Craic!

I'm pretty well settled into my new apartment at this point. Is it as nice as the pictures led me to believe? Almost! I figured out how to work most everything here. In Ireland they have switches that you have to flip in order to be able to use the light switches. There are also switches for outlets. There are practically switches for switches! And there is only hot water in the morning, which will definitely be an adjustment for me taking my 2 a.m. showers.

I think the thing that is throwing me the most at this point is how everything functions at school. Things work completely differently here then at home, for instance classes end on November 24, we have a week study break and then exams begin on December 4th, ending December 14th. And if that isn't strange enough for me, we have a two week "grace period" where we find out if we want certain classes and we register for the whole term on September 17th. I feel like I'll hardly be in school at all!

So far I've met mostly American students, the word on the street is that all the other students (non-international students) will be moving in tomorrow. And since we have two empty bedrooms that is most exciting for us! I am hoping they are Irish, but I will be equally satisfied with anyone I think. In any case I'm ready for this big apartment to be filled and for rooms to stop echoing.

Last night was our first group activity with CEA. We went to an event called Trad on the Prom which is boasted to be "Irish Music, Song & Dance at it's Best". I enjoyed it immensely, the performers were some of the most talented people I've ever witnessed. It was "good craic" as my study abroad director would say (pronounced like "crack" but as I've been told numerous times, it has nothing to do with the street drug). I think I have a new found love for the fiddle and I will be visiting itunes shortly.

Today was my last day of orientations, which is an extremely good thing, believe me. Now I just have to figure out this wonky registration process and I'll be all set!

Until next time!

Look out for deer??? No, Look out for Sheep

Today was my first full day in Ireland. A huge step up from the utter horror that was yesterdays debacle. We started by visiting Bunratty Castle and it was a really beautiful trip. But, I’m beginning to find out that much of Ireland is very, very beautiful. Anyway, back to the castle! The grounds are largely reconstructed to look like they would have in the functioning days of the castle with small cottages and a small village. They even had a woman making fresh cream from cows milk!

Baby Dicky and Toothless enjoying the grounds!

Bunratty Castle

Baby Dicky and Toothless make friends so quickly!

This is the village. Ignore the people, this place is a tourist trap.

     The castle was quite impressive. We were able to view the different rooms and they were decorated in the period themes. My favorite part was the tower, it had an absolutely stunning view. After Bunnratty we went back to Shannon to see if the airport either had 1. My bag or 2. My phone number. They didn’t and they did, respectfully. It’s beginning to look as though I will be purchasing an entirely new wardrobe while I’m here. I put all of my extreme valuables (lap top, nice jewelry etc.) in my carry on so it’s nothing too tragic, but it certainly is annoying. I had some of my favorite outfits in there! Not to mention a lot of new things that I had bought specifically for this. Fingers crossed that Air Lingus comes through for me!

     After Shannon we started our travels to Tullycross. I can’t be sure, but I’m fairly certain that it was a 3 or 4 hour drive. Along the way we stopped in a small town for dinner. It was so quaint, I can’t tell for sure but I think this is the sort of place where you buy meat from the butcher and bread from the baker. After lunch we ventured to Tullycross. We saw some of the most gorgeous scenery. This place really is green, they do not call it the Emerald Isle for nothing. There were fields, tons of livestock (everywhere! Even right next to busy highways) stone “fencing” everywhere. There were rollings hills and lakes, the ocean, and even Mountains. We’ve been fortunate to have beautiful weather for the first few days which allowed us a good look at everything. Oh yes, and sheep. There are sheep littered everywhere in the countryside. And we’re not talking behind fences peering out at you while they munch on their farm cultivated grass. These puppies are roaming wherever they please, and taking their sweet time crossing the road. It sort of reminded me of Meijer when people will stop in the middle of the isle to go about their business paying no mind to all the people around them. 

Completely untouched. This place is truly green.

Near Tullycross in Connemara 

Eventually you do pass what seems like miles of grazing land and enter a very foresty area. You’re no longer bothered by sheep but then you have to deal with extremely narrow roads. EXTREMELY. Oh, and speaking of narrow roads, in Ireland it’s apparently okay to park on the side of the road in either direction and on the traffic lanes. Honey Badger don’t care, neither do the Irish, but I digress. We found ourselves lost along the way, but a minor correction and Kristin knew where we were supposed to be headed. We are now all settled into our cottage for the next seven days (I’m sure we’ll have moved on by the time I’ve posted this). Sleep is calling me. Night! 

Phew!

I made it! I’m finally here! And let me tell you, it was a process. Our first flight was set to take off from Traverse City at 4:55, then connect at O’Hare and depart from Chicago at 5:05 (with the time change this really gave us about 15 minutes to get from point A to point B). Cherry Capital Airport being the soul sucking wretched business that it is, delayed out flight by 35 minutes. This left us absolutely hauling butt to make it to our flight from Chicago to Manchester, England. Oh and did I mention that the airport couldn’t check our bags from Traverse City to Shannon? They checked them from Traverse City to Manchester. Which left us in a position where we had to go through customs, pick up our bags, get rechecked and go through customs again. Mom and Kristin found their bags without incident. But, mine? Oh where are mine? According to the worker they had been put on the plane to Shannon. That was all well and good, except waiting for my mysterious luggage had caused us to miss our flight to Shannon. From there we booked a flight to London, then finally to Shannon.

            I know you’re all on the edge of your seats wondering, did she get it?! Was her bag there!? Well folks, it certainly wasn’t. So that left me with forms to fill out and numbers to call. And allegedly they will have my bag to me by tomorrow morning and no matter where I am staying they will bring my bag to me. That’s wonderful news, however I am still without all my clothes and toiletries for the night. We ended up going to a local department store so that I could get a shirt for tomorrow at a toothbrush at least. 

Oh, and we drove to the store. Drove. In a car. On the left side of the road. Maybe that doesn’t sound all that scary to you, but when you have already been in an airport for 19 hours running around and haven’t had any sleep in 24 hours it is a positively terrifying and stressful experience.

After we picked up a few things at the store we went back to the airport to pick up a sim card so that we will have a phone again. I’m so disconnected, it’s really strange.

It’s now 10:30 pm here, and I am absolutely exhausted. I must depart to take a shower, fore I am a dirty child. Until next time!

Pre-Departure (Really this time!!!)

The wait is over folks! I leave tomorrow afternoon. At 4:55 I will be on my way to the Emerald Isle! Unfortunately I will be without interwebs for 8 or so days, but I have a feeling that I won't have time or desire for computer activities anyway. First we will be going to some castles, one of which is Blarney Castle, and the name of the other escapes me at the moment. Saturday we will be traveling to the Cliffs of Moher. I am absolutely ecstatic for those.

Blarney Castle 

Yep, that's the aforementioned cliffs

After our first night in Ireland we'll be staying in a quaint cottage in the town of Tullycross, and after seven days moving on to Galway for the last three days of vacation where I will then move on to my apartment. That's all the information I've got on my trip for now, I'm sure you'll be bombarded with pictures soon!

It blows my mind how soon I'm leaving, I feel like I'm going to forget something crucial like a passport, or my visa or something else that would be equally devastating. Even though I have only 19 hours before take off, I still have so much to do at home before I can leave. I had the bright idea to pack my things so that they are ready to move back to Kalamazoo in January. I know this will turn out to be a good choice but I'm not super thrilled at the moment. There is stuff everywhere, I mean everywhere. I've completely taken over every square inch of the upstairs; there's a path around my bed but that's about it. You know what, take a look:

Does this look super impressive? No. But, I promise you that my entire bedroom looks like that clothing pile right there at the bottom. Moral of the story? Pack early or suffer later.

Speaking of packing, I must get to it. The next time you hear from me I'll be across the pond!