A Little Taste of Home

Wexford, Ireland...typically not a very touristy destination when one visits, but all the same filled with interesting things to see, extra friendly people and great places to relax with your buds. Kate and I went home with my friend from the rugby team, Leah, to stay with her family for the week at their home in Wexford, an area famous for their strawberries and home of the former capital of Ireland centuries ago.
There were ruins, castles and cemeteries to explore. There were homemade desserts and steaks to be eaten. There were parents, friends and family to chat with. Not to mention there was a comfortable bed, clean floors and comfortable couches to lounge on. Everything about the weekend was relaxing and we spent most of it in our comfortable sweats sipping tea and chatting around Leah's kitchen island. It seemed like a real taste of Irish life, but it also made me remember my life back home, my family and friends.
With only one week left of my European study abroad experience, this weekend really made me appreciate what's important and what I'm looking forward to the most about coming home. Many thanks to Leah and her mom and dad (Robby and Hazel), for letting us share a lovely weekend at their home!

Should I Stay or Should I Go

Today I talked to Emily, one of my best friends from home for the first time in a long time, and as much I've been dreading leaving Ireland, all my new friends (especially Michelle Claffey and the UL LR ladies (: ), and my bum-like lifestyle, our catch up session made me realize how much I have to look forward too when I return to the States. Between job prospects, visiting with old friends, playing rugby, sitting down for home-cooked family dinners, and getting back to the Pennsylvania region, I've got a lot to be excited about.
Although I plan on returning to my mediocre jobs as a professional ice maker and dish bitch, I'm making other plans for bigger and better things for the upcoming semesters. With loads of jobs in the writing field being advertised and encouraged through Penn State's College of Communications, I think I will have many opportunities to pick up writing gigs next semester. I'm also excited and a little nervous about my new position at the Daily Collegian this summer. As the new Copy Desk Chief, I'm in charge of the headlines and cutlines that make the paper, and looking over the final edit before the paper is printed. It's a lot more responsibility than my former reporting jobs, but I'm thrilled with the challenge. It should make for great experience, not to mention it will look amazing on my real job resume. Also I'm excited to hang out with my friends for the summer!
When I return I know I'm going to miss Ireland like crazy, but the one thing that is going to make my transition to the States a little easier is rugby. I hope to play at PSU, and although I haven't heard back from the coach yet, I want to take part in summer training session and hopefully a touch team. Not only will it remind me of Ireland, it will hopefully whip my fat ass back into shape. The guinness and hot chicken rolls have not been kind to me this semester!
But most importantly, I'm excited to see my family, boyfriend and friends again. My experiences abroad have been amazing and it was one the best things I've ever done, but I can't wait to get home and share it with everyone! I'm already planning a date with my boy, a meal with my parents, a bar crawl with my buddies and a girls night when I get back to the 814 I call home.
I'm sad that my time in Ireland is coming to an end, but really it's the beginning — the beginning of a new chapter, a new start and a new attitude to take back to my old life.

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.