Final Days

The time is nearing so closely I can't believe that it is almost time for me to leave, which is only two days left. According to my newly found friends I have changed a lot since they first met me. So, I hope when I return home that this new attitude will continue for the positive. I have also grown more tolerant of people which is a good thing in my eyes. Because of being here I have been able to connect more with my family especially my brother and his girlfriend.. but also it has brought me and my mother close which makes me happy I talk too. Also, I feel that it brought me and my boyfriend closer together and are able to appreciate each other more. I cannot wait to go home but I'm also sad because I am leaving my new friends in Ireland except the ones that I made from Carlow, that I thought I would never be friends but if it wasn't for them I would never be able to get through this trip and I am grateful that I got to know them. 

DECEMBER!!!!!!

Today is December 1st if you guys did not already realize, which means 15ish days until I will be reunited with my mother and family. Before I get to excited about going home I have to buckle down and get some work done. I have one last paper to finish up, that isn't not writing itself like I politely asked it too, 4 finals and a presentation to do before I get ready to pack up and head to the states. I due know one thing that I will have walked away with a better understanding of the world than most people do and know a little bit of the Irish history and some songs to go along with it. On the plus side some of my gifts arrived in the states the other day by ups so now I don't have to worry about them getting broken.
This more an likely will be my last blog until I am back in the states. So wish me luck on my finials I'm going to need it since they are in all essay style format.

THANKSGIVING DAY

Thanksgiving is today back at home. I can't wait for tonight since Sr.Mary is being so nice and inviting us into her home and cooking the whole dinner for about 25 people. There will also be real pumpkin pie and the turkey was just killed and plucked yesterday for our dinner today. Which seems weird to me because I have only had turkey bought at a store and pumpkin pie from a can so it should be interesting since everything was home grown. I can't wait!! I'm actually really exciteed!! even though I won't be able to skype my family because their dinner is happening about the same time my dinner here is happening.

On the depressing note I'm missing the Macy Day parade and Santa clause coming to town part. I missed Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving special.. and also baking all the goodies the night before with my grandma.

23 more days until I am home =)  I can't wait to be back with my family!! I'm so thankful for them and all their support since I decided to study aboard.

One month left

The last few weeks have been sort of busy and sort of me just lounging around due to a massive headache that sparked a couple days ago. However, before all this started I went on a weekend get away with a couple of friends of mine aka my roommate! We went to Cork, but we didn't just stay in Cork, must people went to see the Blarney stone which they are known for and we didn't want to do something that most people wouldn't of think of doing. We caught a train and went to Fota and Cobh. Fota is a wildlife park with free roaming animals but some animals where behind electrical fences that way it was still safe for people to walk through. While there we saw monkeys, got to hear the monkeys do their monkey sounds because they were hungry. We also got to see baby animals as well. They even allowed us to feed the ducks which was fun. After spending what seemed like 20  mins there which really it was an hour or 2. We went on our journey to Cobh which is the last place that the titanic docked before leaving for America. We saw the museum for it which was really cool because it felt life like almost. My roommate and I decided we would spend the rest of the day in Cobh thinking it was a big town and all well that wasn't the case we found a tourist office looked at a map and the center of the city was really only 4 blocks long. So, we decided to see all the different things around town. We went up to this cathedral and looked over to the lake and you could see for miles and it was really pretty. After viewing the cathedral we just sat outside looking over the lake for awhile deciding on what we should do next. Well we just decided that we should go shopping around and head back to Cork. When arriving in Cork the whole city was full of energy and life that it made you feel like you were in a complete different country. We ate at this fancy restaurant that was really good, better than expected.
On the next day we returned back to Carlow. The last week has been pretty uneventful because I have been dealing with a migraine all week and all the over the counter stuff for it isn't working and the weather we have been having hasn't been very helpful either. It has rained for about three days straight now and at home it is snowing which is more of a happy sight than rain.

On a plus note there is only 29 days left until I will be back in the states and back to a normal lifestyle for me once the jet lag is minimal.

Final Field Trip

Friday was our last field trip, the weather was amazing and beautiful. I also did a lot of climbing too. 
The first place that we went to was called Browns Portal tomb, which is known to be the largest stone left in Europe. 

Some irish people say if you walk under it right that you will get good luck, other say its bad luck if you walk underneath it all. So, I decided instead of finding out which luck I would get I decided to climb it. 

Me and Shawna on the rock! Photo was taken while I still inch my way up to the top. The view was amazing you could actually see the morning mist, and a lot of farm land! 

Our next stop was off to a chocolate factory called the chocolate garden, where we learned how the chocolate was made and processed. We also got to try samples of each white, milk and dark chocolate. After the learning process was done we got to make our own molds of chocolate!!!

Then after that we went to a mall place and had lunch. They had their christmas stuff up and it made me miss home more then I already do, because Christmas is a big deal for my house trying to find all the things for it and putting them in their stockings. The tree is always the best part because we have to move furniture around to get it in the middle. However, I found nothing that I liked to buy for my grandma yet :( maybe when we go to Dublin again I will. 

After that we went to Ring of Rath which was fun. It is this ring that is huge and people can only go in the second and first ring because it has been excavated yet. They had electrical fences up so people would  go off and steal or tamper with anything. Also, during which we did a panoramic of the whole group where two people where in two different places in the photo. 

Hopefully I will get more pictures up for this post! But that will have to be later in the week. 

As far as my weekend went it was an emotionally roller coaster. But on the bright side I got to play world of warcraft with my boyfriend a couple times. I also stayed up until 3am one night to play Smartass the board game which I won because I used google to look up the answers, and we played uno, that game I lost at because I think my sister-in-law was cheating. 

Not much is happening the rest of the week expect for the weekend where my roommate and I are going to go to Cork. We want to see Cobh, it is the last place that the Titanic ported before going down.  Other than that we probably will look for free things to do. Hopefully it will be fun. Also, something else that I forgot to mention, we decided to put up postie notes across our room on how many days we have left. Yeah, that might sound depressing but in away it is helping us get through this time. If you were wondering it is down to 40 days. 

Hopefully the time will keep going by fast I'm ready to be appreciative of the things I have at home. 

Update!

There was no Friday field trip on the 21st. So instead Alicia and I went to Dublin with Sister Mary, to go see where Sr. Catherine McAuley was buried. We also got the full tower of the convent there as well. While there we got to see a wall that had plates, that had places/people who donate to them.

Then I spent the whole weekend by myself because they either went home or on a trip. So, I got no sleep at all.. it also rained for three days straight so I didn't do much but sit around go to class and watch it rain. 

 this the river in town after it stopped raining. 

Thursday night we decided to carve pumpkins trying to keep our culture well alive here. 

Alicia's is the one that looks amazing while mine looks like a four year old did it. then we ate the pumpkin seeds after baking them. 

Now it is Friday and our field trip was back to Dublin, to visit the jail, the book of kells and sometime type of museum that I don't remember what it is called. Then we came home sat around and ate pizza and I tried to learn how to open a glass bottle with a knife, I failed every time. 

Now we are on Sunday which is PJ PARTY DAY!!! and maybe ordering out..uploading photos and playing video games today. 

47 more dayz!!

Kilkenny

The fourth excursion happened last Friday on the 14th we went to KilKenny. I got to see a really old castle that was in the Bulter family for centuries until the last family to live in it went bankrupted and sold everything away. Then in about the 1900's the family gave it to the government to fix up and have it shown to the public. But we weren't allowed to take a pictures so I have none of the castle. The next stop was a brewery called Smithswix and again wasn't allowed to take photos of everything just somethings, after the tour we got a free drink. Then we went to a Cathedral  that was so beautiful. I also got to climb up a round tower, I was scared going up and then I was terrified when I go to the top because I was soo high and the rocks were uneven that it felt like you were falling which I didn't like at all. But here is a picture of the view. 

Last Friday

Last Friday we took a trip to Glendalough which is one of the most spiritual places here. It was cold but it was beautiful at the same time. But it was always really breath taking on how much which is where the post before came from.
I got to see a round tower that was still standing and let me tell you the thing made you dizzy when you looked straight up it because the clouds where moving. I got to see another church that was still standing along with some special places where people worshiped. Also, got to climb a tree that nearly ripped my ACL in my knee or maybe some groin muscle but I did successfully get up on the tree.

(successfully on the tree)

After that we climbed up this mountain to see a waterfall that was beautiful. After that we went to see the other lake which had swans in it. Also, there was this puppy that ran in the water trying to catch a duck which was pretty funny. Oh on our way to this place I got to see wild sheep that were not scared of anything and didn't move if a car drove past either which was different for me to see. However, the only downfall in these excursions is that I wish we could take a slower past I don't see why we have to rush to see everything before a certain time. That way I could enjoy more things and taken in more as well. 

The feeling inside

There is one thing that I have learned from this experience, it is how much I actually appreciate the people around me even if they don't know that much about me because I shut myself off to them because i thought i wasn't going to fit in with them. Being here in another country has made me realize how much i do fit in with my dysfunctional family and how much I love having family dinners and everyone sitting around the table talking about their day.

 I also realized how much I depend on my cell phone to communicate with them. Since, it is the only way besides the internet that I can stay in touch with friends when I am always on the go.  It is really hard to stay in touch with people when you are five hours ahead of them and you are used to talking to them every second of the day. I’m even finding myself wanting to talk to people I haven’t talked to in a long time.

I guess I'm trying to say is that I'm happy with my decision on coming to Ireland because of the fact it has made me realize that even though you give them a hard time, you fight with them a lot, or you can't forgive them about something. You do forgive them in the long run because that is what you do when you love someone and care for them.

Also, I’m beginning to find myself in all of this and who I am now and maybe what I want out of this experience in the long run. Going to all these different places where churches use to be actually has made me realize how much I am out of touch with the Lord, and I’m actually finding myself wanting to learn more and rekindle that flame. When I get home I am planning on going to a mission trip to Alaska with my family and I hope it goes through because I’m really excited for it.

P.S. about 9 weeks left, 69 days to be exacted and about 78 days until Christmas. 

Field Trip 2

Last Friday I went on another excursion with my mates from America and we went to Wexford and where they shot Saving Private Ryan beach scene. Personally I tried my best to enjoy the trip to Wexford national historic but I honestly didn't like it. I think the reason I didn't like it because it wasn't the actual real places it was just rebuilt to have a museum; and there will not be any pictures this week because I only took a couple.

I did enjoy the view at the beach but it just felt like another beach because I live by one so, it wasn't that great besides the weather sucked to be at the beach it was raining and windy.

Hopefully Glandalough will be a lot better and Sister Mary is planning on doing a retreat just like back at home so I'm kind of looking forward to it.

Until next time,
Andie

Thursday Night

Once again we went on our Friday field trips but this time we went to Wexford and to where Hollywood shot the beach scene in Saving Private Ryan. But before all of this on Thursday night instead of going out to watch the local traditional Irish band play, I decided to stay in. I'm kind of glad I chose to stay in because I noticed more on how Irish college students away from parents act, they act just the same as American college students. But on that particular night students were jumping off of the mini roof onto box springs mattresses and then after getting a little more drunk. They decided that it would be a good idea to get rid of them by lighting them on fire instead of just throwing them back into the trash bin where they originally found them. Once they started lighting it on fire people started to disappear so they wouldn't get into trouble and one of the neighbors called the local fire department. So, I got to see how the operate and it felt just like home were it was all volunteer and that they take just as long as over in America. Other Irish students started to gather just like bystanders also when the fire department showed up.  The next thing I know the Garda (police men) are showing up to investigate and the lady who owns it was with them. So, I also got to see how the police operate here too. The only thing I noticed differently from home is that they don't break down the doors and they don't carry guns which I thought was odd but I guess they have a way that they handle things here with out guns. While all of this was going on normally people disband and keep going on their little marry way not these college students someone made a pot of tea and passed it out to everyone who wanted it that stuck around to see if the guys who set it on fire got arrested. However, nobody got taken away in handcuff that night but they did get kicked out and fined pretty bad. So, much better than going out to an Irish pub.

It's start to be a beautiful day

My days here are starting to look up I'm starting to feel more comfortable being here and less homesick then the first couple weeks here. I don't if is because I actually started to make an effort with other people or I started feeling more I'm doing this for me and I'm going to have a grand time doing it or what I really don't know which option to tell you; except this I'm starting to get to know my roommates for who they are now and not drag up the whole life long history that will come in time. I'm starting to get to know the neighbors that come over for dinner almost every day now, all because I made the effort to leave the bedroom and go out into the living room and making myself available to them to talk to me. Aisling and Lisa totally understood that I was trying to wrap my head around what did I just get myself into and what, they were more than welcoming me to hang out cook dinner for me and so forth. I can honestly say that I am starting to make friends with them which make me really happy. It is really nice that the other American girls are here to support me and starting become a little more like family each day. I know this is a ramble blog but I just need to get all my feelings down on something and this is probably one of the best places for it and also expressing to the people around you.

Until next,

Andie 

P.S. wexford and saving private ryan beach is this weeks field trip I'm pretty excited since I love that movie!

All Great weekends must come to end

These past few days have been grand.  Friday morning came around and my very first field around Ireland was beginning at 9 o’clock sharp.  We as in all the American students piled into the bus for the first stop which was The Browneshill Dolmen and killeshin Romanesque doorway. 

(whats left of the church and the doorway)

The door was amazingly designed and it had for different layers to it and also on each layer was different designs in the stone itself. The church that the door led into was built in the 5^th century and was still around until about 1703 when it was destroyed. 

After we spent time exploring and looking through the window out into the country our next stop on the magical journey back into time was The Dancing Boards where the miners met to come together for picnics and to just dance enjoy themselves and have a grand time with one another. A little fact about the miners, they befriended the rats because when the mine was going to flood the rats would start running to safety which the miners used as their alarm system so they also could get to a safer place. Since the mine was most famous for flooding. This place had one of the most amazing views I saw since I have been in Ireland.  

(the view from the dancing boards)

Then it was off to the Milford lock which was interesting because they would use the river to transport goods to different places. Also, over the years the water has been so strong that it has actually pushed the ground down under the bridge that when it floods, the water goes up and over the road and no one can drive through the water.

Last spot until lunch time seemed to take forever because one of the priests was explaining everything. When you actually looked at the time and thought about all the places we had been so far it wasn’t really explained in depth as much as the priest did, we had more time to look around at the other spots. But anyways it was a church that had a lot of history to it and many different styles that were built on it over the centuries. Also, we got to walk up the tower which had really small steps even though I was scared that I was going to fall I thought that was pretty cool. 

(the tower we went up in)

The next stop on this journey I don’t even remember what it was called but it was a graveyard where catholic and christens were buried side by side. Also, there was a penal alter where they would met in secret and they would have a look out to signal when one of the kings enforcers were coming and when they were coming the priest and everyone else just flee to get away so they wouldn’t get caught. I got to see where some of the monks slept and just different levels of buildings also. 

(the view from the penal alter)

The very last spot was to Ducketts Grove which has a really interesting story behind it. It was featured on of the shows where they are trying to find ghost and what not I can’t remember the name of it.  But some believe that there is a banshee that followed the Duckett family and if you heard the scream someone in that family would die. But I’m not going to go into full detail of the family so here is a link that you can go to if you are more interested. http://www.duckettsgrove.eu/

(the one side of the Ducketts Grove)

The rest of my weekend was amazing because I ended up going to Galway but I’m just going to keep that experience to myself. All I’m going to say about it is that there is also a different tone it different cities that you go to just like in the states. 

End of the week

I survived my first week of classes all in all it was a good week the beginning of the week started off  rocky but the end of the week was much better especially since it ends with traditional Irish music at Teach Dolmain tonight and a field trip around Carlow County tomorrow.  All my classes seem fun except one because I really don't think he has ever had American students in his class before however, once the weeks go on it may turn out to be a fun class.

Until tomorrow,
Andie

First day of Class

Today was my first day of class at St. Pat’s college, all morning long I literally was saying the scene from Finding Nemo where Nemo is ready for school and he is waking his dad up. Anyway, Alicia (my roomie) and I arrived to school early to find our classroom Barry Hall; we found it after asking for directions from one of the professors. It was an okay start until it got to be about 11 o’clock and people just started pouring in; it was like wow what’s going on there was about 70 students in the classroom or lecture hall. It was a complete different feeling that I didn’t like at all because of the small classroom sizes and that is one of the reasons I went to carlow because I didn’t want to feel like i was a nobody or a number and I feel like it is going to be exactly like that. But when I got the reading list I looked down at it and I was like I already took this class, I felt so dumb that I didn’t notice it before I approved with my advisor good thing we have a week to window shop. So, after class I had to go off and find a new class at a different time the only good thing is that now I still have a three day weekend. 

The fourth Day!

Okay so this is my fourth day in Ireland, I was able to go grocery shopping without getting homesick terribly. We went to the convent a couple days ago and it was a grand old time, the sister we so nice and the were willingly to tell us everything about the convent and how Carlow University sisters convent was even founded and what actually happened in Ireland as they were leaving. It kind of felt like just stories passed down from sister to sister instead of reading it in the history books or something.

                                                 (the convent, where the sisters live)

They showed us almost the whole convent. they even let us try on a couple stuff from sister mary's trip to Pakistan. After all the touring around we even got served tea and food. I drank some of my tea and just set it aside and the sisters where all over me asking why i wasn't drinking it, and then i told them I'm not a big tea drinker. So, they made me a cup of hot coco with a hint of mint and the sister felt bad because she thought she made it wrong because I sat there and just got the extra clumps. But it was diffently a grand time to go and see where are founder of the convent came from.

That night we also went out to a Irish pub and listen to traditional music it was really coool. They have it every Thrusday night so I'm pretty sure we will all be going back there. This dude that played a buhgaga thingy said he gives lessons out too and he pointed to me and was like your a drummer which I thought was really weird.

Well, today we are off to see the Carlow Castle... Will write soon.

First day.

Okay so I'm not going to lie I cried all night yesterday because i felt home sick and actually wanted to go home the very next day and even decided to change my flight and i told about 3 people that i wanted to leave. My roommate ashley talked to me and was able to calm down and said pretty much the same thing as my mom would say to me. I can see why some of the people from upstairs call her mommy.
  But after today and hanging around with some of the other girls from carlow and some from st. anbrus, I feel a lot better and I'm glad i didn't go home. I can say one thing they call things differently then us and it gets really confusing at times. like they call the trash can a bin. fries are called chips and chips are are called crisp. there is a different accents of the Irish people that are from carlow are really easy to understand. But my roommate Lisa accents is really heavy and hard to understand she said bath last night and i thought she said bat. It will be a couple weeks of getting use too.
I know its going to get better from here and there are a lot of people behind me and I am very thankful for all of them.

Layover in Toronto

I successfully made it to Toronto, now I just got to wait until about 820 or 2020 here to start boarding my plane to Ireland. The flight here was my very first time I have ever flown ever, reaction I made it seem a lot worst in my head that it was, the plane was very small and didn't seem that bad and I passed over my hometown. But what really help is this dude Ryan that I met in the Pittsburgh airport in the kid zone because they had the only good view of the airplanes. But he was really good about just keep me talking that I wouldn't think about the flight and think about it as a long roller coaster ride and he even made sure I knew where my gate was here in Toronto. But before we even got on our plane we where sitting there watching a plane pull up and we were like that is totally our plane because it was big and seemed like a really great plane to travel 223 miles in however that was not the case at all. The very next plane was really small that we had to go down the stairs out on to the runway because it was so small that the terminal thing to walk out on to the plane was way to big for it. and we got pretzels and pop on the plane i thought it was kind of funny that they were serving canda dry only pop.
Hopefully my flight to ireland will at least have leg room. can't wait for others to get here so im not alone.

A week left in the States

Well there is less then a week left until my departure date to Ireland. All I know is that my suitcase is mainly packed just need to add a few things and pack my carrier on bag. I am excited but mainly nervous because of the fact I have never flown in an airplane before let alone out of the country. Today I also got my euros from the bank my first thought was they looked funny and small compared to the U.S. dollar bills.

5 1/2 day until I leave as of right now, I guess since I'm counting.. I'm quietly being excited =)