My Experience

Everyone, no matter who they are, is going to have a different experience abroad. The feelings that one has are personal and unique to that individual. That is one thing that will never change. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you cannot change the way to feel. Because you may not agree with someone on something or because you have a very different opinion of something, you should not be face repercussions for that or for expressing the way that you feel. But like I said, everyone is different and the only thing I can do is hope things will change for the better. This week, we went to the Smithwick’s Brewery and got a tour of the facility and how they make their beer. It was super interesting and the best part was that we got to sample their beer at the end of the tour! Loved this! We also went to the Kilkenny castle. The castle was beautiful and the rooms were decorated as they would be back when the castle was lived in. It was fascinating to see all of the different rooms and see how differently people lived many years ago. I want to live in a castle now! The last stop on our fieldtrip was to a huge Abbey that had a tower. We actually got to climb the tower, which was absolutely terrifying. The stairs were barely big enough for one person at a time; they were old and wooded, and as steep as ever. And there were about fifteen sets of stairs to the top. The climb was terrifying, but the view from the top was amazing! We were so high up and could see the whole city! We didn’t spend much time up at the top because we felt like we were going to fall down. And the climb down may have been scarier than the climb up. But overall, the climb was definitely worth it to see the view. I have gotten a new apartment! Things were not working out in my old apartment and it was better to just completely remove myself from that whole situation. My new apartment is nicer and I get my own room. The girls that I live with are loud, but they are still incredibly nice and I like them already! I have already slept better here than I ever did in my old apartment and I feel like this is a new start for me. I will hopefully have a clearer mind and be able to enjoy things a little more now.

And...I'm Homesick

This week was a bad week. I miss home very much so. I miss my friends and my family and pretty much everything. I know that this is just an off week but I just feel really depressed. I feel like I am missing out on so much at home. I just have to remind myself that this is truly the experience of a lifetime and my friends are jealous of me right now! Even still, I cannot wait for Christmas! No matter what country I’m in on continent I’m on, I will ALWAYS look forward to Christmas! Its magic is unlike any other. And the love that everyone shares on Christmas is truly what makes it magical. I can see myself walking off of the plane in Pittsburg, with the cold air hitting my face. And I cannot wait to run to my family and give them all the biggest hugs in the world. That is absolutely something that I am looking forward to!

Planning Trips, Taking Classes and P.S.-I Love You

This week, we went to Glendalough. It was absolutely beautiful and this was where P.S. I Love You was filmed! It was very different that any part of Ireland that I have yet to see and it truly was beautiful. There were so many different things to it: the rocks, the trees, the water, the colors, and the whole site of it all were stunning. The girls and I have planned our trip to Germany!! Shawna has family that lives over there, and he and his wife are letting us stay in the vacant apartment of their next door neighbors. We are all so very excited! Classes are going well. Sometimes it is difficult to understand what the teachers say because of the accents. And the other students all know everyone in their classes because they have had most of their other classes together. This is a struggle to fit in but we try our best! On a little heavier note, I have been having serious roommate issues with all of my roommates. Not going into detail but, I am looking into moving out of my apartment and moving into another one. I am looking forward to so many things now; especially things at home. I really enjoy Ireland, but the feeling of being home, in a place where you are at ease and with the people you love-those feelings are what I am looking forward to. I cannot wait to smell my house when I walk in right before Christmas. And the home cooked meals and just being with my family is something I am really looking forward to!

The Gift of Gab

The girls and I took another trip this weekend! We went to Cork and Blarney! This trip was quite an experience in itself! We took the bus to Cork, and it took almost 5 hours it seemed to get there! However, the drive up was beautiful. After we arrived in Cork, we went to check into our accommodations for the night. And then, we were on our way to the Blarney Stone! We took a bus there and it was very convenient from where we were staying. We picked a weekend where it was of course, pouring down rain. Despite the weather, it was Blarney was absolutely beautiful! I loved everything about it. The leaves were beautiful and I took so many pictures. And we all kissed the stone and are now blessed with the gift of gab! After our long day of travelling, we were exhausted and needed some sleep. This was our first time staying in a hostel and boy were we in for a real treat. The room we booked was a private room for three people. The room was an ensuit, so it had a shower and toilet in the room. Well, the room was for three people. Our bunk beds consisted of a single on top, and a double on the bottom. Cait and Shawna are better friends and have known each other longer, so they took the double bed. Lucky me! The outlets on the room did not work so we had to either charge our things downstairs behind the bar, or charge one think at a time. At one point, we got so fed up that we started looking for another accommodation to stay in. All of our other options were either fully booked or too expensive. So we stayed where we were for the night. We learned from this trip to really do your research when looking for a place to stay. The room was loud and did not have towels for us to use. We improvised and used our bed sheets as towels! The next day, we went on a tour of the old Jameson Distillery. It was really interesting to see and Cait and I are now certified Irish Whiskey Taste Testers! Swag. Our weekend trip was amazing! The Friday before our trip, we went to an Irish National Heritage Park. We got to see how some of the first Irish settlers would live. This was very interesting to see. The Viking ships we saw were really cool too! After, we went to a beach called the Saving Private Ryan Beach-the name is because the movie was filmed here! How neat! The beach was beautiful despite the coldness and the rain and we got to take some really cool pictures. The walking is really starting to hurt my ankle. Breaking an ankle and spraining an ankle at the same time will ensure that some pain will follow the injury. But the rain combined with the cold and the walking that we have to do is making me very sore. I’ll be fine though. I am trying to find something that will make me feel as comfortable as I am living at home, since this is my home for the time being. I realized that scented candles really help! Another thing that has helped was retail therapy. I have already spent a lot of money on things that I absolutely do not need, just wanted. This came to an abrupt end when I realized how much more expensive things are over here. Living on a budget is easy for me, but not when the cost of food is more than anyone could have allotted for. Another learning experience to take back home with me! Another thing that really helps me is that I have a wonderful family that keeps sending me packages from back home. Ranging from simple things to big things, I could not appreciate them anymore! And my Reece’s peanut butter cups are helping too!

Communication is Difficult When you Live in....

We are literally living in the boondocks of Ireland. An Irish girl even confirmed for us that we are in a very rural part of Ireland in a very small town. When we got here, it almost seemed as though I stepped back in time. This small town is seriously something I was not used to. I wish I would have known how small of a town it was here because it may have influenced my decision on coming here. There are good and bad things alike about the town of Carlow, but my homesickness is making the bad things stand out even more. The internet is not the best ever. And by not the best ever, I mean it’s horrible. I think that the horrible connection and the lack of communication that I have with my family are wearing me down. I have been having some issues with all of my roommates. And well the issues are well, issues. Girls are very hard to live with. To try and get me through these hard times, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Cait and Shawna. They make me laugh and make me really happy! I can laugh with them and actually mean it. And they are actually from Carlow in Pittsburgh but we never really talked before this trip. They are lovely girls and I adore them! We said that we wanted to go horseback riding on the beach, which sounds like a smashing good time! Aside from the issues that have arisen, I have realized something from all of this: I live a very convenient American life. In the U.S., we have a brand for everything. And not only one brand, but about fifteen brands for one item. If I saw a Wal-Mart over here, I might faint! Here, you have to go to 8 different stores to find 3 different things. It’s so different from the convenience that we have at home. These differences really make me appreciate me American life. The days are getting easier though. Things close at 5 or 6pm here so the days fly by. And I’m sure that time will fly as well. I am looking forward to spending as magical of a Christmas as humanly possible with my family in a warm cozy home. But,
I'm not counting down the days until I go home anymore, because I've realized how wonderful of an opportunity this is for me.