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

You'll Never Hear the Ducks Complain

An Irish Lad informed me that I would never hear the ducks complaining about the rain.... These few days have been pretty wet so I thought it was an appropriate title.

24-01-12  Legal to Live!

Finally legal to live here in CastleTroy Limerick for the next four months!  I went to the guarda today to get my visa!  150 euro, fingerprints, and signatures later that is!  We went to a pub called Molly's tonight...alot of fun but I am exhausted (surprise).  I had such a good time with Ginna and Amanda, it's amazing how drama free it was considering my least favorite person decided not to come out.  Before we got to Molly's I was walking with Mat and completely ate the pavement.  Luckily he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back to my feet.  It was an awfully inexpensive night luckily.  I drank prior to leaving and only spent 3 euro for the cab ride back.  When we got back everyone came over for pasta...but when I got to my door an Irish jerk was ringing my doorbell.  I repeatedly asked him to stop but he wouldn't...I grew extremely pissed off because it was 230am and I have roommates! 

25-01-12  Money Bags?
Wahoo! Made it through the entire day without spending a single euro.  But I did use my visacard to book a trip to Galway and to see the Cliffs of Moher this weekend SO EXCITED!  I was a little stressed out today because the classes seem like they may be harder than I had originally thought they would be.  I know I'll make it through though.  I just need to keep my priorities straight, and make a list of all the things I want to do while I'm in Europe because I can't believe I've already been here for a week or so!  Most importantly I will no matter what make it to Interlaken, Switzerland to go hang gliding.  I would also like to visit Paris, Greece, Italy, England, and possibly Scotland.  And of course travel around Ireland and see quite a few things:  The Aran Islands, Blarney Stone, Cliffs of Moher, Dublin for St. Patrick's Day, go to Irish Dance World's and whatever else comes my way...I was looking into doing laundry today until I found out that it costs 6 euro per load! HELLO THAT'S LIKE 7.85 AMERICAN DOLLARS.  Another words I'm going to be doing my laundry the old fashioned way in the sink...with pruney hands.  Oh and thank God for Ginna and Amanda or I would have exchanged a few negative words with the devil by now.

26-01-12  Hostel!
Ginna and I booked our first hostel!  It's called Salmon Weir Hostel coming in at 11.99 euro a night.  We went to The Stables tonight and Ginna and I had a good time, everyone else left early of course.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Here I am in Eireann (Ireland)! For some reason I decided that I would be able to stick myself in another country for four months, and now there is no turning back.  Since I promised my friends back home that I would post a blog here it goes!  I plan on updating once a week, I'm keeping a personal journal and anything I feel like sharing will be here! I'll openly put all of my ups and downs of this Irish rollercoaster right here on the internet! 

Day 1. 17-01-12 Day of Goodbye and Day of Travel
Here goes the next four months.  Once I was through security and realized I was standing there alone...with my parents and sisters on the other side of the glass, all I thought to myself was " what the hell have I gotten myself into." After trekking what felt like miles to gate C125 carrying a duffel bag full of shoes and a bookbag stuffed tight I approached a group of students that had clearly known eachother and other assorted (and strange) members of society.  I grew nervous and fearful for what the next four months would bring.  I sat quietly contemplating if I should approach the groups of students and introduce myself or not; until a blonde girl with glasses approached me and said "Are you Lauren?" I told her no but that I was studying at the University of Limerick.  Her response was a cold shoulder that was turned on me.  Alrighty I thought to myself.  As the plane began to board I still had not spoken to anyone.  When I got to my seat I was greeted by a girl with a smile on her face, I said hi and we began talking.  The sweetest girl I've ever met from Wisconsin named Ginna.  Quite frankly the only person I've ever met from Wisconsin.  It turns out she was part of that group at gate C125 and they all go to school together.  When the plane began to take off Ginna and I looked at eachother and said "Here We Go"!  The largest smile came across my face, and stayed there until I realized I was way to excited to get any sleep and I was absolutely exhausted.  I am so excited for the upcoming adventures that I will experience.

I have approximately two hours until I land on the Emerald Isle of luck, mixed emotions that are so bittersweet!


Day 2. 18-01-12 Arrival Day!
One hour until we arrive at Shannon Airport! For dinner we had some type of chicken (couldn't figure out what it was) but it wasn't bad.  We were just served breakfast and it appears to be a croissant and a bowl of fruit. I will definitely need a cup of coffee because I only slept for about an hour.  I'm getting more and more nervous.

So I've been flying for 3220 miles and I only have about 25 miles left.  A little disappointed that  it is pitch black out still and we won't be able to see the coast when we arrive.  We're arriving 40 minutes early.

It's 9 am.  In my room and it's a bit smaller than I had expected.  I haven't met any roommates yet.  When we got to the airport in Shannon my first sight of Irish interaction was a man being arrested and screaming at the police calling them "super Nazi's!"

What an interesting day!  After this morning Ginna and I went to explore centre city and gather a few things.  I picked up my cellphone and the phone numbers are so complicated 0831350813.  Prior to picking up our cellphones we got to experience our first two Romas, oh joy.  Gypsies to be more precise.  Such pushy individuals!  They said they were from Bosnia and needed money because they were poor.  After that experience we went to a store called Dealz where we got our shampoo, conditioner etc.  We went to The Stables for drinks with everyone from Ginna's school.  My first drink was Guiness.  Then we roamed around campus, I skyped with the family and started to get ready for bed.  I met my roommate Peter!  He is from Dublin, so cute yet is so hard to understand.  His accent is really heavy.

Day 3. 19-01-12 Oh yea, I'm actually here for school
Orientation came way to early beginning at 8:50am.  It ran until about 1:30pm and I had a bus tour around the City of Limerick at 2:30pm.  It was pretty neat.  I then met up with everyone and got dinner, got ready, and went to The Stables.  I spotted this really cute Irish boy pretty much as soon as I got there.  I decided to go over near him and order my drink,  I spent 3 euro all night long on a single Fosters.  The rest of the night people were buying Ginna and I drinks.  I have a new favorite drink called Southern Coast (Southern Comfort and West Coast Wine Cooler) delicious!  This brings me to my first crush on an Irish Boy.  Ginna and I decided that after the pub closed we would go hangout with Marc and his friends,  quite an experience that's all I have to say.

Day 4. 20-01-12 Heart Throb
My day was fantastic with all sorts of firsts!  I made my first purchase in a liquor store and I kissed an Irish boy (sorry Mom!)  We went to Stables and Ginna and I left with Marc and his friends again.  We were sitting around the living room while his friend was playing the Mandolin and singing.  the rest of the boys chimed in occassionally, it was like a scene out of a movie or a really good dream, absolutely magical.  Then Marc drove Ginna and I back and he walked me to my house.

Day 5. 21-01-12 Milk Market
Today we took  a trip into town and went to the Milk Market.  It was like the Eastern Market in DC but better because it's in Ireland.  For lunch we went to a pub called Charlie Chapelin's...we were told all they serve is ham and cheese sandwiches. Awkward.  So that's what we had!  It was pretty good.  I went to the UL Eagles v. UCD Marian game tonight.  I know basketball players are tall but they were absolutely ginormous.

Day 6. 22-01-12  Irish Clubs?
We went to the Lodge tonight.  Maybe a little to much fun but that's okay.  I spent the while night dancing with Matt, Ginna, Amanda, Ronan, and Dan.  Irish boys are slightly creepy.  They were very pushy and if you looked at them they thought that gave them permission to do whatever they wanted.  Another words, I never made eye contact.

Day 7. 23-01-12 Oh yea school is why I'm here
Today was my first day of class!  I think I'm going to really like them.  I had Irish Folklore and Irish Dance and music.  I'm starting to feel a little homesick though.  I think part of it is that I'm tired and there has been major head butting with one of the girls.  We are supposed to go to the Cliffs of Moher this weekend, hopefully that happens.  Luckily after all of this Shawnee gave me a bit of a pep talk and I'm feeling better than I did.  Ginna and I went out with some Irish girls tonight to a pub called Dolan's.  Hermitage Green was playing, they sound so much like Mumford and Sons and they even did a cover of one of their songs.