“Oh rainy day come around, sometimes I just want it to slow down”

It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been living in Ireland for a month! It’s even weirder to think that we only have two full months left of classes! I’ve gotta say, I love how the Irish do things J Following the conclusion of classes, we have spring break and then finals. Our exams could fall over quite a large time span (about a month and a half), and they won’t let us know when they are until sometime in March. Needless to say, this is a rather annoying fact for the trip-planner in me. Therefore, I’ve decided to use the weekends between now and spring break for small getaways around Ireland and possibly the UK. Then, once I know when all of my exams are, I can plan my big trip to France and Germany. I’m not sure yet if that is going to be one big trip (the best case scenario) or two smaller ones. Either way I can’t wait!

We’ve planned our first long weekend trip for next weekend. We’ll be headed down south to Dingle (get your minds out of the gutters people!) for the annual Walking Festival. Walking in this case actually refers to hiking, and since Dingle is one of the prettiest areas of the country this sounded like a great idea!

This weekend a group of us are headed over to Dublin for a night. It’ll be our first time back since Orientation, so I’m hoping to squeeze in a few of the touristy sights I wasn’t able to catch then. Two of those places I’m really looking forward to getting to are the National Archives and the National Library. Before you judge my incredible level of geekiness, hear me out! Yesterday I began a free 14 day trial of Ancestry.com and it’s been insanely hard to pull myself away from the computer ever since. For those of you who have never used it, one simply enters a few family facts into the website (creating a tree in the process) and then it takes off from there! Little hints (like census records, draft cards, pictures etc.) pop up for each family member. It’s incredible how quickly you can discover information on people who lived over 200 years ago! Luckily someone in my family had passed down a booklet of research, so I had a great head start to work with. Going off that, I learned that my great-great-great grandfather immigrated to the US in 1865. He was born in 1847 in County Cork, Ireland during the height of the Famine (so it’s a miracle I’m even here!) and moved to the area in Wisconsin that he lived and worked in his entire life as a farmer. Interestingly, Irish was his first language, not English! My ultimate goal in doing all of this research is to hopefully find some long-lost cousin who is still living in Ireland and go meet them before the end of the semester. I’ve been fascinated by genealogy for a long time (weren’t those some fun classes at the library, Julie?! ;) so the prospect of finding someone over here who’s even a teensy bit related to me is amazing!

On a completely unrelated note, I found something the other day that made me far happier than it should have. As most of you know, I am in love with the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Ok, obsessed would be a more accurate word. For those of you have seen it, you may recall that Captain Nixon’s drink of choice throughout the show was Vat 69 whiskey (“Only the best for Mrs. Nixon’s baby boy!”). So you can only imagine my surprise when, sifting through a clearance bin in a nice wine and cheese shop in Galway City, I came across the very same Vat 69! I can neither confirm nor deny that I had a mini freak-out session right there in the store.

The only other noteworthy event of the week was on Wednesday, when Tiffany and I went to our first beginning archery class. We had a lot of fun, hit a few bull’s-eyes, made some Irish friends (finally!), and are looking forward to going back this Wednesday! So far archery has been the only club I joined that’s actually had meetings. That’s been disappointing, as I was particularly excited for softball and badminton but have yet to hear from them. Maybe I’ll just show up when they’re supposed to be practicing and hope for the best! We’ve learned that societies and clubs really are the best way to meet Irish students, so I don’t want an entire semester to slip by without meeting a bunch of Irish people!

Some random tidbits that don’t really fit in anywhere else and thus get a paragraph to themselves: it really can rain 24/7 (I’ve now witnessed it on several occasions); haven’t seen the horses Fred and George in awhile (I guess they really did belong to Travellers!); Jiff peanut butter is a precious commodity and those of you lucky enough to have some should treat it as such; I am capable of watching just as much of my ridiculous amount of American TV shows over here as I would be back home; Friends is broadcast here 24/7; Spongebob Squarepants has been translated into Irish (saw it on the Gaelic channel today!).

Below I’ll be posting the link to the Gaelic Girls video (along with some cool other ones posted by the NUIG International Office) that was shot a few weeks ago and features yours truly. I think they still may be editing a second video because we were interviewed for about ten minutes, so I will post that too when it’s available! Thanks again for reading! J

Click here for the Gaelic Girls video!

“It was a beautiful day, don’t let it get away”

Last Saturday a group of us went on our first day trip to The Burren. We were originally supposed to go to Connemara, but the weather was so nice and clear that made a last-second swap (look at me being spontaneous, guys!). The Burren is region south of Galway that is comprised of a rocky landscape where nothing should ever really grow. And yet, greenery still exists thanks to the endless amounts of rain the area receives.

The first stop of the tour was Dunguaire Castle, which is supposedly the most-photographed castle in all of Ireland. My family and I drove past this castle numerous times when we stayed in the area for a week over the summer, but it was cool to see it again nonetheless. Our next stop was a leprechaun and fairy hollow that looks exactly as you are probably picturing it. Following tradition, we all tied a tissue to a tree branch in the hopes of gaining a little luck of the Irish for ourselves. Next, we ventured on to Poulnabrone dolmen, an ancient tomb. The scene was quite different than when we visited in the summer, as we were the only tour group there, and thus was able to get some great pictures without random people wandering around in the background. Our lunch break occurred at Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin. I asked the waitress if being an O’Connor would get me a discount, but I don’t think she got the joke. Oh well, I tried! The final stop of the tour took place at the Cliffs of Moher, the scenic highlight of The Burren. Once again, we basically had the place to ourselves! Even though it was just as windy, it was much clearer than when we visited over the summer. It was also nearing sunset, which was wonderful for all of us wannabe-photographers.

All in all we had a great trip that day and are very excited to go once again towards the end of the semester when more flowers are in bloom. Aside from the landscapes, though, our tour was made amazing by a fabulously entertaining 70ish year-old man named Desmond. Not only did Desmond drive the giant tour bus, but he also gave us great insights to all the locales we were visiting. He kept us laughing the entire day because he stated everything at least two or three times, altering them slightly (similar to Yoda). You’d think this would get old after a while, but nope! I’ve been lucky enough to be on many tours in my lifetime all across the US and a few in Europe, and Desmond was by far the best. So good in fact, that I decided to name my Diamondbacks gnome after him! For those of you that don’t know, I brought along my little Dbacks gnome to take pictures with in all of the cool places I get to visit this semester. I hadn’t given much thought to naming him, but Desmond the Dbacks gnome has a nice ring to it, right? ;)

This past Friday a small group of us took our long-anticipated trip to Connemara. When I visited over the summer, Connemara was by –far my favorite place in all of Ireland. The region is less than an hour north of Galway and stretches over a wide area. It includes beautiful mountains, waterfalls, and lakes, and has many animals (horses, sheep, cows) dotting the landscape. The first stop was Ross Errilly Friary. According to our guide Michael (certainly no Desmond, but terrific nonetheless), it is the most well-preserved friary for its size in all of Western Europe. It was pretty amazing with all of its rooms and passageways! The next stop was Cong village, which is exactly what you would picture as a typical rural Irish village. Cong abbey, which I thought was amazing when we visited over the summer, paled in comparison to Ross Errilly. As we continued into Connemara, Michael said he needed to make a quick pit stop to say hello to a friend. His friend was Joey, an adorable Connemara pony! Those of us who wanted to got to feed him an apple slice J Similar to The Burren trip, the Galway Tour Company saved the best for last in Connemara: Kylemore Abbey. Originally built as a fairytale home from an adoring husband, the mansion was turned into a girl’s school after the wife’s untimely death. The beautiful grounds included the abbey, a small church, mausoleum, and Victorian garden. We toured all of these except the gardens, as few flowers would have been in bloom anyway. By now, the clear weather we had been blessed with in the morning had vanished, and we were left with an eerie fog that created a somewhat spooky mood. On the ride back to Galway, Lannan and I enjoyed listening to some wonderful U2, the perfect cap to an amazing day!

Yesterday had two great highlights as well! First, Kate, Lannan, and I were interviewed by the Gaelic Girls, a blog group that discusses what it’s like for American girls to be studying abroad in Ireland. They filmed the interview (I’ll post the link when it’s on YouTube), as well as a few intros for American television hosts for St. Patrick’s Day. For instance, they had us say “Hi Ellen! Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the Gaelic Girls in Galway, Ireland!” We also made intros for Kelly Ripa, Good Morning America, and Oprah (ha!). So watch out guys, I’m about to be famous! ;) The group was very nice, and we even got sweet t-shirts to wear around during the semester and Bulmer’s cider to enjoy while we filmed at The King’s Head! Second, Butler had a welcome dinner event at the Galway Greyhound track. I’ve never been to anything similar to that, so it was really fun to experience! I placed a bet for 2 Euro (that was the minimum) on Jules Flyer, who came in second by literally a nose! I still won 5.40 Euro though, because it had been a place bet. So basically, I came out on top enough to pay for the cab ride home. I think we may find ourselves back there at some point before the end of the semester!

We register for classes tomorrow, so it really seems like we’re getting into the thick of things now! I’m excited to get more involved in the clubs and societies as well, as that seems like it’s going to be the only way to meet Irish students. Until next time, thanks for reading!

Click here for pictures from The Burren

Click here for pictures from Connemara

Click here for pictures of the worldly travels of Desmond the Dbacks Gnome!

“The shadow proves the sunshine”

Monday was our first day of classes at NUIG! We woke up to the sun shining for the first time since we had arrived in Galway, what a wonderful way to start the week! Since we don’t technically register until the 23^rd, these first two weeks are used to kind of shop around to see what sort of classes you may like to take. It feels odd not having registered months in advance like I’m used to at ASU. A lot of back and forth went on between myself, ASU, and Butler regarding how many classes I need to be taking. So stressful! In the end it was determined I only need to take five (just like normal back home), a fact I am beyond thrilled about! I feel sorry for all of my fellow students who need to take six, good luck to them! I managed to schedule no classes on Fridays, thereby leaving my weekends free for trips! Here are the classes I will be taking during the semester:

1. Celtic Mythology, Religion, and Folklore

2. The Development of Medieval Castles

3. Forensic, Abnormal, and Clinical Psychology

4. Northern Ireland: The Politics of a Divided Society

5. Poverty, Crime, and Gender in Europe, 1778-1914

Tuesday was Societies Day, where students can sign up for groups they’d like to participate in during the year. I signed up for quite a few, many of which I probably won’t even have time to get to. Some of the Societies I joined include: Harry Potter, Photography, Archaeology, Irish Studies, Volunteering, Traditional Music, Comedy, Nothing Specific, and International Students.

Thursday was Clubs Day, which was basically the same thing except geared more towards sports and athletics. Again, my friends and I signed up for probably way more clubs than we will ever have time for! Peer pressure at its finest. I joined Softball, Badminton, Archery, Skydiving (only 220 Euro for your first solo jump!), and Surfing (just because the guy was a ginger haha). After signing up for the clubs we decided to try our hand at archery, as there was a group practicing on the other side of the gym. In three attempts I managed to shoot all around the target but never hit the bullseye, even though we were only about ten feet away. So sad! I blame tres elbows. Shoot out to Tiffany though, who hit the bullseye on her third attempt! Looks like we have a Robin Hood in our midst! J

Aside from a few frustrating moments it was a really fun week getting my schedule figured out and beginning to fall into some sort of routine. I also rented a bike today which will make the commute to school much quicker, although I will no longer get to say hello to Fred and George (they’re horses) every morning. I’m definitely going to be keeping busy with all the clubs and societies I joined as well! I have a sneaking suspicion these next five months are going to fly by…

“The night was filled with dark and cold…”

Our arrival to Galway occurred during what most Arizonans would describe as the storm of the century. It was pouring rain with huge gusts of wind that I worried would send my 50lb bags flying down the street. We were given our apartment assignments and a quick rundown on how everything operated. I have three American roommates from my same program, and we are currently waiting on our fifth roommate to arrive. They are all really great girls and I’m sure we’re going to have a wonderful semester together!

The night we arrived in town we had to make a trip to Dunnes (the Irish version of Target) in order to pick up some bedding and other essentials. Did I mention it was pouring? After picking up our supplies, we decided to walk down the street to Supermac’s (similar to McDonald’s) since we were all starving. Here’s where it’s important to note that we were all carrying our new purchases in paper bags. Even though the walk to Supermac’s was fairly short, I knew this wasn’t going to end well. Sure enough, one by one all of our bags tore, sending our purchases flying in the wind. I’m sure we provided some great entertainment to the drivers going past, but it was pretty miserable for us. After somehow making it to Supermac’s (and getting some insane stares when we walked in) we were already beginning to see the ridiculousness of the entire situation. I swear, it was like something out of a movie! One of the girls said it had been a great bonding moment and I definitely agree. We’ll always be able to look back on that first night in Galway and laugh J

Our first two full days in Galway were spent at Orientation for the school. All the academic departments gave talks on why you should take their fabulous classes, and campus and library tours were given as well. We went pub-crawling in town for the first time on Friday night! First was The Skeff, which was an adorable, multi-level pub that was playing the Penguins game! I couldn’t believe it! Next was The King’s Head, a pretty popular pub that plays live music pretty often. Unfortunately the only Irish song we heard was “Galway Girl.” After a few other random pubs that we stayed in for only a few minutes, we ended our night at The Front Door. Never have I been in such a ridiculously crowded place in my life! It was next to impossible to move, but after about ten minutes I quit feeling so apprehensive about my personal space bubble (I don’t think that exists at all here in Ireland) dissolve and just had fun. The pub closed around 2am and literally everyone headed to the Supermac’s at the end of the street. It’s safe to assume that that place will never go out of business!

Aside from a few small issues with our apartment (the washer/dryer machine still isn’t working), living in Galway has been pretty amazing. Exploring the city and interacting with the locals has been so fun! It rains on and off all day, a fact that bothers many of my fellow Americans much more than myself. Until next time, thanks for reading!

Click here for photos!

Dublin: “It was Grafton Street on a rainy night…”

On December 31^st 2011 I set out on the adventure of a lifetime. To say it had been a long time coming would be a bit of an understatement. For my entire life I have been borderline-obsessed with Ireland thanks to my family’s Irish roots and the incredible history and culture of this wonderful country. So when the time came to finally fly off from Phoenix Sky Harbor I was both anxious and excited. It was very difficult to say goodbye to everyone (much more so than I had anticipated) but knowing that everyone back home is a Skype chat or call away makes the prospect of being gone for five months seem much less daunting.

Flying on New Years’ Eve left me disappointed on two fronts: missing our traditional party (Julie, Lisa, and Bailey!) and the fact that the pilots didn’t even announce when it was midnight while flying over the Atlantic! However, the goofy old lady flight attendants on the flight to Philadelphia did treat us passengers to a lovely rendition of landing procedures in rap form while wearing party hats. And I was going to Ireland after all, so no complaining allowed!

Travelling went smoothly, with the only speed bump being US Airways losing one of my bags. It was returned to my hotel the following day, though, so no worries there. Having been to the Dublin airport only a few months prior definitely helped and made me feel much more at ease. Having visited the city in general was extremely beneficial, as I felt I knew my way around pretty well and thus was able to help direct the group on daily ventures. Because I arrived in town a day earlier than required, I was able to dump my bags at the hotel and proceed to take a taxi into the city for a little touring. I hopped on a tour bus that went to all of Dublin’s highlights and enabled you to get on and off of it whenever you wanted. I chose to look around at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (stunning) and Christchurch Cathedral (unfortunately closed at the time-definitely will be going back there though!). Succumbing to jet lag, I returned to the hotel for a nap that was welcomingly interrupted by a call from my family on the hotel phone. The day ended with my first-ever order to room service (ham and cheese sandwich and apple juice-you all know how I am), watching the Packer game online, and was capped off with the brand new season of Sherlock on BBC (sorry Brittany)!

Monday morning I checked into the O’Callaghan Mont Clare in the city center, as this was to be our Orientation hotel for the next few days. Everyone from Butler who had taken the group flight was understandably wiped, so the only thing on the agenda for the day was a viewing of the fabulous Irish comedy The Guard and dinner at an Asian place (I thought I was in Ireland?). Tuesday brought us a lecture on academics from the Butler staff, as well as a safety talk from Garda Paul (the Garda are the Irish police). After lunch we walked to the Guinness Storehouse where we toured the facility and tried a pint of the lager in the Gravity Bar. Sadly I did not live up to my Irish roots and was unable to finish it (or even come close for that matter). From there, a group of friends and I took a taxi back to Grafton Street and finally bought our mobiles (those two days of being unable to communicate with one another nearly killed us!). After dinner we went out to a wonderful little pub called O’Donoghue’s. It’s become a tradition there to write something special (your hometown, favorite sports team) on an American dollar bill and tape it to the wall. So of course we had to partake! I wrote “ASU Sun Devils” on mine and got to go behind the bar for a picture with the bartender. Two other girls, Kate and Lannan, did the same and also got to use the tap to fill up a pint! I had a pint of Bulmer’s Cider (introduced to me by my new bff Tiffany) and while it isn’t my favorite, it definitely beat the Guinness from earlier in the day! Apparently it also comes in other flavors (the pear is delicious) so I will have to sample those while I’m here. On Wednesday we were given a presentation by a nutritionist on how to stay healthy while living on our own, as well as how to cook simple meals. Yea right! In my book “simple” takes less than five minutes, which was certainly not the case with any of those recipes. Plenty of other students took notes, though, so I guess I’m just weird (duh). After lunch we loaded up the shuttle busses to Galway and were off!

As a side note, I want to say how incredibly nice all of the Butler students are. There are about 25 of us or so, and everyone has seemed to get along really well. The weather, on the other hand, hasn’t been quite so nice. Of course I wasn’t expecting paradise or anything, it is Ireland in January! All in all I’m sure it’s not so bad (although I definitely wasn’t the only one complaining), it’s just going to take some getting used to for this thin-blooded Arizona girl. Some other things that will take time to adjust to include: reading and writing the date backwards, looking to the right before crossing the street, not having a full keyboard to text with (sad, I know), stores closing at really early hours (5pm seems standard for most places), and of course not phoning home with every trivial issue I come across on a daily basis.

Thank you so much for reading and I promise every entry will not be as long-winded as this one is! I’ll update as often as I can, particularly after trips (we are already planning many of those!). Pictures from everything I’m discussing can be found on my Facebook page. I hope you enjoy living vicariously through me on my crazy Irish adventure!

Click here for pictures!