RAG week

According to Urban Dictionary RAG week is- the RAG stands for 'Raising And Giving,' 'Raise A Grand,' or general funness depending on who you ask. Whatever it is, it is theoretically supposed to be about students raising money for charity in various creative ways, while having fun at the same time. Increasingly, however, it is simply a week-long orgy of alcohol.
In my opinion every bit of that is 100% true.


Well the lineup for University of Limerick is :
Monday 27th February
All Day Bucking Bronco Stables Courtyard, All Day Xtreme Bunge Trampoline SU Courtyard, All Day Sumo Suits Stables Courtyard, All Day Gladiator Podiums SU Courtyard, 90's Themed Rollerjam UV Party Rollerjam, Duck Race River by Kilmurray, Red Bull Paper Wings Competition, Raft Race River, Jelly Wrestling, Bake Sale,  Iron Stomach, Yard of Ale/Coke,  Live DJ, Kissing Competition, Blind Date,  15:30 Locked in the Stocks, Tug of War, Lovely Girls Competition/Drag Race, Strip Auction, Char-aoke Competition, Casino Night Sports Bar, Pleasurefest 2: UV Paint Party Lodge

Tuesday 28th February
Bucking Bronco Stables, Xtreme Bunge Trampoline, Sumo Suits Stables, Gladiator Podiums, Mountain Dew Brushboarding(Urban Surfing), 5-a-side-scooer, Delta Karting Endurance Race Delta Karting, Mock Weddings, UL Wide Game of Tag, Mud Wrestling, Helium Karaoke, Breakdancing Competition, Nearly Naked Mile, Take Me Out, Sock Pint Drinking, Bonny Baby Competition, Banana Hoop Comp, Hooters Shooters, Fifa '12 Tournament, Win a semester's worth of beer SU Courtyard, Hermitage Green, The Famer's Ball Stables

Wednesday 29th February
All Day Mountain Dew Brushboarding(Urban Surfing), King of the Campus Launch, Shave or Dye, Leg Wax, Charity Zumba, Mankini Challenge, Pole Dancing Competition, Jive Competition, UL Waterfight, Mankini Challenge Wrap Up, Beer Pong, King of Campus Wrap Up,  UL FEST featuring:
Bressie, Kanyu Tree, Storyfold

Thursday 1st March
 Tag Rugby, Sausage Fest, Bed Push Challenge, Speedball, Battleshots, 5 aside soccer, Creme Egg competition, Snog Race, Boat Race

Friday 2nd March
20:00 til late TGIF International Party Stables




If you actually read all of that God Bless You!
So my schedule for the week went a little like this ( from what I remember)


27-02-12 RAG week begins!

So RAG (Charity) week has officially begun. I stopped at Stables inbetween class ( I had an hour) to check out the fun that everyone was having and to grab a pint before class.  Yes I said it, people drink inbetweenclasses here.  They had trampolines, bucking bronco riding, sumosuits, and those gladiator podium things all in the courtyard.  Nothing I would ever suggest for drunk people to do.  While there for an hour I saw two boys carried out for fighting on the gladiator podiums, and one girl fell off of the trampoline.  Luckily she looked as if she had more than enough to drink so she didn't feel it when her body hit the pavement.  


Everyone came to my house before we went to the UVparty.  We were all drinking and having a good time when these 2 guys rang my doorbell and said they were friends with our friend Colm.  They were a bit creepy I thought, and it turned out that Colm didn't even know them. So I kicked them out after they informed me that I had a really nice cellphone and a really nice camera.  The Paint Party was overall a lot of fun.  I was covered in the stuff!


28-02-12  Alarm Clock what?

Woke up 15 minutes before class....bad news!  and it takes about 15 minutes to walk to class at the World Academy of Music and Dance, sounds official I know.  So I made it to dance and I was only 3 minutes late, I guess brushing my teeth and running out the door was a good thing.  I had two more classes after that and then I took a 2 hour much needed nap.  I made dinner then went to Stables with Ginna for a pint then went to Adrian's house to watch a movie.  He's a really nice guy I just don't want to give him the wrong impression.


29-02-12  Leap Day!!!!!


HAPPY LEAP DAY! They day I have been waiting for because of unrealistic love stories.  But it was a good day anyway! Marraine turned 5..well 20 but it was her 5th time actually celebrating on the day. We had a party at her house and I made her a cake.  We had a good time until I had to play the role of mom and put not 1 but 3 girls to bed including the birthday girl! But when all was said and done Ginna and I went to Molly Maloneys where we danced the night away and did our thing!  I inappropriately was kissing a boy when Adrian saw me and I guess I "upset" him.  Whatev I felt bad for about 5 seconds.  When Ginna and I got back we went to Kilmurry Beach for an illegal bonfire and watched some late night swimmers in the Shannon River.  Not the brightest idea I've ever heard of.  I didn't roll into bed until 430am but the night was SO worth it.  Oh and early in the afternoon I took my first test of the semester in Dance and Music.


01-03-12  Pause the Time


Depression is setting in.... I cannot believe it's already March.  I'm excited for all that I have coming up though.  I went to classes today, wrote a paper, then went to Amanda's to drink for a bit before going to The Stables because we bought tickets to see Bressie!!  But we waited over an hour to see him and decided to leave,  he didn't show until 11 and he was supposed to be on at 930!   We went to the Lodge instead which was pretty friggin miserable if you ask me.  There's always that one place that you cannot go to when you're sober, The Lodge is it!  It's only enjoyable when you are heavily intoxicated, I had some girl step on my foot with her heel, that will leave a nice bruise.  But I did have fun with Marraine, Ginna, Sean and Seamus.  I then had to bring my roommate Peter home, once again didn't make it to bed until 4:30am.


02-03-12 I thought this whole week has been a weekend?

Wokeup and handed in my paper then went to Dance class where I started Garden of Daisies! I'm excited to take these steps home with me.  Then I came back home showered, and fell askeep for a solid 3 hours. I had pizza for dinner with Ginna, Marraine, and Bryan because it's a Friday in Lent! Then skyped my momma and sisters for a bit before going to the put to get a drink with a decent size crowd.  It was Marraine, Ginna, Amanda, Lauren, Kinga, Dayton, and Adrian (He doesn't hate me anymore).  Sclub7 came on and I sand my heart out thinking of my sister and Saturday mornings at 11 on ABCfamily.  


03-03-12 Into the West


Woke up at 7 to head to Clare! I had a good time overall. We got to The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon where we had breakfast (scones and tea) then had dance lessons taught by Mary Clancy. We did a 2 hand reel and a group dance which was alot of fun.  Then we went to Lahinch where we got to see the beach!  I was so happy and the weather was amazing!  We then walked around the town for a bit where I got an American coffee and it tasted perfect.  Afterwards we went back to the hotel for lunch.  We had soup and sandwiches then went on a tour of The Burren (again) and The Aillwee Caves.  I honestly could have done without the caves.  After that we went back to the hotel for dinner. I had delicious chicken, vegetables, and mashed potatoes.  By far best meal since I've been here.  Then we headed home and I talked to my family and texted Christine Murphy about dance and other assorted things.  


04-03-12 Trip planning


Woke up and went to church by myself.  Then spent the entire afternoon with Amanda figuring out hostels for Italy.  Ginna just sat around and didn't say much about it.  Everything is officially booked except for Verona which Ginna and I have to do.  All we have left is to figure out transportation between the cities.  Then, what attractions we want to see.  I talked to my mom and found out my cousin is sick and in the hospital so that put a damper on things.  I needed some fresh air so Amanda and I took a walk to Lidl to get a few things.  And then tomorrow is back to the grind of Monday!

the girls at my house!

the boys and amanda and ginna at my house!

before the UV party

Matt and I at the end of the paint party...

Marraine Ginna and Myself

Happy 5th Birthday Marraine!

Morgan, Myself, Lisa, Stephanie, Marraine, Claire

Marraine, myself, Ginna AND my new skirt from Zara!

The girls in front of The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon

The Atlantic Ocean from Lahinch, Ireland!

:)

Lahinch, Ireland

Marraine, Lauren, me, Amanda, Ginna

Manchester (re)United

23-02-12 Home Of the Brave

Getting ready to board the plane for Manchester and be reunited with Ellen! I just had an experience that I will forever remember about my trip to Ireland.  I was with my friends all excited about heading to England for the weekend for some sight seeing.  We walked through security and headed into the Duty Free section of the airport and I saw a few US Soldiers standing around in their uniforms, I didn't think much about it just made sure to make eye contact and smile out of respect.  All of my friends were completely oblivious to them I think.  So I got a bottle of water and a snack and went to head to the lounge to wait for my flight.  When I walked through the doors to the lounge there were well over 200 US soldiers sitting around.  I wish I had gotten a picture, I was speechless, breathless, and amazed to see so many of them.  They were sitting there so calm and relaxed looking I figured they were on their way home from war.  But for some reason I got this odd feeling in my throat, I guess sort of like being choked up.  Once again my friends were oblivious and were just complaining that there weren't any seats.  I was looking for an open seat when one soldier offered his, I obviously kindly neglected he deserved it more than I did.  So I found a spot in a corner and sat down with my friends.  After about an hour my friends boarded their flight to London and I had another hour until my flight to Manchester.  I found a table and sat down to read my book.  I was sitting there for a while and then this US Soldier sat down next to me and asked me if I knew the local time.  This was either a pick-up line or a serious question, regardless I didn't mind because it started  a conversation between us for about a half hour before I had to board my plane.  Come to find out after asking "Where are you guys headed?"  All of these brave men and women would be in Afghanistan in 4 days for the next 9 months of their lives.  My heart sank but he was very open about it.  He told me his name was Cory Craig and he was from Omaha, Nebraska stationed in Fort Briggs, NC.  It made me sort of sad to know that at the age of 20 I'm doing one of the most selfish things a person could do, traveling Europe, and not worrying about anyone but myself.  And this 20 year old is doing the most selfless thing possibly, fighting for his country.  I enjoyed talking to him more or less listening to him talk about himself.  It seemed like he needed someone to listen, so I didn't mind.  It brought me back to reality and to remember the men and women who serve and protect the United States and we should all thank them for that.

Wahoo!!!!!! For the first time ever I waslked outside and climbed a staircase to get on the plane like they do in the movies. I felt like the president (okay that was a joke).  It was a small plane though!

Went to Manchester FRAT Party tonight.  Not exactly what I had expected but it was fun. AND I am so happy to be with Ellen for the weekend.

24-02-12 Quiet Days in Manchester

Ellen wasn't feeling well today so we hung low all morning then walked around Manchester for alittle bit.  We made American pancakes for breakfast then took a walk.  I'm dumb and forgot that today is Friday and ate meat....woops.  Oscar (Ellen's boyfriend give or take)  made a delicious dinner.  He made chicken strips from scratch and they were amazing.  We also had potatoes with some type of seasoning.  Then we watched Bridesmaids.

25-02-12

We went to the Manchester Museum today then went to the Trafford Mall.  It was nice.  We got lunch at this place called Pizza Express and it was good but no comparison to NJ pizza.  I went to Zara and bought the cutest jeans they are a baby blue color and this great lace skirt that is an off white color.  I bought my sisters all a silly little present from TopShop but it's a surprise as to what it is!  We didn't go out again tonight other than for a drink.  Then went back to her place and went to bed early because I have an early morning tomorrow.

26-02-12 Flight CANCELLED

Sitting at the airport it's still pretty early in the morning.  My flight is at 8:40 am.  I'm ready to head back to Ireland and get some work done before RAG week, and maybe some rest to so I can try and be prepared for the upcoming week.

Well it's now 1030am and I am still in Manchester.  Bad luck strikes again! My flight was originally at 8:50 then 9:30 then 10:45 and now CANCELLED.  So I went to the desk and they were going to send me to Birmingham, England by bus for a 5:30pm flight.  From Birmingham I would go to Cork then take a bus to Limerick.  I must have looked terrified by that unexpected day of travel, they luckily found me a flight to Dublin.  So I have to wait another hour for that flight then a 3 hour bus ride to Shannon and then a bus to Limerick.  The only positive thing about the delays and cancellations is that I wasn't on the plane that was having wiring malfunctions.  Maybe I am lucky.

Finally in bed.  I made dinner when I got back at 5 then Amanda and Ginna stopped over for a bit.  We discussed Italy for a bit but I decided that I couldn't talk about it anymore because I was over traveling for the day.  I was a little annoyed because my kitchen was disgusting from my roommates all weekend.  I opened the tea pot and found mold.  So I left a not so nice letter in the kitchen.  But hopefully a goodnight sleep will have me feeling better and prepared for RAG week in the morning! 

American Party Pic

Fake Eye of London

I'm a Beautiful Butterfly

the food court Trafford Mall it looked like cruise ship!

Representing the Olympic games in England

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

18-02-12 One month already?

Officially one month since I've been in Ireland!  I cannot believe the amount of time that has passed since I've gotten here!  I believe its a lucky day because I got to do another amazing thing today!  I received the gift of eloquence (not that I didn't have it before, let's be serious) when I went to the Blarney Castle and kissed the infamous Blarney Stone.  It was quite an experience!  I was laying on my back and a nice older man pushed me back so I was hanging off of the edge holding on to two metal poles and I just kissed it!  I gave it a few quick kisses for extra luck.  I also walked up and down the wishing steps backwards with my eyes shut wishing really hard so the Blarney Witch has to grant me my wish!  I finally got my Aran Sweater as well as one for my momma! After the Blarney Castle we went to Cork for a few hours where we went to a pub called Thomond's. (pronounced Toe-mund) I had a burger and chips (fries) and it was the best burger I've had since I got here.  We got to do a little walking around before heading back to Limerick.  A little disappointed we didn't spend more time in Cork but I did LOVE the castle!

19-02-12  Quiet days are good days

Woke up and went to church then the gym for literally two hours.  After that I wasted half of my day doing absolutely nothing which sounded good to me!  Everyone else went to the Lodge tonight but I opted out, that place has creepy tendencies and I did not feel like dealing with it tonight.  Instead I put on my yoga pants and went to the Pub with Adrian and Dayton.  They are both on the "American" football team.  Adrian is from Limerick out in the country and Dayton is from the Boston area.  We had a few pints and it was nice to kick back and laugh, drama free.  BUT! I did find out that the guy Marc from the first weekend here is bisexual.  Maybe the reason I never heard from him again?  Possibly! hahahah  I hope you laughed as hard as I did when I found out.

20-02-12 What's an alarm?

Today was interesting to say the least!  Had class at 9 and no big deal... didn't wake up until 8:45.  Strolled into class at 9:02 good timing if you ask me!  Talked to Amanda about a trip to Switzerland and I guess it's a go.  Super excited for that.  Also talked to Ellen today and she's not feeling so well and I get to go see her for the weekend in Manchester.....Hopefully my time there doesn't stink (not to sound like a brat).  I took a walk with my roommate Peter tonight to get some fresh air and it was nice to get to talk and know him a little better.  He's a super nice guy but he reminds me of a twerp, little annoying brother he's a year younger than I am and he has obnoxious tendencies.  I've come to the very smart conclusion that I would never give an Irish Bloak (an Irish guy) the time of day with the attitudes that they have.  It amazes me how right they always think they are.  At least all the ones that I haven't thought of as strictly friends.

21-02-12 Charity week nerves kicking in

Super quiet day.. getting overwhelmed with Charity week next week though.  I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to keep up.  Basically the entire week is full of charity events such as a strip auction, beer pong, nearly naked mile,  farmers ball, UV paint party, BRESSIE, etc.  These events all sound extremely nerve wrecking to me and definitely NOT something that would ever ever ever in a million years happen at Marymount.  God Bless us Catholic school kids. 

22-02-12  Italia here I come

My flights have been officially booked for Spring Break today.  I am flying into Verona on March 29th and leaving Rome on April 9th! With a total price of 140 euro for roundtrip flights which is awesome!  Our plan has totally changed from what it was though.. Now we're flying into Verona, Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence, day trip to Pisa, then Rome.  I'm excited though and it's going to be a super busy weekend!  

Blarney Castle

Kisses for the Stone

All smile!

my favorite picture so far

Myth behind the Wishing Steps

The steps!

Here's to Being Single!

13-02-12  Spring Break Plans!

Had a low key day, but came up with a plan for Spring Break!  HELLLOOO, Malta, Venice, Florence, and Rome! I'm super excited; it's going to be Ellen, Ginna, Amanda, and myself.

14-02-12  Valentine Shmalentine.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Had to go drop my phone off today to get fixed boooo.  Dayton (a guy from the US) went into town with me.  So I dropped my phone off, stopped for chocolate  (I had a good reason!), and headed back to school.  I made a Valentine's Day dinner with Ginna and it was super good.  We had Chicken, pasta, vegetables, and pesto.  Then got ready for the night and headed to the Scholar's Club to see Hermitage Green, again!  They are seriously my favorite.  After seeing them for a bit we got on the 1030 bus into town to go to ICON.  So happy Ginna and Marraine got in, it's a 20+ club.  We got to the door and asked if they accepted American id's and they said yes and they asked if we were all over 20, we said yes (lying) and they said have a good time!  Easy as that.  Before the "club" started there was a band called Traffic playing and they played all American music which was so cute with their Irish accents. I met this really "nice" guy (or so I thought) named Allen who bought me a few drinks (very unlikely for Irish guys)  and of course he had a catch.  Totes tried to get me to leave with him, which obvs. I didn't so he just left me in the middle of the dance floor! I was in search of Ginna and became a little flustered when they said it was closing time, everyone had to leave, and I had no phone.  Luckily I ran into some guy named Seamus O'Shaughnessy (believe it or not he's from Boston) who realized I was flustered and offered to wait with me until I found my friend.  Small world, Seamus knew the people that Ginna was with.  We all walked to get Kebabs and then one of the boys drove us home! Just to clarify, the one that drove us home doesn't drink, AND we had been at his house for the Super Bowl so he wasn't a complete stranger.

15-02-12  I love surprise texts!

Somehow managed to wake up for class.  Then got there to find out that I only need to go every other week.  Glad that I know this now!  I then went to pick up my phone and when I turned it on I had a text from that boy Michael I went on the date with! He wished me a Happy Valentine's day which I thought was super nice.  Then went to sign up for a trip to The Blarney Castle and Cork for this coming weekend.  After that went to the gym, then went home to make dinner which was delicious! I had chicken, rice, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and pees in a stirfry yum!  I'm getting pretty good at cooking meals for one person.

16-02-12  Routine...

Low key day. Class, did a little school work, and went for a pint with my friends before going to bed early.

17-02-12  Treble and toe and toe, treble and toe and toe.

Had dance class today! Way harder but it was actually really good at the same time.  I learned part of a new hornpipe step.  One of the Irish girls actually talked to me and was helping me (super nice)!  Unfortunately, my feet are in total agony after doing toes, trebles, and clicks in hard shoes for an hour and a half not to mention the blisters I've developed.  After dance, I went to the grocery store with Ginna and I'm going to bed early because were leaving for Blarney and Cork in the morning!

 

Sorry you have to tilt your head! Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash sand by Traffic

 

 Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons sang by Hermitage Green

The Girls at ICON!

watermelon trucks, KFC drumsticks, GLENDALOUGH...... houston we have a problem.

10-02-12 Glendalough (Glen-DA-LOCK)

 Off to Glendalough!  We made a pit stop at Lidl to get some grub and alcohol for the weekend.  It was quite an experience to walk in to  a food store and buy alcohol with 100+ other students for a school trip with Outdoor Pursuits Club.  We got to the hostel and got our room.  It was Ginna, Matt, Bryan, Amanda, myself, and a rando girl that was super obnoxious.  We went to the pub for a pint then went to bed because we have an early morning!

11-02-12 OPC!OPC!OPC!  

The hike went well, it took almost 5 hours and was way harder than the hike in Lake George, NY. Unfortunately I have a cold so I kept stopping to blow my nose, and pop cough drops.  It was extremely cold at the top but the view was absolutely amazing and was well worth it. We also convinced our group leader to put his face in the mud for two pints, he obliged.  When we got back we all took turns taking cold showers, then it was nap time!  We had a half hour quiet time before heading to dinner, which was Chili and it was so delicious and warm.  AND it was even a little spicy, the first spicy thing I've had since I've been here.  Definitely going through a withdrawal.  After dinner we did our dishes before heading back to the room to get in our Valentine's Day "Ball" clothes and started pre-drinking as the Irish call it.  Once again it was pretty bizarre to walk to the banquet hall in our hostel to drink with our school and the adults that were on the trip.  But definitely a good time!! After the "ball" or lack there of (once again)  we all headed to the pub.  Now I must say this pub was pretty small and there were wayyyyy to many OPC members in it.  All night long everyone was chanting OPC OPC OPC,  It got a little pushy so I decided to bail a little earlier than my friends.  I got back and Ginna was already in bed and super drunk so she didn't hear me.  I got in bed and about a half hour after I had been back and fallen asleep, everyone else came back.  Now, my sister had facebooked me and said that Whitney Houston died so I had already known this.  When they got back they were all singing "AND IIIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUUUUUU"  I instantly started dying laughing and was like "hey guys she died!"  Ginna must have woken up when she heard them singing and started hysterically (drunk) crying when I said she was dead.  None of us knew how she died and Ginna kept asking so we were making up stories.  As you can imagine they were all pretty racist and all the racist jokes started coming out, but it's a night I'll never forget that's for sure.  Bryan's best line was: She got ran over by a watermelon truck.  and mine was : Bobbi Brown beat her with a KFC drumstick and there were far to many cocaine jokes.  Matt, Bryan, Amanda, and I just laughed and laughed for a solid hour while Ginna cried her eyes out.  

12-02-12 Longest Bus Ride EVER


We are on the bus heading back to Limerick.  We woke up, had some toast to dry up our stomachs and went for a nice walk to get some fresh air.  Over all the trip with Outdoor Pursuits was alot of fun and I'd definitely like to do it again but I've had enough fun for one weekend.


In bed and exhausted! I was happy to finally take a hot shower and catch up with everyone back home.  I booked my trip to Manchester to visit Ellen, and I am so excited!  It's been way to long since I've seen her and way to much has happened that we need to catch up on.  Studying abroad has seriously been such a life changing experience so far and I've only been here for three weeks, I'm looking forward to what the next few months bring! 

Matt, Bryan, and Amanda

My girls! Mid-hike

in the pub! "the green hills far away"

one of the lakes in Glendalough! started the hike on the left side of
this picture and went all the way around at the top to the right side!

at the top of the mountain!

oh we convinced our group leader to face plant in the mud

Ginna

one of my favorite pictures

starting to head down the mountain

pretending to be parkour and climb ruins

Much needed Guinness after the hike

St. Kevin’s Church dating from the 12th century
FUNFACT:canonized in 1903

if you're lucky enough to be irish, you're lucky enough.

29-01-12  Our Lady Help of Christians

Today I went to church and the mass was no longer than 35 minutes.  The walk to church was maybe 5 minutes, I'll definitely be going every Sunday that I can.  Then I went grocery shopping, and I'm happy I did because my cabinet was starting to look  a little empty.  Then just relaxed for the afternoon before going to The Lodge.  It was alot of fun and my roommates Carlos and Emma decided to come out.  I was glad they did until Emma consumed a little bit to much alcohol.   I came back and skyped Emily for a bit and went to bed!

30-01-12  Drunk  as a Skunk

I was in a total funk all day.  Probably thanks to Emma being up all night throwing up and slamming doors.  But tonight she made Sheppard’s Pie and it was delicious.  I guess that makes up for last night… Classes were good today, it was really chilly outside so I wasn’t much of a happy camper thanks to that.  I have to talk to the dance department about taking a different class which I’m looking forward to!  I never thought I’d say this but being around the Irish music makes me want to get up and dance daily.  Mrs. Murphy would totes be proud of me.  

31-01-12 In Need of Hot Water

Today was pretty low key.  I had music and dance class and I have an audition on Friday for the advanced class at 1pm!  I took an ice cold shower after the gym today… After I went into the living room and told my roommate Peter and he laughed at me. After he was done cracking jokes he showed me where to find the water heater and how to turn it on.  It made for a good laugh.  I got to see Hermitage Green again tonight, this time they were on campus at Scholars Club which is one of the pubs.

01-02-12  St. Brigid’s Day and First day of Spring!

Festival of St. Brigid’s Day!  It’s officially Spring time here in Ireland, let’s just hope it warms up  a bit.  I spent most of my day with Peter watching tv and hanging out.  My parents are leaving for Florida tomorrow to close on their new house.  I think they’re pretty excited.  I’m super happy for them!

02-02-12  International Society actually rules

A little homesick today…I had class and then went to the International Office to book a Trip to Clare and one to Dublin.  10 euro total!  Helllooooo that’s awesome.  We went to the UL Ultimate Frisbee house tonight ( I know totes lame) and I felt like I was at a Marymount Lax house… The guys were totally bro’s. 

03-02-12 Do you have what it takes to be a UL Irish Dancer?

So today was very interesting…What I thought was an audition turned into me walking in and taking a dance class.  These dancers were phenomenal.  They easily would have kicked my butt at dancing. . but it will be an excellent experience!  After dance class I got ready to go out but headed to Ginna’s to watch the UL Eagles National Champ Basketball game on tv!  Scott (Ginna’s Roommate) is on the team and it was super exciting when they won the game!  After that we went to The Stables.  I was having a blah night but by the time I was leaving I was super happy!  I met this really nice guy named Michael Togher.  He walked me back to my house when the night was over and asked for my number.

04-02-12 Limerick Tip:  Never walk down a dark side street

Today we went into town to get a little shopping done and stopped at the Milk Market.  I talked to my parents and they signed the papers for their new house and they seem super happy about it.  I sent Michael a text asking what he was doing for the night and he said that he was staying in BUT he sent me another text saying, “Would you like to go to the cinema sometime tomorrow?” ummm let me think about that, OBVIOUSLY YES.  I’m looking forward to it! 

Now, everyone reading this blog is most definitely well aware that I have been blessed with the highest amount of unnatural luck on the planet. The night started out pretty lame but I will definitely never forget my walk back to the bus on this particular night.  We went to Dolan’s Pub tonight it was alright….when we were walking back we walked down a dark side street to get to the main road when we came up to a van and we looked in the front window to see the scream mask either hanging inbetween the seats or on someone’s face.  It took about 1.5 seconds for us five girls to look at the van look at eachother and look at the van again before we turned around and took off in a complete sprint to get to a busy street where other people were around. I must say, after that night I came to the harsh realization that it was every man for himself when you're in  a new city with new friends.  Nobody was worrying about anyone but themselves, and I will be the first to admit that I was the one ahead of everyone else sprinting in heels.  I didn't bother looking back, if I was going down- at least I was going down sprinting like hell.

05-02-12 Irish Boys <3

Went to See War Horse with Michael tonight!  I was actually quite nervous but had a really good time and he is super nice.  I hope to hear from him again soon.  I felt bad because I had a very hard time understanding his brogue.  He’s from County Mayo and they barely open their mouths when talking…. After that I met up with my friends and went to a super bowl party.  Interesting that the Irish enjoy American Football.  Giants beat the Patriots!  Also, we got egged walking to the party.  The Irish find enjoyment in throwing eggs at people walking. So weird!

06-02-12  Becoming routine

Didn’t have class at all today.. Folklore got cancelled and I skipped Dance to sign up for the Outdoor Pursuits Glendalough Trip!! So excited.

07-02-12 Routine

Boring day.  Went to class and didn’t do anything else.  The internet was down all day which was super annoying.   I had another dance class today though and it was the beginner class.  I enjoyed it though! Hopefully I’m allowed to do both.  We had international food night at The Stables tonight it was pretty good.  Then I hungout with Peter, Carlos, and Emma and went to get ice cream at Supermacs. 

08-02-12 Masquerade Ball

We had the Masquerade Ball tonight… or lack thereof.  It was pretty lame but ended up being fun at the end when we were all dancing like the crazy Americans that we are.  

09-02-12  Going to jail!

I bet the title made you wonder a little bit…..  Ginna and I went into town to go grocery shopping and stop at Penneys to see if they had any new clothes out!  On our way back we got yelled at by the bus driver because we had never been stopped before for using our pass to get back to school.  Mean Irish man embarrassed us and told us he was going to have us put in jail if we do it again.  A little harsh if you ask me, but now we know.  Ginna and I booked our trip to Paris tonight! April 12^th-15^th and I am SUPER excited. 

Take her hand, give her a twirl, lose your heart to a Galway Girl.

27-01-12 Where do we catch the bus?

After about 20 minutes of finding out where we had to catch the bus, we're off to Galway!  Although I'm absolutely exhausted I'm excited to go.  I talked to my momma earlier, missing her!  Ginna, Marraine, and I took by far the funniest picture yet right before we got on the bus.  We were standing outside and Bryan went to snap a photo when the bus driver honked the horn...needless to say our faces are priceless, there's a combination of fright and half a smile.  We laughed about it for a while. 

So! we made it to Galway.  Ginna and I slept the entire ride here.  Once we arrived at Galway bus station our group split up to go find out seperate hostels... because we waited so long to book we weren't all staying together.  First Ginna, Amanda, and I went to find Amanda's hostel (yes she booked alone...not the most intelligent thing I've ever heard of someone doing) Once we got there, I was a little creeped out by the man working behind the front desk with long greasy hair and he wouldn't make eye contact. It was a tad bit dingy and when we got her to her room we realized that they didn't have real lockers in her hostel, they were more like crates under the bed.  We then realized we forgot to bring a very important item, a lock!  So we began a journey around a city we didn't know to find a hardware store that had locks.  It took about 40 minutes of asking people for directions and retracing our steps numerous times before we actually found the only hardware store around.  We then went to our hostel where some crazy woman almost ran over the three of us!  I grew extremely flustered, irritated, and overwhelmed.  I think it was primarily because I was once again dropped in an unfamiliar place with no sense of direction.  Once we were in our hostel and I had regrouped, we came to realize that our hostel was alot nicer than the first one that I had ever seen.  AND we only paid 13 euro for the night!  It was called the Salmon Weir Hostel.  We then ventured out to find Shop Street and found so many cute stores, pubs, etc.  We went to a place called Monroe's recommended by this guy that we met at the Stables named Eoin (Owen).  The pizza was delicious!  After that we walked around a bit and I went into Top Shop for the first time in my life.  Didn't even bother looking though considering I'd never be able to afford a single item in there. We walked around for a while and saw quite a few interesting characters before heading to The Quay for Bulmers. After everyone else left to get some sleep Ginna and I stayed out for a bit and went to SuperMac's for the first time ever for burgers and bonding. Totally an unnecessary stop but it was delicious.  I don't know what I'd do without Ginna, although that's probably already obvious.  When we got backto our hostel we watched part of The Bucket List and played cards for a bit.

 28-01-12  Dreams really do come true!

Back in my house in Kilmurry!  My first hostel experience was not bad at all. I only woke up when all the other people staying in our room came in but quickly fell back asleep.  In the morning Ginna and I took quick showers and came to the harsh realization that there weren't any plugs in the bathroom to blowdry our hair... So for the next hour we sat in the living room and took turns using the only plug available and blew our hair dry.  We went to a small cafe near our hostel for tea, coffee, and muffins before catching our tour bus for the day.  The tour was 8 hours of sight-seeing.  We saw The Burren, Dunguaire Castle,  Corcomrow Abbey, Galway Bay, Fairy Forts, a few other stops along the way before landing at the Cliffs of Moher. When we arrived at the Cliffs I got a little emotional.  Whenever I thought about Ireland before I actually got here, all I could picture was seeing those cliffs.  The sight was breathtaking and it was so much more than I had expected.  I guarantee for the rest of my life I'll remember how it felt to reach the top of the staircase and be able to look over the wall and see the cliffs.  I felt infinite.  The air was frigid, windy, and consumed with mist.  My camera kept saying the battery was dead because it was so cold.  It was so muddy and I'm glad I can say I ruined my favorite boots at the Cliffs of Moher, all because I wanted to climb over the wall that said not to go any further.  I just wanted to get a better look and it was so worth it!  The view was spectacular, and we had the most perfect few of the Aran Islands.  When we got back on the bus Ginna and I talked to the bus driver and told him that we needed to get back to Limerick City so he offered to make a special stop to let us off at a closer bus stop that the bus from Galway to Limerick would stop at.  When the bus came to a stop on our way back to Galway and the bus driver informed us that this was our stop, Ginna and I gathered our belongings and got off the bus.  Where we were left to wait for our bus.  We were standing in the pouring rain, cold, and alone.  After standing there for about 20 minutes without any sign of a bus heading our way, a bus started approaching us and it said Limerick City on it so we headed to the sidewalk to get on....except it kept right on going and drove right past us.  I could have cried and all I was thinking was, "where the heck is my Gerry or my Declan?"  (P.S. I love you and Leap Year references)   Finally another bus came and we got on, and after two hours we were back at The University of Limerick.What a day!  

My First Hostel

Galway <3

NJ's pizza competition

Standing on the edge of the Cliffs of Moher

Dunguaire Castle

The Cliffs of Moher