gate (entrance to Berlin), Checkpoint Charlie (entrance into the American part of Berlin), Jewish Synagogue (which is where all the prostitutes work - no joke - and they even have a Prostitutes Union), the Berlin Wall, and Hitler's Bunker (well, I stood on top of it!), as well as many museums and embassys. By the end of the tour, it was half past 9 - so my 8 hour tour turned into over a 10 hour tour. I was so tired and I almost instantly fell asleep when I finally arrived back in my hostel! It was proabably a good thing though, as I was going to make my way to Hamburg for just the night to catch my flight back to Dublin - I cannot believe that the trip was already coming to and end - but I'm still just getting started!

xoxoxoxo

1 day, 4 countries

2006-08-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

HALLO!

So I am all out of energy - in many many ways. My phone is dead, my ipod quit on me today, and I went through 4 countries in one day - needless to say my body was on low too! I went from Dublin, flew into Bratislava, then on a whim decided to take a quick bus over to Vienna. Vienna was absolutely stunning - I walked out of the bus stop and nearly straight into a giant old cathedral! However, I did not spend much time there, and so I made a promise to go back there another time in my life to explore further!

So once I did my short tour of downtown Vienna, I found my way to the train station and onto Prague. After being able to navigate myself through everything, I felt like the most powerful woman in the world! However, I stepped onto the train to Prague and found myself a little cart, when I was approached by this older and very greasy guy who began to talk to me rather friendly. I could not understand a word he said, but it did not take me long to figure out that this guy was asking me if I wanted to have sex with him! In a panic mode, I slapped his hand away from me and moved carts into one with a big giant smelly german family. I feel like a lot of my trip has been moments of complete glory, followed by times where I feel so vulnerable - its quite an exhausting rollercoaster of emotions.

So in the Austrain spirit - I began to think of my favorite things (sound of music). But instead of raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, I thought a lot of my friends and family and I am now realizing more than ever how much you all mean to me! I also thought a lot of summertimes at the cabin - I made another promise to myself to spend more time there next year!

So I came into Prague late at night and passed out in my hostel rather early, and got up rather late. It felt good to re-energize. I spent nearly the entire day walking around Prague. I crossed the Charles Bridge, walked up to the Prague Castle, down into the Jewish ghetto (and saw an old and untouched jewish cemetary), visitedthe Museum of Decorative Arts (by the way I now think that glass art is the coolest thing ever), and walked right into a dance festival. Oh and of course I did a little shopping! Then I retreated back to the hostel where I simply sat and drank a beer with some french guys, and the hostel owner, who would ask me every minute - want another beer?! and when I said no, he would just simply giggle...dont know!

Then next morning I managed to lock myself in the bathroom and woke up the entire hostel screaming for help. Turns out I just didn't turn the unlock knob far enough. A little embarassed, I left the hostel rather quickly and onto the train station and was just in time for a train to Berlin!

So here I am now, above a Dunkin Doughnuts in an internet cafe, in a place called Potsdam Platz - which is a huge center full of night life and fun. It took me quite sometime to figure out the S-bahn to get here, but I managed somehow and decided to reward myself with some gelato (gelato in berlin - who knew?!) - and ended up having like the best ice cream ever! So yummy! Now it is getting late, and tomorrow I have planned to take a 8 hour walking tour of Berlin! I just might have to come back here though for another scoop of gelato and also maybe catch a german flick at the IMAX theatre they have here!

Everyone let me know how you are doing. I love to hear from you!

until next time!

xoxoxoxoxo

2006-08-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

One thing about being in a hostel - you meet people from all over! Austrians, Canadians, French, Australia - I even met a Italian guy who was wearing a french world cup shirt - he said because it was cheaper - HA! Hostel living is quite multicultural.

However with that said, I shipped myself out of Galway and into the city of Dublin, where I checked into a hostel that Tyson Gamblin (a friend from Enumclaw) was coincidentally staying in the same hostel on the same night! It was so crazy! After a long day of walking the streets of Dublin (and getting VERY lost), I sat myself down in the lobby very breifly and who should walk in but Tyson himself! Since he had been there for quite some time, he decided to show me the night life of Temple Bar streets (a cobble-stoned pedestrian streetway lined with funky stores, restaurants and of course, Irish pubs). We simply just sat and had a drink, caught up on each others lives, and of course dished out some Enumclaw memories and gossip! It was really great to be with someone from home who has had the study abroad experience (he had been in london all summer) and it was great to get his perspective and advice on things.

Since I had only one full day to see Dublin, I decided to try and hit up all the venues I possibly could! First I went to the Guiness Storehouse and took the tour, which ended at a bar with a skyview of Dublin (so beautiful). Then I walked across the city to see the National Natural Museum, the National Gallery, and the National Archeaology and History Museum - all sooo great! I also got to roll the streets of the Trinity College (where James Joyce went - very cool!). So now I am back home and EXHAUSTED! The streets were starting to get hecktic as well, because Pearl Jam is in town. (they havent been here for nearly 15 years!) I plan on having a early night in, and tomorrow I go off to Bratislava then Prague! I am unsure about internet usage, but I will surely try to keep you updated!

until next time!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

2006-08-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

I was a calm, relaxing, quite uneventful Sunday here in Galway. I even went to St. Nicholas church for a service - I didn't hear much of anything because I was just simply blown away by the church itself. It is delightfully funny how the Irish are just as dedicated to Sunday church as they are to hitting the pubs the night before - or even later on Sunday night after church! That was at least what I saw. On a whim I decided to go out onto Quay Street late on Sunday night. A bit nervous for being by myself (and thinking I was a bit of a loser for going out to check out the pubs alone, but hey...) I just walked into a couple of bars, checking out the walls and feeling a bit like a retarded tourist. Just as I was about to give up hope, I found a small bar that was playing live 'trad' (traditional) Irish music - so I decided I wouldn't look too stupid for just checking out the band - but right when I walked in, I did that whole eye contact thing and someone said hello to me. He was a guy from north Wales (right near Colwyn Bay - the place where my great uncle was born) and was traveling with a bunch of buddies - whom he all introduced me to. They were from all over - Dublin, London, and even New Zealand. They were just here for the night, and were celebrating the fact they they could all get together as friends and have a good time - and fortunately for me they took me under their wing and let me hang with them! They were so cool, treated me just like I was one of the old friends. They bought me a Guiness (and taught me how to drink it) and joked around all while listening to the fiddle and guitar play in the background. I was feeling very Irish indeed. Before I knew it we were all singing and dancing until late hours of the night! Now THAT was definitely Irish of me! At least great pub experience. So to all of you back home - you've got some expectations for when I go out to the bars with you in 4 months! hehe!

Added note: One Dublin guy (actually he was a born in Dublin, but lived in London) told me that there are 4 irrevocable things in life: the spoken word, time, a bullet, and missed opportunity - any thoughts on that?

As you can imagine, today has been quite leisurely and there is not much to report. I found a grocery store and spent like an hour just looking at all the stuff. I also met two girls from Finland who are also studying here at NUI Galway. They gave me some black licorice - it was super yukky but I ate it and told them it was great anyways. They just got in today and want to go grab a guiness at the pub...will it be another night like last?! We'll find out!

until next time!

xoxoxxoxoxo

2006-08-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have arrived! Surprisingly I am all in one piece and in good health and happiness!

Although I have to admit - yesterday was not such a case. After having no sleep for about 30 hours, I was tired, a bit lost, and a bit homesick (much to blame my mother for - thanks for leaving a surprise love-note in my luggage...tear!). However I decided to make myself stay awake for the rest of the day so that I would get a good nights sleep that night. So to keep myself busy I walked ALL over Galway - I visited the NUI Galway campus, shopped around all the streets, and even got to see some sites - the Church of Saint Nicholas - the oldest medieval church still in use today. It was incredibly gorgeous! However, that still did not quite boost my spirits...so of course I did the only thing I could do...have a Guiness! I hit up the rather popular Quay St. (a street lined with restaurants, pubs, and people - thats whats in the picture!) and had my first glass of Guiness. It was great to be around all the people and fun, but it could not beat my tiredness (in fact I think the drink made me more tired) - so I called it a night somewhat early and fell alseep quickly in my hostel.

This morning I actually went back to the Church of St. Nicholas and was just in time for a service there - I am still amazed by all the amazing glass windows and sculptures! I also went for a small run along the river Corrib (river that runs through Galway) and actually discovered a lot of old dirt tracks, as well as a lot of other runners! yay! One thing I learned so far (besides the fact that they drive on the other side of the road - that was a quick first lesson: look to the right before crossing the street!): Irish people are extremely friendly and if you make eye contact with someone, they almost immediately say hello!

After all this I have been spending the rest of today rolling the streets of Galway and met some locals who give me advice about where to stay, where to go, what to aviod! What I hear so far is that Galway has a great social life - maybe I should have stayed out later yesterday! After a late lunch (oh another lesson learned: a burger here does not mean it is included with a bun - it is just the meat - but comes with potatoes!) it began to rain here a bit, so I have retreated back to the Hostel for free internet!

I also have a phone now - so if you are traveling in Europe, call me up - 085 7631532!

Ok well time for a little trip planning - tuesday its Dublin, then off to the continental Europe! Hopefully I will be able to find more free internet to keep you updated!

xoxoxo!

2006-08-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

Ok so it's 9pm here in Enumclaw - I just had a fabulous meal outside with my family as the sun was setting - definitely a great way to leave home! Actually, it might have been better if it was raining and crappy - MUCH easier to leave behind. It is almost the same way with leaving people as well - I have had such a great summer with all my friends and family - it makes it so hard to say goodbye! However, I have to head out sometime. So to all that I didn't get a chance to tell them: ADIOS! I miss you already!

I leave tomorrow morning, and in about 24 hours I will be across the world, all alone in unfamiliar territory. I will surely lose my way (along with some important travel item), get ripped off, cry, and lose my way again...how thrilling! I am honestly excited to be on my own completely and out of my comfort zone. I have found that when I am in this place, I learn the most. It's scary, but thanks to the constant support from everyone, I have confidence and faith that it will all work out.

From there, I plan on going to Galway for a few days, then heading to Dublin. ThenI have a plane ticket into Europe on that Thursday, and another plane ticket heading back 6 days later - where I will go in between those days will depend probably on how I feel on that particular day. A true test to my womens intuition!

Ok well I hope everyone has a great rest of the school year - I will miss you all horribly but I will be excited to share stories with you (via blog, email, phone, or in person when I come back!) in the future!

xoxoxo

2006-08-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Welcome to my blog page! With this blog (what does blog mean anyway?) I hope that I can write and record all my fabulous, unusual, wild and even scary experiences of my study abroad trip to Galway, Ireland! Lets hope for more fabulous experiences than scary ones...

My trip officially starts on the 18th of August, when I depart seattle early in the morning. Thats only about a week and a half left in seattle! So among all the frantic packing and planning, I really hope that I will be able to spend some quality time with friends and family. So give me a call up, and we'll go to lunch or something - my treat - so at least you can score a free meal out of it right?

Ok well thats it for now! I'm off to start what will probably be my most difficult and daunting task...packing...wish me luck!

Much love

Vanessa