The Final Countdown

Three weeks left until I leave Europe and only two until I leave Ireland. Finals begin tomorrow and people are starting to leave. The end is near and I do not like it one bit.
I'm excited to see my family and friends back in the States and I'm pumped to get back to Penn State, but I don't want to leave Ireland at all. Lucky for me I'm living up my last few weeks of the most amazing semester away I could have possibly imagined. Spain and Portugal were a nice vacation from vacation, getting back to my friends in Limerick was awesome, and the parties we are throwing to celebrate the end of this amazing experience are record breaking.
I ventured to Spain with three of my friends, soaking up the sun and a lot of sangria along the way. We laid on the beach, we napped in parks and chilled at bars. The relaxation was brilliant, but the cultural experience was even better. I learned how to cook and serve tapas, a Spanish tradition much like appetizers, eight or nine dishes are served and shared among a group of friends. I also got to participate in a Spanish cooking class, making the best seafood paella I've ever had. I can't wait to cook the dish for my friends and family back home.

After our many meals we watched some of the coolest and sexiest dancing I've ever seen — flamenco. The band and the couple that danced on stage drew me in completely with their rhythmic beat, sultry stares and smokey voices. I found myself crushing hard core on the dark, scruffy man in tight pants and admiring the strong steps and smooth movements of the dark-eyed woman moving with him to the music. It made me wish my rhythm extended past shimmying my hips awkwardly whenever a bumping song comes on. Yes, Spanish culture and weather was nice vacation from the much chillier, much less musically sexy Ireland.
Next was Portugal, a country was more impoverished, yet equally as beautiful as any other country in Europe. The ancient walls of the streets were covered in graffiti and the people of Porto were old and jaded looking. The architecture was amazing and the seaside and riverside were gorgeous, but all the while there was a sad sense of better days, days long gone. We took a boat cruise along the water and sampled the famous Port wine of the region. It was a little to sweet for my taste, but I can understand what all the hype was about, the wine itself was lavish in color and flavor, tickling my tongue with fruity and flowery flavors. Two friends from Limerick flew in for a tour of Croft wine cellars, where we sampled wine and chocolate and snapped some beautiful photos. Although I enjoyed our time there, I was definitely ready to come back to Ireland.

So I made sure my return was just an extension of my study week vacation. I watched a few rugby matches and had our first going away gathering for a few of the Canadians I've grown to love! It was a good night out downtown in Limerick and although it's going to suck saying goodbye, I know that the goodbyes will only be good memories of the last few weeks we all have together!

P.S. On a rugby note, I won the best newcomer award! Hopefully the Penn State team will have me in the fall :)

Celebrating the end of Classes

This is the last week of class at UL. It's hard to believe just 13 weeks ago I arrived in Ireland, wide-eyed with my North Face jacket and rain boots, and now it's almost time for me, who now rocks a new leather jacket and a pair of stylish black heels, to leave. Just around the time where I feel completely at home, comfortable and assimilated into the culture, I have to start sorting through clothes and purchases I've accumulated, decided what will make the final cut to go back to the States. Over the past few days I've truly had the most fun and done more stuff with all of my friends.
Sunday I watched the Munster match at one of the girls from the rugby teams house. Monday I got to meet up and share a drink with some of the other international students I haven't seen in too long. Tuesday I had my first musical experience at UL when I joined a friend at "Phantom of the Music," a musical troop that performed songs from more than 10 of the most popular musicals of all time. Wednesday was the day I proved to the world I do have a little bit of rhythm during my Irish dance recital. I also got to watch my friends show off their skills on the the tin whistle, sean-nos singing, bang the bodrhan (a hand-made Irish drum), and dance. After the recital, which gave me flash backs to elementary and middle school, I cooked a fabulous meal with my friends after which we tanked a bottle of tequila and went out and danced. Needless to say, it was a good night. Tonight is Lady Gaga night at one of the dance clubs downtown and Friday holds a beach party at Stables, our favorite on campus pub. Saturday, with any luck from the volcano gods, I will leave for Spain and Portugal. Let the good times roll.
These little things, these everyday activities are what make me love this place. I feel at home here and I will miss it when I leave. But knowing that I'm really and truly making the most of my last few weeks in Ireland makes me feel slightly better about boarding that flight back to America.

Eruptions

Erupting volcanoes may be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Although these volcanoes may be stranding thousands of people from traveling, going home or on vacation, I wouldn't mind if the thing kept gushing ash and lava into the atmosphere if it meant I got to spend more time in Ireland. Yes, it may interfere with my travel plans to Spain next weekend, but in the large scheme of things it probably isn't that big of a deal. If the volcano keeps spewing, flights keep getting cancelled and before you know it I get to spend an extra few weeks in the country that has taken over my heart. Not to sound cheesy, but if the volcano erupted forever I wouldn't be sad.
Other people may disagree. My cousins, for example, came to visit the homeland for a week, taking time off from their very important jobs in D.C. to throw back a few pints and sing some jig dancing songs. Now they are stranded in the Dublin Airport waiting for a flight that will most likely be delayed another day due to the ash that is swirling around the atmosphere, with the potential to take out the engines of a 747 jet liner.
Meteorologists say that rain will help the ash dissipate, but for two weeks now, there has not been a single drop, spray or mist from the sky. It has been sunny and warm and from the looks of today has no signs of stopping. Who would have thought that when we 'needed' rain in Ireland it wouldn't happen. Rain or no rain, this volcano looks like its going to be reeking havoc in Europe for a while.

We Are the Champions!

This morning I woke up with a swollen knee, a stiff neck and a bruise on my thigh the size of Texas. My body says, "please stop!" but my newfound love of rugby has my gut saying, "bring on the pain!" For the past two days the UL Ladies Rugby team toughed in out through four matches, coming out on top and the Intervarsity Tournament Champions, completely undefeated in the spring season! My body has been tackled, cleated, stepped on and bounced off the ground, but watching my teammates hold up the championship cup makes all the pain worth while. Hearing our coach say she was proud of us was worth all the nights of training on a muddy pitch in the rain. Playing rugby for UL has rekindled my desire for competition, hard work and new experiences, all of which I hope to take back with me to PSU.
Wednesday and Thursdays games showcased how much hard work and effort every single girl put in this season. We won all of our matched by at least 20 points and won the championship 48-0. Our play was the best it has been all season. Everything I've learned throughout the season was clicking and I noticed a serious improvement in my play, my confidence finally starting to build with advice and encouragement from my teammates. I could feel myself hitting harder, carrying the ball longer and having a better mental grasp on the plays and what was going on.
If I end up in State College this summer, which I really hope happens, I think I'm going to drop by a few summer workouts with the Penn State team and see how I do. Hopefully, my Penn State experience will be as amazing and the girls and cool as they were during my time with UL rugby! This really has been my favorite part of my Irish experience so far!!

Baguettes, brie and Gaga naps

Two weeks have flown by and spring break has come and gone. I've now traveled to Paris, the city of love and public display of affection; Nice, a city so beautiful and homey I could stay there for a month and not want to leave; and Monaco, a country with fast cars and a casino that took my gambling money in a matter of minutes. I've also come to realize how my relationships with people abroad are truly genuine and are the best part of the whole thing.
I will start from the beginning. I was frazzled and stressed from having written five mid-term papers and running around trying to turn them in before the deadline. I was in need of a stiff drink and some sunshine. I left Limerick with my three friends Friday for Paris, and in my rush to pack and hurry out the door, realized I forgot a jacket. This small mistake ended up to be the best thing that happened to me during my week of mid-term hell. We arrive in Paris to chilly and damp weather, not a ray of sunshine to be had and on top of it our hostel was less than ideal. The "Young and Happy" hostel was more like the "Old and Shitty." Luckily for me, that was the only lacking during my Parisian jaunt. The four of us met my friend Jess' triplet, Jenn, and her friend Lucy Friday night. We sat for three hours at a small creperie, drinking strong French wine and eating the best crepes I've ever had in my life, like we'd all known each other forever. That combined with the nicest French guy who served us made it a good start to our trip. The next day we did the Champs Elysse, Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower and met up with three of my good friends from PSU to celebrate at 21st birthday!! I also bought a SWEEEEEET leather jacket to replace my stolen North Face (RIP :[ ) and my forgotten jacket at UL. I look like a total bad ass and I think it's my favorite piece of clothing I've ever bought! Sunday I went, or rather was dragged, to Palm Sunday mass. To my surprise I was not smited (smote?) with a bolt of lightning when I stepped through the doors of Notre Dame Cathedral, which was pretty cool.
We spent Sunday night/Monday morning in the airport for our 6 a.m. flight to Nice. Everything went well and before I knew it we were cruising next to the gorgeous coast on the way to our hostel, which was the coolest place I've stayed at so far. Nice activities included, sitting on the beach, eating baguettes smothered in brie, strolling through the market everyday for antiques, flowers and fresh fruit, and laughing inappropriately in the Museum of Modern Art. It was also a place where I realized the friendships I've formed in Ireland are going to last a long time. We've only known each other ten weeks, but if feels like I've known these people forever. Traveling with someone, being with them for seven days straight under sometimes stressful situations allows me to know them on totally different levels, and when you click with those people it's even better.
The turquoise blue water, warm sun, palm trees, good friends and fine wine was an absolute privilege an much needed vacation from my vacation.

Spring Break Pleaseeeeee

Spring break cannot come soon enough. I need to rest, mentally and physically. My body is rebelling against me and I need a break from training and papers and traveling for a week to just rest. Sit on the beach on my ass with my sunglasses and a beer and just rest in the sun. Between class, rugby and all five of my papers due this week, I'm pleading with God to just let it be break already!
All the work I haven't had to do this semester has finally come full circle, and is biting me in the ass. Hard. I've got five papers, a presentation and blogs due this week, all of which I'm struggling to concentrate on because I haven't had to write a paper in 12 weeks. It's frustrating to struggle at something last semester I was a pro at pulling off. I'm distracted by the thought of the beaches of France and roaming the streets of Spain in the springtime. I guess after being pampered with easy lectures and tutorials for the last eight weeks, Ireland is showing me what the school system is truly made of. It's time to buck up and start writing, suck it up and quite whining about my work, which I probably could have spread out over the last few weeks. Although to my credit, I did have a lot going on.
First of all, it was St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, so of course I had to go to Dublin to watch the parade. It made for a long day — up at 6 a.m. to catch the bus and start the festivities, back at 4 a.m. passed out on the bus from celebrating. Enough said.
Second, UL ladies rugby had our League Final against the monstrous girls of University College Cork. Although they outweighed us by a few hundred pounds and were out to avenger their prior 22-0 loss from us earlier this season, we scrapped it out and come out on top. It was a close match, tied at the end of regulation 12-12. The tie was a motivating slap in the face for our team, a team that'd only allowed one try scored on us all season. We kicked it into high gear and dominated the 20 minute overtime, winning by a score of 24-17. Watching my teammates hold up that plaque made me feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that I haven't felt in a while. The brutal game and tough play was worth it.
But Playing 100 minutes of rugby was hard on my body, and I'm sure the celebration we had the night after didn't make things much better. I came back that weekend with an aching body and dead on my feet. There wasn't much time to lay around because I had to start all my essays Sunday.
Third, focusing and writing is also a challenge when Rag Week is going on right outside your window. Rag Week, in theory, is a charity week, where portions of money spend on alcohol and concert tickets bought on campus go to a charity of the day. I fully support this tradition, where people can get drunk for a moral and just cause and blow off classes for a week with the understanding of many professors. It's hard to have fun at Rag Week though when you're sick and have five papers to write.
I guess it's the universes' way of telling me to take better care of myself and quite being a procrastinator.

The Sullivans Come to Ireland

It's been about two weeks since I've last written, not because I don't enjoy sharing my little escapades, but simply because I had zero time to sit at my computer and dabble. My parents, brother and boyfriend arrived March 6 for a week of Irish living in the countryside. We rented a cottage in Ardpatrick, a tiny village about 40 kilometers from Limerick. Alice and Michael O'Neil's cottage was a 400-year old structure with a coal stove and a kitchen that I picture when I think of my "grown up house." It is part of a three building estate, complete with farmland, cows, horses, chickens and three of the sweetest dogs I've ever met. The landscape was magnificent, nestled in the hilly terrain in between the ruins of fortified houses and old castles. The only thing that could have been better was the heating — I could literally see my breath as I walked through the house. With electricity being so expensive in Ireland, everything is turned off until the last possible moment and fuel is used in moderation. So with a few extra layers and a stoked coal stove, we called the spacious cottage home for a week.
It made for a good base to travel from, and travel we did. Mom, Dad, Taylor, Nick and I went to Cork, Dublin, Galway and Kilarney, along with a few smaller stops along the way, catching sites like the Blarney Castle, Kilarney National Park and the original Claddagh ring store. We saw old friar hangouts and neo-gothic churches that are scattered throughout the Irish towns and country side. My family also got to see the UL Rugby team and myself play a winning match against Galway; mom was horrified and dad was impressed. We also at at some of the best pubs I've been to so far, with meals like savory Irish stew, bangers and mash, all washed down with sips of Irish coffee creamy Guinness.
Speaking of the black gold, I think my family discovered the best place in Ireland to have a pint and a conversation. The Village Inn, a small pub which my parents stumbled upon during a walk became the keystone to my families stay. It all started when my parents took a walk down the winding roads after we settled in last Saturday. They found the Inn situated in the middle of a town whose school house is home to just five students. They strolled through the front door to find the place packed with people in suits and dresses — yes, my mom and dad had just crashed a wake. They were invited in to join in the celebration of an O'Sullivan whose ashes had been laid to rest that day. They had so much fun in the afternoon they brought us back for more that evening. The owner, Nuala, was welcoming and friendly, inviting us back every night and finally to a sing song Friday event, where village members all over the age of 60 serenaded the tiny pub with traditional Irish music, the inflection and tone of the songs reflecting Irelands sorry, joy and history. That night in Nuala's bar truly made the entire week for my family and I.
On a less tradition, but just as fun note, we celebrated my brother Taylor's 19th birthday. Vodka, Bailey's, tequila, wine and Guinness make for an eventful and entertaining birthday celebration. We capped the week off in Dublin with a night out on the town. I'd say the Sullivan clan did a good job this week in celebrating our Irish roots, and also surviving driving on the other side of the road (with only a few near death experiences.) Slainte!