“The Road So Far…”

The title may have been taken from the series Supernatural… That’s why it’s in quotes… Anyway, I realize that I have been terrible at keeping up with this. Life, although it doesn’t seem like it, has gotten pretty busy around here! There is so much that has happened. I realize that I may have not been travelling as much as other people taking part in study abroad programs have, BUT I have been having as much, if not more at times, fun as they are having. I like moving around, but I also like being comfortable in one place. One of my goals in this study abroad plan was to work on my bravery. I’ve talked to some friends from back home and they’ve told me that I’ve always been brave, but in my opinion, you don’t see how brave you are until you do something like this, especially if you’re me. I’ve always wanted to do something crazy (for me) and take a chance on life. If you would have told me a few years ago that I would actually be living in Ireland, a place I’ve been wanting to visit since I was little, I’m not sure I would have believed you. So doing this, being here for four months, was me being brave, taking a chance, living life.

So, the past few months were… Pretty interesting to say the least. It consisted of MANY trips to the castle ruins (apparently not the the best around, but the only ones I have yet to see within walking distance), climbing around them, attempting not to fall off of the edges and break my neck, running into people you would never think you’d ever run into again (but Ireland is a a small place), seeing people who remind you of people back home, and loads of other things. After my Belfast weekend and my blog then, I got really preoccupied with school, friends, meeting new people, and trying to have some me time in Ireland. I have a group of friends within the IFSA group, but I tend to duck in and out of that group because I like meeting and hanging out with other people too. I have become pretty good friends with a girl in my Restoration and Augustan Literature lecture/tutorial. We had a presentation over John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera. If you get a chance to read or see it (I think there’s a film version with a member of The Who, maybe a different band, can’t really remember, who plays Macheath) I would. I found it interesting and actually pretty funny after you get into it. I also had Flat Stanley with me for a long time (sorry about that…) and he went to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with me and he had a lot of fun. He also got kidnapped by a dragon at the castle ruins…. Poor guy… But he is on his way home!

Flat Stanley’s first bus ride!

Flat Stanley at the Parade on St. Patrick’s Day

There was also the craziness of Rag Week (unless I already wrote about that, in that case it wasn’t as bad as it sounds… Who said anything about a week of basically running into drunk constantly drunk people all week? That was not me!). Then all of the balls! There were a ton! And I don’t mean dances like our Homecoming dance. I mean Balls. People got really dressed up apparently they’re a lot of fun. There have been quite a few, there was one this past week, The First Year’s Ball or something or other. People looked really pretty. I, however, did not go. I decided I didn’t really have anything fancy like that, plus that’s one more thing I’d have to pretend to figure out how to pack and I already have to figure out how to repack everything that I’ve gained while being here. It doesn’t seem like a lot, and admittedly it’s probably not. But, I have gained memories. And those are the hardest to pack into tiny portions and bring back home.  Oh!!! And I went to The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher!! I may have almost fell off the edge of a cliff once… or twice… Note to everyone: Someone clumsy like me should not be near the edge of cliffs. That’s where you fall.. And die.. And that’s not good.

Zoomed in picture of looking off of a cliff (I was sitting on the edge of this cliff… With my feet off of the edge! I’m dangerous!)

At the Cliffs of Moher

At The Cliffs of Moher (absolutely beautiful)

Me at The Burren (one of the cliffs I almost fell off    of…)

The past month or so I’ve run into many people. There has been Mystery Man/Mr. Hottie, whichever you pick (my mom picked Mr. Hottie. I…. may have forgotten his name but felt bad about it, so never asked him what it was) has been seen on multiple occasions, pleasantries were exchanged (and by pleasantries I mean he says hello and I become mute and it seems the only thing I can do is stare back awkwardly and wave), and many people at the International Nights, which has been the venue for most of my Friday nights where I like to people watch and I also love to dance, I’ve run into quite a few people. And if you know me, then you know how much I love dancing. And not just kind of like dancing, I am the person who literally will start dancing in the middle of the street, in the middle of the aisle at the store, AND in the middle of the hallway in every building on campus (except the Chapel… wait… Yeah, except the Chapel, unless anyone else who attempted to stay the night with me that night can prove that I did…)

So I have spent quite a few Friday nights at Stables dancing and meeting new people (along with running into acquaintances.) Last night,, however, was the last International Night at Stables, which was kind of sad, because it was the first place that the IFSA Limerick Gang went our first night here, and it’s the last time we’ll all be together to hang out like that. There were two DJs (one inside and one out) and I actually met a few people! One talked to me for quite a bit, and while my friend and I were dancing this guy was trying to get close to her and she gave me that “HELP” look, so I spent half an hour moving where I was dancing every time he moved to get to her easily (talk about a workout!). That was actually a lot of fun. A few weeks ago I met a few people who are in a local band, Tractor Bomb. I’ve become friends with the lead guitarist/songwriter for the band, and it’s pretty cool. I might even get to see them play before I leave in less than a month! Also ahead of me this month is another night of hanging out with the gang (Brian and some other people that he’s friends with/who are int he band), going to see a sunrise at the “good” castle ruins (Brian says the ones I go to aren’t the coolest one around, there are other ones within walking distance of campus), and Brian said he’d take me to his old county (where he used to live). It’s supposed to be absolutely beautiful, and if he can become somewhat speechless talking about it, then it must be because it takes a lot for him to become speechless.

I also spent Saturday April 13 in Dublin all dressed up and looking nice, walking around the city (with a friend of course, I’m not that brave yet!) and finally finding the Bord Gais Energy Theatre (best known as the Grand Canal Theatre) to see something I’ve been wanting to see since I turned 18 (maybe not that long, but definitely before I turned 21 but had to wait…) and then instantly was teased by my friend  Déaghán (pronounced Dean) for going to see…. The Full Monty!! It was so much fun!!! I spent a lot of my time the week or so before being super excited about going to see it and then I finally got to Dublin and got even more excited. Then walking past The Temple Bar District, walking into a shop that immediately made me blush because we didn’t realize what kind of shop it was until afterwards, walking past a biker gang (which I wanted to get a picture with because that would have been exciting, but decided against it because it could have been a bad thing, plus it would have shown that I am a definite outsider of Dublin), and seeing The Morgan (a hotel and bar/club) right across the street from the biker gang, and finally getting to the theatre.

The Bord Gais Energy Theatre (Grand Canal Theatre)

The Morgan in Dublin

I sat in the theatre and tried not to pee my pants with excitement, and during the play I pretty much laughed constantly, and if you’ve ever seen The Full Monty, then you know how amazing and hysterical it is, and then ending, even better in person (for those of you who know what I’m talking about, I’ll give you more detail when it’s not in my blog, I could give too much information for some of those who would not like to hear it). After the play, which was AMAZING (did I mention that already?) my friend Kyna and I went to Kennedy’s on the corner by the bus stop and grabbed a pint. This pub was pretty cool, it didn’t have the normal pub feel to it (but what is normal, I hardly ever go to the pub to know what the ‘normal’ pub feel is). While we sat there talking and having fun, there were a few people who reminded me so much of people from back home. There was a woman who reminded me of my friend Holland, one that reminded me of this girl I went to high school with, and there was even a guy who kind of looked like Public Safety Officer Vernon (talk about random!!!!)

Next week is Reading Week, which is a full week of no lectures or tutorials and lots of essay writing and studying. I myself have 2 major essays and 3 exams, all ending May 16, which gives me a few days to travel around Ireland and such, then staying a night in Dublin, and then be on my way home May 24!! I’ve had so much fun, and still a little less than a month here, but I’m super excited to come home too. There are a lot of things that I’ve missed, and I can’t wait to have a recap.