From Ireland to Iowa in a Few Short Days

Adjusting back to Iowa life has been surprisingly easy, yet hard at the same time. I have only been back for a week now and I feel like it has been so much longer. Immediately, I jumped back into the old lifestyle: going to a swim meet, playing with the dogs, driving my car, and running to my bridge. I also started work and class within the first 2 days I was home. Who needs to recover from jet lag or sleep deprivation, when you have hours of work and catching up to do. It was no nice and slow welcome home. I was met by the full force of the American way. New York City may be known as the city that never sleeps, but I have come to realize that America is the country that never sleeps. No matter how early or how late, there will always be someone else driving on the road. Trust me, the last few days I have experienced this first hand. The country is always moving; it never sleeps.

Now that I'm back and trying to catch up on all the things I pushed aside until I got 'home', I feel like I never sleep. The hectic last few days have made it hard for me to come to terms with the fact that my semester abroad is officially over. I haven't had to time to sit and think about all the implications this has on my life. All I know is that it feels as if a part of my life is missing. The part that was filled by the friends I made and the culture that I grew to love. The part of my life that knew Belfast as 'home'.

I have put 'home' in quotes throughout my post because this semester solidified my view that 'home' is where the heart is. Some people search all over the world to find a place they can call 'home'. I am fortunate to have a few. My heart has always loved Perry as it grew and matured there. My heart learned to love Cedar Rapids with all the trials and joy that I experienced while in the middle-eastern part of the state. However, these last few months my heart has grown attached to yet another 'home'. This home has it's own special place in my heart as it is so unique. It is not only unique because at the beginning it was thousands of miles away from everyone I knew and oceans apart from everyone I loved. It is unique because this was a home I built on my own.

The foundation was built by curiosity. It was laid years ago when I met my first exchange student and I became determined to study abroad myself one day. The framing and structure of the house were built by my faith. Even though the foundation is the beginning of all houses the frame holds the whole house together. Faith is the most important of all the building blocks. Even though I flew out knowing no one, I did know one thing: God was guiding my path. I knew there was a reason I was going where I was. The floor is laid on my foundation and is the fortune I was given by being born who I was. The foundation wouldn't be much if there wasn't a floor to walk on. The blessings I have merely because of my birth are what have allowed me to walk the path I do. Without this fortune as an American I might not have the ability to indulge my curiosity and travel to experience new cultures. The walls were constructed while I was in Belfast and they represent the people I met that turned the city into a 'home'.

Both other places are a 'home' because my family and friends reside in these places. The mere mention of the city evokes feelings of nostalgia synonymous with those evoked when a loved one's name is mentioned. The place has become somewhere I love because of all the memories and relationships I have made there. The city has become a 'home' because my heart loves the people who are there and the places that I have shared memories with them.

Belfast started as just another city to me, but has evolved into a place that I call 'home'. It is a place that I miss; however, just like the other two cities it is not a 'home' merely because of its location. It is a 'home' because of the people I grew to love and the memories that I made there. One of the hardest parts about coming back to Iowa was knowing I could never go back to my 'home' in Belfast. All that remains is the abandoned house. No other occupants remain, but the house itself still echos with memories. The part in my heart which calls Belfast 'home' longs to go back; however, I know there would be nothing to go back to except for empty memories.

Yesterday I heard "Nothing but a Memory" by Miranda Lambert and I felt the song pretty much mirrored my feelings. She sings about a house that is no longer her 'home'. It still holds all the old memories, but the people who made them are gone.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself
if I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory

I know that I will never be able to go back to my 'home' in Belfast as I knew it. The walls will have changed and I might not even recognize it. But the little bit of hope that I hold onto is that I can still visit those whom I loved and that possibility is all I have to heal the brokenness I feel. Nothing can bring back the experience I had, and likewise nothing can stop me from visiting those who I grew to love for with each of them is a little bit of home and therefore a little bit of my heart.

The End of the Journey

As I listened to the Irish music in the pub tonight I was once again brought back to the reality that in a few short days I will no longer be treading amongst these rolling hills of Ireland. A roller coaster of emotion flooded over me as I started to think of all the memories I made in just a few short months.

I have grown close with many who were mere strangers 5 months ago. Had I walked past them on the street at Christmas I would not have been able to pick them as the people whom I would now call friends for life. In 4 short months I have not only become friends with students from all over the states, but all over the world. Before I have even left Ireland, I am already planning trips to see them. I grew close to these students in such a short time because they were similar souls. I will miss many things about these new friends. I will miss how open-minded and accepting they were. I cannot remember ever excluding someone from going out with us. I will miss how unmaterialistic they were. I have never been a shopper, and those who I grew closest with shared the same feelings of disdain for shopping. I will miss their curiosity for learning new things or exploring 'uncharted' territory. The weekend trips and the intellectual conversation about other cultures will be greatly missed.

I will not only miss the people I have grown to love but the culture as well. I will miss the carefree spirit of the European lifestyle. Most times, I have thoroughly enjoyed the mindset of "If I don't get it done today, I will get it done tomorrow." I liked that it wasn't a get 100 things done a day stressful atmosphere, but a more relaxed get as much done as you can type of feel. I will greatly miss the Irish music which could be heard nightly at a pub downtown. I think I will have to try and find the 'irish' pub when I get to Cedar Rapids. Fortunately, I will not have to miss the friendly culture of Irish people as Midwesterners are known for their hospitality as well. I will also miss how environmentally friendly Ireland was. There were recycling bins all over the place, heaters only ran during optimal times, and most people used reusable grocery bags. I feel America can greatly improve their environmental efforts, but that movement must start within the culture not the government. So I urge you to start taking your grocery bags with you to the store, recycle more bottles in the bins, and consider how much impact you personally are having on the environment.

I will miss the island as a whole. I will miss the gorgeous green I saw everyday I walked the streets to class. The flowers which add color to my days in Botanic Gardens. I will even miss the rain I cursed as I walked back from the library. I will miss being able to travel among the rolling hills of Ireland. The waves crashing on the coast. The sun shining through the clouds. And the occasional rainbow after the showers. I will also miss the ease to which I can travel to other areas of the world from the island. It was so nice having the cheap airlines to get me to and from other areas of Europe.

There are a lot of things that I will miss about Ireland. But as I prepare to leave the island I have grown to love, I know that it will always be in my heart as this wave of nostalgia will flow each time I see a shamrock or hear the familiar tunes..

Oh Ireland, I will miss thee.

Do Your Eyes See the World or Just the Developed World?

Many emotions were evoked today as I landed in Belfast for the last time while I still call it home. I know that I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Ireland and will definitely be walking in Irish rain at another point in my life. But I cant seem to get past the fact that THIS time in my life, my time as an Irish citizen, is almost over.

In 8 days I am done with my exams for Queens. In 13 days Nadine gets here. In 16 days my family gets here. And in 19 days I say good-bye to the last of my Ireland friends to depart.

Time is a funny thing. It goes slow when you want it to go fast and flies by when all you want is a few extra seconds to revel in the moment. My time here has gone by fast in some regards and slow in others.

As I stated in my last post, it is weird being an ocean away from everyone I have ever known and loved. It was weird knowing that my friends were walking across the stage at graduation and will never walk the campus as students again. I am soon to be a senior in college now. Where has the time gone? It was hard knowing 3 of my best friends were going out to lunch and would see a belly which has grown so much in the 4 months I have been gone. Our conversations are no longer at sleepovers where we talk about boys and crushes, but at lunch dates where we talk about babies and weddings. When did I grow up? It is unreal to be talking to my brother and his fiance about their house. And how my other brother hosted Easter brunch at his. Wasn't it just a few moments ago when we all lived under the same roof and I was known as Finneseth's little sis?

And amongst all the change there still remains some things that stay the same. I will always call those who are now known as Coe alum my friends. I will always have my girlfriends from home to call upon when I need a ear to listen or shoulder to cry on. My siblings and I will never live under one roof again but the bonds that were made because we did will never be broken.

Just as things have changed while I was gone, I too have not remained stagnant. I have also grown and changed in many ways. I have learned the importance of experiencing another culture and have also realized that even though I have immersed myself in another culture it is not so far from the one I know. And to truly see how the majority of the world lives I must go to a developing country. I have learned that this is something I have always felt called to do. A portion of me has always been a traveler at heart, but the larger portion seeks to improve the lives of others. In my adventures abroad and in reading the book "Half the Sky" by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, I have officially decided to combine the two portions of my heart. This life path will make me happy, this is what I was meant to do.

I truly feel that I am called to use my fortune from being born in a developed country to help those in the developing world. What sets me apart from the woman sitting in Africa other than the place I was born? So then I ask why does this make me more important?

If you feel I am being conceited in saying that I am more important than a woman in a developing world, I would agree with you. However, this is not my opinion but that of a greatly skewed society. Americans as a whole are well educated and rarely stress over the true necessities in life. However, even though we are educated we are only educated in our own world, not the world. We see the world through the eyes of a developed country without realizing that 82% of the world live in developing countries. We, my friends and family, are blessed. And we are blessed merely because we were born in a developed country.

1. I am blessed that I can sleep in my own room at night. Most people in developing countries share a one room hut with their whole family. I have my own room.
   
2. I am blessed to have my own car. Most people walk miles each day for water, a necessity in life. I hop in my car to get ice cream, not a necessity.
3. I am blessed to have food and water at my disposal. Most people never consume as much food in a week as I have in my fridge.
4. I am blessed to be educated. Most women in third world countries have limited educational opportunities and university is extremely rare.
5. I am blessed to have the choice to marry whom I wish and when I want. Most women in developing countries are married by the age of 16 and many do not have a choice as to who they are married to.
6. I am blessed to have the opportunity to choose when I start my family. Most women in developing countries have had at least 3 pregnancies by my age. This is much more of a blessing then a mere choice as to when to start a family. In Sub-Saharan Africa 1 in 7 labors result in maternal fatality. I am blessed to be alive.
   

The list could go on and on but I feel these 6 give you a greater understanding as to why I feel it is my duty to help give the basic human rights to those who weren't born into them. I hope that by reading my blog, I might inspire you to start your own journey of giving back to those in need. I would greatly recommend the book "Half the Sky" to anyone who wants to be inspired more and to open their eyes to the world out there, not just the world they see. If you want a more immediate way to help, my friend Mitchell Lincoln is doing missionary work in Rwanda and his uncle is going to visit him with suitcases full of equipment for the school Mitchell is working with. If you want to send some things with Mitchell's uncle he is asking that you purchase the items off amazon from Mitchell's wishlist this week so they get to his house in time.

I hope I inspired a journey in you. For we, my loved ones, are blessed.

Far in Miles But Near in Heart

Today, many of my friends graduated from COE. They are closing one chapter in their lives and beginning a new one. It is an exciting time in their life, one they will never forget. And as those friends walked across the stage, many miles and an ocean away, I was thinking of them. I wished with all my heart that I could be there with them. Cheering them on as they walked the final few steps of their college career. Instead, I was sitting in Belfast thinking of all the things I will miss next year.

Next year I will miss the boys texting me at 11:30 to see if I want to grab a beer. I will miss ladies night at the Moose with the girls of 2010. I will miss the random nights of drinks and fun that we shared. I will miss many things about the class of 2010, but with all my heart I wish them a pleasant beginning to their new journey.


The best tribute I could think of is this column article written by Mary Schmich in 1997 for the Chicago Tribune, which was made into the "Sunscreen Song."

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…

Our Barcelona Break

3 canceled flights

9 extra days
280 dollars
Experiences in Barcelona..

If I was to be completely honest, I would reveal that we weren't exactly thrilled when we found out our vacation got extended. Each time our flight got canceled, which happened 3 times, we were disappointed to not be going home and to be "stuck" spending more money on a vacation we hadn't planned on. At the time, it was hard to justify spending the money in Barcelona when we were hoping to use it to go to other places like Edinburgh. We also missed a whole week of classes which stressed us out even more since it meant we would have even more coursework to make up.

But when I look back on the extra time we spent in Barcelona I can come up with many reasons why I am glad we had that time.

First, we met so many amazing people that we never would have met if we had left Barcelona on the 16th like we were supposed to. Even if we would have gotten on the second or third flight we would have missed out on meeting some of the people we did. We met another Massachusetts Sean who helped to keep our Belfast Sean company since he had been amongst girls for 3 weeks. We had to start referring to Belfast Sean as Sean 1 and Manchester Sean as Sean 2 just to make it less confusing since Sean 2 became an integral part of our group. He stayed with us up until the end, when we parted ways for the airport. We met Aaron and Brian who were two missionaries that we had many talks about life and the need for the church to change its approach towards faith in the youth generations. Ben was a guy from California who graduated early and used the month from his last semester to transverse Europe. The 3 Brit boys never failed to amuse us. You would think Brits and Americans would be very similar. But nope, we could never agree on the rules for card games, even UNO!

Second, we got to truly know Barcelona. The first two days we were there we did as much as we could because we thought that was all we were going to see of Barcelona. Because of this we didnt really have much touristy things left to do for the following 9 days that we were in Barcelona. This meant that we explored areas of Barcelona that tourists might never have found. One example is the second hand English book store that we spent a good hour in one day. We also got to see the Magic Fountain which is truly spectacular. The shows are only on Friday and Saturday nights so we only got to see them since the flight was canceled. The show synchronizes the fountain with lights and music. It is definitely a must see in Barcelona. The Park Guell is also another must see in the city! It was like a real life Candy Land or Hansel and Gretel Candy Cottage!

Third, we got to see Montserrat. Montserrat is a monastery built in the mountains of Spain about an hour away from Barcelona. The view from the monastery was breathtaking! I could have sat on the mountaintop for hours just taking in the scenery. It was interesting to think of all the monks who used to climb all the way up the hillside to get to the monastery. Once you go up, I doubt you came back down. But just the shear dedication to get to the top is impressive.

Fourth, we got to experience Barcelona during Sant Jordi. It is like a Catalone Valentines Day in Barcelona. The men get their significant other a rose and the women get the men a book. Ironically that was the day we went to the second hand book store. I jokingly took Sean 2's book and gave it to him so that he was "given" a book on that day. One interesting observation that we made was that people seemed to expect the gift and it didn't really even seem like an act of love but an expected act. But on the other hand we decided it made it easier on the guys. All they had to do was get a single rose for their woman and not have to worry about coming up with something creative and original that beat the previous year.

Fifth, I already miss the relaxation of not having anything to do. Last night when I was lying in bed with the list of things I had to do running through my mind, I wished I could go back to the peace of Barcelona. It is amazing how relaxing it is knowing you have nothing to do the next day except for read a book and maybe wander around the city.

Sixth, I got to make tons of memories and spend extra time with my American friends. I figured this paragraph would be best done in a bullet format.

• We had Tinto de Verano and Principe cookies almost every night because it was cheap and soo good.
• We watched around 6 movies while in Barcelona, which served as good bonding time.
• We relaxed on the beach a few days and I soaked up the sound of waves since I don't get to hear that as often as all the others since I am in the Midwest.
• We learned a little more about each other.
• The memories and experiences we now have..
  

Priceless

Oh Eyjafjallajokull..

Today is Sunday April 18th 2010. I have not had consistent internet so you will have a lapse in my travels until I get back to Belfast to fill it in. I figured it would be better to blog about what is happening now since it was a drastic change in our travels that all of you should be made aware of if you dont already know. We are stranded in Barcelona Spain because Volcano Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland erupted on Thursday cancelling our plans of returning to Belfast on Friday morning.

We got the news via a text message from aer lingus informing us that our flight was cancelled due to volcanic ash in the air. We had received a text earlier from a friend asking if our flight was cancelled too and we were quite confused. Once we got this text the pieces all fell together. We were stuck in Barcelona for at least 3 more days. We were tired, dirty, and travel worn but we had a few more days ahead of us. We found a place to stay and then started researching what was left to see for free in Barcelona.

Friday we went to Park Guell, which was designed by Gaudi the famous architect. The park was really awesome and started to made me feel better about the extra few days in Barcelona. We got some pasta and fruit to eat in the hostel and then went to see the Magic Fountain. The Magic Fountain was amazing! It was so awesome watching the water burst in unison with the music and lights. You should watch this Magic Fountain youtube video to full appreciate what I saw that night. After that show I was feeling even better about my unexpected time in Barcelona.

The next morning we had the best hostel breakfast we had ever had! It was so impressive that I am blogging about it! That should say enough! I had muffins with powder ontop and chocolate on the inside. They were so good! I also snuck out a kiwi and banana for later. We then went to Montserrat, a monestary in the mountains about an hour away from Barcelona. The view from the mountains around there was truly inspiring. I forgot how mountains can make you feel so humble, especially when you are surrounded by crosses on the hillside and a monastery in sight.

The monastery itself was impressive as it was build into the actual hillside. How the builders got up there in the first place is still a mystery to me. We took cable cars all the way to the top and the incline was very rugged and steep so I cannot imagine how hard it must have been. Once you came up, you rarely if ever came down.

That night we returned to Barcelona and found where our bus for the airport left from. We were going to catch the bus in a few hours and then sleep in the airport Saturday night to save some money since our flight was Sunday morning.

Unfortunately, we received yet another text message from aer lingus stating that our second flight was also cancelled. We started the cycle again. We were at first upset because we were tired, dirty, and ready to be home. We went to a local internet cafe and researched our options. We found ferries that could get us across the ocean to Belfast but we couldnt find an easy way to get to the cities where the ferry left.

After searching for awhile we decided to go as the people at the train station what our best option was. As we were standing in the information line a man infront of us told us about the French train strike. We were now stuck in Spain with buses as our only form of transportation out of Barcelona. After talking it over we decided that financially it was still a better idea to stay in Barcelona and lay on the beach everyday and wait for Wednesday to come when we would hopefully board a plane.

So today we just relaxed at the hostel since it was cloudy and windy outside. Sean and I went to the Picasso museum because it was free on Sunday! That was a nice perk since the others paid for it earlier in the week and we had decided not to to save money. But we still got to see it and didnt have to pay anything. I will have to say it was interesting seeing Picasso´s work and he is an amazing artist, but I am not a huge art lover. I would much rather go hiking or to the beach so I am still happy that I decided to spend 4 hours on the beach earlier in the week than pay for the museum.

We have met many other travelers that are in the same predicament. Some have found ways out, mainly via buses, but most are waiting around until Wednesday hoping that the ashes clear. So as we sit in Barcelona and wait for the ashes to clear, I ask you to pray for all us stranded souls that we find the best in our unexpected adventure and get home safe, yet soon.

Memories in Munchen

We arrived in Munich on Saturday April 10th 2010. I was soo excited to see Jakob, my best guy friend in Belfast. I hadnt seen him for a few weeks and was really missing him. He is the person I go to when I need to be cheered up and I hate going without my daily "Jakob talk".

So needless to say I almost knocked him over when I gave him a hug on the train platform in Munich. haha We went back to his apartment where we met Jonathan Noe his flatmate. His nickname is NoeNoe and at first it was weird calling a guy "No, No" and it served as a funny joke for the remainder of our time there. NoeNoe and I ended up being really similar and Jakob had his hands full when we realized that we have a lot of funny "blackmail" stories about him. We both serve as Jakob's confidant so we shared a lot of stories and laughed at Jakob's expense. But he handled our teasing very well. :) haha

The first night we made fajitas, Jakob and my favorite dinner! Very German we know. ;) We also got three types of beers to try out. They were augustiner, franziskaner weißbier (a wheat beer) and Radler (a lemonady beer). I have never really liked wheat beer, but I really liked this one! It was actually one of the best beers I've ever had! So Billy you should be happy to know that I have acquired the taste for wheat beer since you love it so much. :)

We went out to three different bars that night. The second one was my favorite as there was a dance floor! We also got some sausage and chips (french fries) while we were out. I asked for ketchup with it and forgot that ketchup in Germany and some other European countries does not taste like American ketchup. My advice is to stick to American ketchup if you ever want some overseas. European ketchup is just not up to par in my opinion, and I'm not even a ketchup fanatic. haha

The next morning NoeNoe and Jakob cooked us a traditional Bavarian breakfast, weißwurst-frühstück. It consisted of white sausage, honey mustard, pretzels, and franziskaner weißbier. It was such a good breakfast and I seemed to crave it the next few mornings I woke up. I have told Jakob that we should try to find the stuff in Ireland so we can make the breakfast again! :)That day we just relaxed and watched movies in Jakob's flat. We also wandered around Munich for a bit, but we mainly just hungout at his place.

The next day Mackenzie, Sean, and I fulfilled our tourist duties and went on another Sandeman's free walking tour. Our tour guide was an Irish guy so we enjoyed listening to an Irish accent once again. I have come to realize that I can tell English accents apart a lot better than when I arrived in Ireland. It is much easier for me to pick out an Irish, Aussie, British, or American from the crowd. What the person is wearing is also a good indication of where they are from. Take Americans for example, they are probably the easiest to spot just look for someone with a north face, baseball cap, baggy jeans, athletic sneakers, or a tshirt on. Most Europeans dress up more when they got out in public. Americans on the other hand don't care what others think of their sweatpants. Aussies are probably the closest to Americans in style as they also don't have a problem wearing just a plain tshirt and jeans around. Europeans on the other hand will occasionally wear a tshirt and jeans in public but that is the rare exception.

I learned some interesting facts on the tour. For example, Germany is a younger COUNTRY than America is. Germany did not become a country until 1871. Before that it was a collection of so called states. Munich was a city that was greatly involved in the "white gold" trade, which as some of you have probably guessed is salt. Munich also goes by another common name, Munchen.

That night was our last in Munich so we all went out again. We went to a fooseball bar where we stayed for quite some time. Jakob and NoeNoe obviously frequent that bar quite often as they were very good at fooseball. We stayed there for awhile and then returned to Jakob's flat for the rest of the night. The next morning we headed out for our long day of traveling to Barcelona.

We had 5 hours of chilling at an airport to wait for Lainey to meet up with us!

Break Time in Austria

I figured since I have written so much for every other day it would be okay to combine a few days into this one post since we did a lot of relaxing while in Austria and I do not want to bore you.

Tuesday night we went by train to Venice. It was a 7 hour trip but we were lucky enough to not have any cabin companions so we got the thing all to ourselves and could pull the seats down to make a bed. Mackenzie and I slept most of the way and I was shocked to find out 4 hours had passed when the train conductor woke me up to check our tickets. On the train we met a girl from China who translated our names into Chinese. My three syllables meant something like ouch, waltz, and determined. So we decided that meant that I was determined to always find the best in life and even during hard times I can find reasons to dance. This reminded me of Jeni since one of her favorite quotes is "Its not about waiting for the rain to pass, but it is about learning to dance in the rain."

Julia picked us up at 4am when we arrived in Venice. We were all excited to see her but pretty tired from the trip. Her moms boyfriend has a flat that he works in and he allowed us to stay there for our whole time in Salzburg. It is a really nice place and we are all enjoying the space to spread out and relax.

After taking a much needed nap we walked around Salzburg and saw a lot of the famous sights and where Julia grew up. One thing we saw was the shopping district with all their old signs outside the doors which the street is famous for.


That night Mackenzie and I went out with Julia and her friend Marion. We went to a bar where their friend is the bartender. Let me tell you.. that is the way to go if you want to have a lot of fun and not pay a ton of money for drinks. We drank a lot that night and stayed out pretty late since the bars didnt have a closing time. My favorite memory of the night was Mackenzie and I dancing to "born in the USA". We couldnt be more proud to be from the states at that moment. This might have to become our American drinking theme song since every other country seems to have one but us!

The next day we slept in and then went to do some more sight seeing. We saw a lot of the scenes from the Sound of Music which was really neat. Laura, I thought of you when I wandered around to the various sights. I didnt get up into the meadow where she sings because it was quite a drive or I would have had to pay for a Sound of Music tour and we were playing it pretty cheap. So I saw all the sights around Salzburg and that was pretty much it. I will definitely be watching the movie soon though to see if I recognize the scenery that I saw in the movie.

We also took the time in Salzburg to relax. We watched three movies that night. We watched Eurotrip, Dear John, and When in Rome. I loved When in Rome! It was such a cute movie and was fun to see monuments and buildings that we had just seen in Rome. It was cool watching a movie and being able to know the significance of the buildings I was seeing. It was a very similar feeling watching Eurotrip as a lot of those places I had been as well.

While in Salzburg we ate a lot of good homecooked meals! It made me miss home and the yummy food that I get there. I am excited to have homecooked meals again. In Salzburg we had schnitzel, two other awesome meat dishes, and spaghetti and shrimp. It was such a nice change of pace from our bread and nutella meals that we were having..

Venice - Canals of Love

Monday morning we awoke bright and early to start our trip to Venice. We arrived in Venice around 2:30 in the afternoon. On the bus ride there were two men sitting beside us from Persia. They had limited English, but were really nice. In the little communication we had one of them offered me a beer at 10 am and teased me multiple times about writing in my journal so much.

Once in Venice we found our hostel and dropped off our huge bags. Our hostel was actually in Mestre which is a suburb of Venice so once we got settled in we took the train to Venice to wander around. We had pasta at Kreb a kind of "fast food" Italian place. It was pretty cheap and still pretty good!

We then spent the night walking around Venice and enjoying the canal roads. There were no cars allowed in Venice so all transportation was either walking or by boat. I truly loved the city because I love water sooo much! It was probably my favorite Italian city of them all.

The next day we spent it walking around Venice and just enjoying the city. We took sometime to just relax on the canal side. Man did I enjoy that. It was truly awesome just taking time to really think where I am and why I am here. I have been so blessed to be given the plot I have in life. I have great friends, an amazing family, and tons of opportunities to pursue my interests. In the last 2 weeks I have traveled around Italy, endulged in Salzburg, and rallied in Munich. The next few days I will be experiencing all that Barcelona has to offer me. And I am able to do all of this because I was so blessed. So thank you Lord for all your blessings and the opportunities you have allowed me to have.

So as I sat on the canals of Venice Italy I thought of everything that I am thankful for. I thought of all of you, whom I love. So thank you to everyone who has supported me and helped to make this adventure possible.

Easter Sunday!!!

Sunday started early as Sean and I, mainly I, wanted good seats for Easter mass. We got to St. Peters square around 8:30 in the morning and there was already a pretty long line. We got through the security around 9 and made a mad dash to the seats. We got in about the 30th row! Unfortunately, this was the first day where it rained the whole day. So pretty much the whole mass we had our umbrella out and once we stood for the first time we didnt sit back down because our seat was soaked!

The mass was really interesting and I had a good view of the pope, in between umbrellas that is.. The mass was mainly in latin but there were parts that were in other languages. The whole second reading was in English. It wasnt that hard to follow along but sometimes I would get lost and have to find where we were based off the priests behind us.

At communion it was a mad dash to the priests. I was one of the lucky people to actually get communion! So my Easter morning was spent in St. Peters square listening to the pope and having communion in the rain in Rome.

After mass we went to find Mackenzie because she had just gotten in. She happened to be walking right outside the caffe we were in when she called me so it was a lot easier to find her than we thought it would be! So after our reunion we started to wander the city again!

We saw the pantheon, colosseum during the day, and the forum. The forum is the old ruins of the city. We got some pretty awesome pictures of all of them. Occasionally we would jump into a museum or building to get out of the rain. We got some wine and chocolate eggs in a "grocery store" for later that night.

We then went to the campsite to drop off our stuff and relax a bit. Once we got back into the city we got our tickets for Venice the next day. To truly celebrate Easter we went to a traditional Italian meal. Of course I had lasagna and wine to top it off! It was a really yummy meal and we took our time eating it so we could take in the moment. We were eating lasagna in Italy on Easter!!


That night we had our eggs and wine to finish off our Easter celebration! :)

Saturday Stroll in Rome

Saturday Sean and I relaxed and slept in til ten! woot woot! Then we made our way into Rome to see the Sistine Chapel. We had a reservation for admission at 12:30 but got there an hour early and it was a good thing we did because there was still a pretty long line for reservations. The normal line without reservations was probably about 8 blocks long. It just keep going and going..

In line I met a girl from Pennsylvania who studies at UNI an is studying in Spain for the fall semester. Her grandma had come over to visit her and they were traveling around for her 10 day easter break. She was a really nice girl and we had a good time chatting about how much we love and miss Iowa!

If you have never been to the Sistine Chapel you have to walk through tons of rooms before you even get to the chapel. To be honest some of the rooms before the chapel were more interesting to me. We werent supposed to take pictures in the chapel but I did anyway. I got one really good picture that is similar to a postcard that I got later in the day.

We then spent the rest of the night wandering around Rome and seeing the sights. We visited the basilica of St. Mary and inside there is a arch that has Regina ingraved on it. I immediately was filled with a warm feeling when I saw that. I know that Grandma Ryan is looking after me and making sure that my travels are safe. I dont think I know anyone else who would have wanted to be in Rome during holy week as much as she would have. She had a travelers heart and I am definitely following in her footsteps. If you look closely you can see Regina engraved on the arch in the picture. It was hard to get a good photo of it.

That night we continued to wander around and then decided to get on the internet at a internet caffe. As I was writing one of my blogs and was browsing facebook John got on and messaged me. The whole family was together having Easter lunch at Davids house so they quickly downloaded skype and I got to see and talk to my whole family on Easter while I was in Rome! It was so good to get to see everyone. Unfortunately their mic didnt work so I couldnt hear them so I was basically narrating my last few days to them and watching their reactions. Talking to all of them made my night and I couldnt stop smiling the whole ride home!

Pompei Friday

This is the first time I have had access to the internet in the last few days so i will try to update you on everything that has been happening. I am typing on a German keyboard so excuse a few missspelled words if they appear, I am not fully used to the y and z being in different spots.

Friday Sean and I went to Pompei, the city that was completed ruined when Mt Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. It was an interesting experience wandering through dilapidated buildings which one were the homes of prominent merchants thousands of years ago. One of the quotes was by Charles Dickens and it sums up my day and feelings of the experience quite well.

"Stand at the bottom of the great market-place of Pompeii, and look up the silent streets, through the ruined temples of Jupiter and Isis, over the broken houses with their inmost sanctuaries open to the day, away to Mount Vesuvius, bright and snowy in the peaceful distance; and lose all count of time, and heed of other things, in the strange and melancholy sensation of seeing the Destroyed and the Destroyer making this quiet picture in the sun."

One thing that surprised me about Pompei is that it is a modern city: it is not just a place of ruins but a bustling city as well. I was very surprised by that because I just expected to be dropped off in front of ruins! On the walk to the ruins we saw an Amato caffe. That is the last name of my Sicilian uncle so I got a picture for him to put on the wall of his deli in Omaha! I figured it would be a good talking point for him with new and regular customers.

That night we went back to Rome to watch the stations of the cross. The colosseum was all lite up with flood lights and candles as well. There were so many people there that we didnt really get a great spot to see the pope. We did get to see him; however, none of my pictures turned out so you will have to take my word for it. The stations were said in many different languages which added a level of intrique to the experience.

Our Traveling Thursday..

Thursday April 1st we woke up early to start our day traveling. The first train was from Florence to Rome where we jumped off to get our tickets for Easter Mass. We passed by some pretty buildings and monuments on our quick intro to Rome. We went into a basicila of St. Mary and it is the most beautiful church I have ever seen. On one of the arches my grandmother, Reginas, name was engraved. It felt like a sign that she was watching over me and protecting me as I traveled around. She was a traveler herself and she might be where I inherited my heart for traveling. She was also very religious so being in Rome during Holy Week is where I am sure she would have loved to be. I have a feeling she is with me in spirit and is making sure I am kept safe. So Mom, dont worry Grandma is taking great care of me. Too bad I couldnt have some of her potato salad and chex mix too..

After our adventure in Rome we boarded the train for Naples. Right outside of the station we had our first experience of the hectic chaos that Naples truly is. To be honest, I was dissapointed with Naples from the start. It was not an inchanting or charming Italian city but grungy, dirty, and overpopulated. It was a long treck to our Hostel and we got lost again. But there were two very nice Italians who tried to help us find our way. The was one of the few redeeming qualities about Naples was that there were a few friendly people. The majority of the population however seemed to be in a rush to get somewhere and didnt really care if you were in the path of their moped. The whole city seemed to be driving mopeds. They were all over the place! I was worried that I was either going to get run over or mugged as the city was pretty sketchy as well.

On one of our wanders we came across an alley with laundry hanging from almost every balcony. Talk about a stereotype! Of course I got a picture of that. Unfortunately, my picture is not that great but it will serve to remind me of the view. We also went into a Duomo which was another minor redeeming factor for the city. It was very pretty inside and we were looking around during a mass so that added a level of intrique as well. There was something enchanting about listening to a choir sing in another language as you look at an old gorgeous church. I also saw a famous Italian actor, or so I believe. He looked super familiar and I couldnt place him. The next morning I realized that he has to be an actor. So if anyone knows of famous Italian actors send their names my way. When I have more time I will try to figure out who it was.

Even though it was hard to find the hostel, I really liked it. The vibe was very relaxed and the walls had interesting paintings on them and the common room usually had a person or two relaxing. We met a few Americans and Canadians along with an Australian and British girl. The later ran the place. We had many great conversations with them and a few had just visited Rome and one lived there so they gave us tons of insider advice on where to visit and where to eat.

That night we ate the best pizza in all of Naples. And since Naples is known for having the best pizza in the world we ate the best pizza in the whole world! Let me tell you for 4 euros for a medium it was amazing! It was a margharita pizza from Pizza de Michele.

As we relaxed in the hostel that night I decided to read what the travel book has to say about Iowa. In the central Iowa section it says there are more pigs than people. Way to try and get tourists to come to Iowa! haha But I have to admit that unless you have someone you know there it might not have the same touristy pull as Rome or Florence.. But I would take it anyday over Naples!

So that was my day in Naples. I will be blogging as much as I can but currently I am on a pay as you go internet cafe computer. So have a great Easter and know that I love you and am praying for you! Enjoy your chocolate eggs!!!

My Second Full Day in Italy

Since I was up late blogging and talking on facebook to Laura and Kassie I didnt object when Sean pushed the snooze button and actually suggested we sleep another hour. So around 11 o'clock we started off our day in Florence. We ate an exquiste breakfast for staying in a hostel and then started our roughly planned wandering. We saw every building that was marked on our map today. It was quite an adventure, but it was fun wandering around such a gorgeous city. A few times we stopped to just people watch and it was funny how easily it was to spot some Americans. Just look for the North Face jackets or bags and you can be fairly guaranteed they are American

My first observation of the day has to do with wandering down the streets. It is similar if not the same as one of my observations from yesterday. Streets which can look like alleyways in Italy lead to wonderous surprises around every corner. I have been disappointed to find out that any building worth seeing, including churches, we have to pay to get into. But on one of my "alley" excursions we came across a church that we could go into. So Sean and I went in for awhile and marveled over the beautiful architechure and extravagent detail inside.

My favorite spot of the day was Piazza Michelangelo. It was a spot on the top of a hill where we could look down upon the entire city. It was intriquing to see where all the buildings are in relation to each other. It also confirmed my second observation of the day that all the touristy destinations are closer to each other than I would have thought. It really wasnt bad walking around to all the sites. We saw everything you might want to see in 5 hours walking around. I havent really been to two many large cities in the states that would count as touristy but I doubt they would all have such centerally located sights.

This observation led me to confirm my idea that I want to travel around when I am young rather than when I retire. We saw plenty of older folks walking around but none of them could have walked around as fast or as far as we did. I would rather have these wonderful experiences now and make sure I get to see the world. I want to be able to appreciate other cultures because I have been surrounded by them rather than having seen them on tv. I want to have interesting and exciting stories to tell at age 25 instead of 75. I want to see as many places as I can now and then visit them again when I have more money to do the things I couldnt afford now but wanted to do.

My third obseration of the day is how small the cars are. The cars in Italy are even smaller than the cars in Belfast, which means they are way smaller than the cars in the states. The mini "semis" as I like to call them can be so small that I can almost see over the top of them standing flat-footed. They are soo tiny! I really cant imagine how many trips it would take those mini semis to carry a load from one factory to the other in the states.

We came back to our hostel around 5 and made pasta again. We laughed at the irony of eating homemade pasta while in Italy. Oh the excitement of being poor college students. Six new people arrived to stay in the other rooms. Two were from South Africa and only sparked my interest to travel there. They both grew up in South Africa and I asked them for all their tourist tips and hints. They told me about Cape Town and the Costal Garden route that I should take. They talked about Safari tours and whale watching excursions and museums about the apartheid. I definitely have added those things to my list of places to visit and things to see. In a later blog I will be listing my traveling bucket list, but for now I will stick to updating you on my daily travels.

After supper we planned some more of our trip and then started our night out in Florence. We wandered past our favorite buildings of the day en route to the Arno river. We considered getting our first gelato but decided to eat it during the day when it is hot outside. Currently the daily temperature is in the 60s, which is warmer than the 50s in Ireland. Our final destination on our late night journey was to the Piazza Michelangelo. It was so gorgeous to see the city all lite up for the night and even some of the stars could be seen. It made me think about what everyone else is doing at this moment. I wondered what everyone in Iowa would be doing on their Wednesday afternoon at 2:45pm. So if your nose started itching around then, it was because I was thinking of you. So no matter how cliché and overused this phrase is, whenever you miss me remember to look up at the stars because those are the same stars I look at each night and know that I am thinking of you and love you.

So that concludes my adventures in Florence by rain, shine, and starlight.

The First 24 Hours in Italy

Literally 24 hours ago I was landing in the Pisa airport on my flight from Dublin. Since that time I have saved the town of Pisa from a leaning tower, got lost countless times on narrow Italian streets, and explored Florene in the rain.

Yesterday, March 29th 2010 Sean and I took the 3 pm bus to Dublin and tried to look over some traveling plans on the way. Sean is my sole travel companion for the first week in Italy until our friend Mackenzie joins up with us on Easter. Sean is from Boston and is planning on being a lawyer someday. He is a really laid back guy and is pretty much fine with going to see whatever I want to. He has a great sense of humor, which helps when we get lost in Italy. He is an overall great guy and it is nice to have such an easy travel mate! So that is the low down on my travel partner when I reference him in the following blogs.

In the boarding line we met 3 girls from Boston who were studying in Cork for the semester and on their break as well. They had a very similar Italy trip as ours and we shared ideas as to what we wanted to do. We learned about a bar in Barcelona whose name translates in English to shots. They have around 200 different shots all costing 2 euros! We will definitely be hitting that bar up when we are there! We had heard that bars in Barcelona were really expensive but if all the shots are only 2 euros then it will be a fun night!

We landed around 11:50pm in Pisa and were met by Francesco, the man who owns the hostel we were staying at. He drove us there and showed us various hot spots in Pisa along the way. Sean and I got a private two person room to share. It was really nice having our own space to spread out in and not having to worry about others. We pretty much got everything ready for the next day and then went to bed. The alarm clock woke us up about 7 hours later at 9 am. We got ready and then hit the road in hopes of finding a nice grocery store. That was the first observation I made about Italy, all the grocery stores are tiny. You wont find a Hyvee or even a Tesco over here. All the supermarkets are tiny and carry a limited selection of items. The second observation I made was that Italians obviously eat less peanut butter than even the average European for peanut butter was no where to be found. There went our idea of eating peanut butter and jellys to save money..

After that we went in search of the streets that would get us to the Leaning Tower. After backtracking from two completely different routes that failed to take us to streets we recognized, I asked a man on the street where we were on my map and how to get to the Leaning Tower. He kindly showed us the way which was completely opposite the direction we thought we should go. So after a few minutes of walking we came across streets we knew were right. This walk led me to observation number four about Italy, the streets are tiny just like the supermarkets. Those streets would only pass as alleys in the small town I come from whose population is 8,000 not 70,000! At first, I wondered how so many cars could travel down these narrow streets and not cause traffic jams and then I realized there are not as many cars here as there are in the states. More people take public transportation which reduces the number of cars traveling around at a time. But I still do not know how a bus could fit down those streets! I did see small buses about half the size of a normal one going down those "alleyways" so at least buses of that caliber can fit. Observation number five is that most of the streets are one way. One reason why the roads can be so narrow is because they only have traffic going one way on them. I wonder if the street width was solidified before cars were invented. My common sense says they were, but I dont know the absolute truth on that thought.. anyone?

Observation number six, you can be walking along a windy, narrow Italian road and suddenly pop out into a grand Piazza! The piazzas, or squares, are surrounded by normal neighborhoods that you must walk through inorder to get to the Piazza. I feel like most monuments in the states and even in London were right out in the open. They were like hey everyone look at this cool statue or building, but in Italy even the Leaning Tower was intertwined with the neighborhoods. Dont get me wrong the Leaning Tower and all the other buildings in the Campo del Miracoli take up a large amount of space, but they seem to be nestled into the town not necessarily standing apart from it. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me after looking at the Leaning tower because all the other buildings in the square seemed to lean, but I felt better when my travel book explained that they all lean to certain degrees. I was shocked to see how much the Leaning Tower actually does lean! It is about 4.1 meters off the original vertical axis. At the Campo del Miracoli, or Field of Dreams, Sean and I got the classic pose of holding the tower up. It was funny to watch so many people taking pictures of that and then to try to position my hands perfectly to "hold up" the tower. We then started our trek to the train station and stopped for our first dish of pasta along the way. I had penne with crab and white sauce. It wasnt the amazingly awesome pasta I had my hopes up for but it was still very good. I am sure I will have my fair share of pasta while in Italy and I bet I will find that mouth-watering dish that I fantasize about.

We then boarded the train to Florence, or Firenze, as it is called in Italian. I accidently had us get off at the wrong Firenze train station and we had to wait 15 minutes until the next train came so that we could hop on for the next stop. When we got there we had a 10 minute walk to our hostel but started off going in the opposite direction again. We realized it after a few minutes of not finding the right street and turned around. We knew we were going the right way because some of the streets were right but the street we wanted we couldnt find. After a few minutes of critical thinking and wandering up and down the streets we found the one we had been looking for. After that the navigating was pretty smooth sailing and we found the hostel with out a problem. Andy is the name of the guy who owns this hostel and he met us there and showed us our place. Once again we opted for a few extra euros per night for a hostel with a good rating and great reviews. So far this seems to be the way to go. In this hostel we have a private two person room and the price includes free breakfast, free internet, towels, linens, a shared dining room, and a shared bathroom. We have seen one other person the whole time we have been here so it basically feels like we have our own flat in Florence!

After we got settled in, we went for a stroll down the streets of Florence. We wandered to various Piazzas and then to the famous Duomo. I am sure that I will see many other amazing cathedrals in my time in Italy;however, this was truly a spectacular sight! The shear detail on the windows must have taken a long time let alone the detail on the entire building! If you ever make it to Florence, this is definitely a must see!

Our wandering was cut short as we were caught in a torrential downpour with my umbrella nice and dry at the hostel. So needless to say we started our walk back with pit stops in local shops when the downpour intensified. Even with those pit stops I was still pretty wet. We stopped in a local Spar to pick up bread, meat, pasta, and sauce for our dinner and lunches. This will make for some cheap meals as it only cost us about 2.50 euros each! Considering the traveling and housing costs are so expensive, we are trying to save as much as we can! We then spent the rest of the night relaxing and looking up travel plans for the next few days as it rained outside. We will definitely be walking around Florence tomorrow night, rain or moonlight.

A Reflection on My Time in Ireland: The First Few Adventures

The first adventure I went on was to Belfast Castle and the Caves. Sean, Jenna, Jitske, Jakob, and I embarked on that adventure on Sunday February 7th. On the way up we found this massive tree to climb in. It kind of reminded me of the tree which my Dad and I build a tree house in. But unfortunately, as we climbed the hills the clouds started to roll in and we ended up not being able to see any of the view when we reached the top. This is a picture of us at the very top of the climb. You can't see any of the city below. The next picture was taken by a friend who climbed the hill on a very nice day. You can see the difference is paramount. Regardless, it was a fun hike and I will definitely be taking my family there when they come.



My first trek out of the Belfast area was to see the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the Northern Coast, and Giants Causeway. That adventure occurred on Valentines Day, my second weekend in Ireland. The trip started a little early since we had gone to bed pretty late the night before. So to the detriment of the Irish country side some of us slept a little on the way there. Granted, I didn't sleep the whole way because I did want to see some of it, but my drooping eyes got the best of me in the end. I did however see a lot of sheep and lambs which made me feel right at home considering it is lambing season. We got such a big group together to go on the tour that we filled a whole tour bus! There were 50 of us students exploring the Northern Coast together. As I look back on the many trips I have taken, so far I would have to say this is my favorite! I really loved everything about this trip! This was the Ireland I had come to see. The coastline is gorgeous and the view from the rope bridge was amazing. We spent so much time on the rope bridge taking pictures that the man yelled at us to keep moving!

The fairytale behind the Causeway is that an Irish giant and a Scottish giant built the rocks as stepping stones so they could meet up with each other and fight. These tessellations are truly a spectacular sight. And the view from the hillside is even more awe-inspiring. I would definitely recommend that anyone who visits Ireland visits the Northern coast.

The trip concluded with a visit to Bushmills distillery. I have to say that I do not have a taste for straight whiskey, but that I wll be working on it in my few months here.

A Reflection on My Time in Ireland: The People I Now Call Friends

As I am preparing to embark on my Easter break adventure I have realized that I never blogged about my last few adventures. I feel this is a disservice to you and will try to rectify that in this post. The main reason why I haven't blogged about it was because I was waiting to put pictures with the post. But once I got the pictures, I never got around to blogging about my adventures. So I will start from the beginning..


The first time my travel weary eyes saw the green fields of Ireland a surge of excitement shot through me. I was finally here! 15 hours of traveling and I was about to start the adventure I had waited for since I was 5. I still remember meeting my first exchange student when I was 5 and how amazed I was that she was living so far away from home. That was the moment when my spark to study abroad began to kindle. That little flicker has developed into a giant flame over the years as I spent 10 months with Nadine, my German exchange sister, communicated solely through emails with friends who were studying afar, and talked to others about their experiences abroad. The sight of those green fields on January 27, 2010 was the start of my adventure. As my ring states, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." And this was it! This was my first step in a long journey of discovery.


The first few days were spent in orientation. I learned all the tips and tricks for getting the most out of my semester. But more importantly, those first few days were when I met all the people who have developed into my closest friends here.

The first time I saw Mackenzie I was in the London airport and we were going through security right by each other. We found out later we were on the same Chicago flight. I remember her striking up a conversation with two young travelers about snowboarding in Colorado and being tempted to chime in. I remember sitting a row behind Sean on the flight to Belfast and being tempted to ask him if he was studying at Queens as well, but not wanting to look creepy I just wrote in my journal. That first night in Belfast, the house I live in hosted a party for all new students and that is where I first met Jakob. I remember seeing him a few times at the party, but I didn't talk to him until we were all getting ready to leave for the club Rain. I teased him about not being a "real" German since he wouldn't come out and party with us. And I made him promise to check and make sure I was awake the next morning for orientation. That next morning I was ready to go to orientation and dropped by Jakob's room to make sure he was awake and that was the beginning of me being the responsible one in our friendship. haha Jakob and I started talking to Jitske during the tour of the captital on Friday January 29th. When we got back to Grant, I invited her to have pizza with us and hence beginning our tradition of eating together. The first time I met Lainey was at the statue outside of the Lanyon building. Mackenzie had brought her to hang with us and so we ended up spending the rest of the day together and having a blast. It was either that night or the very next day that the 3 of us got a boxed wine for the Valentines Day Giants Causeway treck and ended up drinking it all that night. It was quite a fun night and marked the beginning of our wine nights. Fabian, my spontaneous and crazy German friend, I met Saturday February 13th at a party at his house. I remember he was wearing a gray LSU t-shirt and jeans which stood out to me for multiple reasons. One, I had already learned that most guys over here dress up more than just a t-shirt and I was missing the familiar guy apparel. Second, he had an American t-shirt on but didn't look American.. So I struck up a conversation with him and told him about the Giants Causeway tour the next day. The next day he was sitting on the bus ready to go, and that was the beginning of our adventures together. I met Trine and Julia one of those first few days in the pubs. Trine helped me pronounce a boys name called Pierre Eve. For the life of me I could not say his name until I heard Trine say it! For anyone that doesn't know, it is really hard to understand a French person with their rolling R's in a pub. haha

St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

I have gotten a lot of inquiries about my St. Patrick's Day in Ireland and after seeing that Lizzie wrote about hers in Dublin I figured I better write about mine in Belfast!

The day started off with my alarm clock ringing at 8:45am. Man was that early since I couldn't fall asleep the night before because of anticipation. It was like the night before Christmas! I started getting ready for my big day and friends started arriving around 9:30 to make our breakfast feast! All in all ten of us ate cheese and ham eggs, fruit, pancakes, and soda bread along with our drink of choice! This started our day off to a good start. :)

We then headed off to the parade in the city center. With ten people it takes a little while to get everyone going and we missed the start of the parade but with a little side road maneuvering we were able to catch up with it and see the middle to end of the parade. It was a lot different than any parade I have ever been to. The floats were literally walked down the street! There were poles coming out of the sides of the floats and people were walking them along! Even though that was the case for most floats there were still some pretty exotic ones as my picture shows. There was nothing incredibly Irish about the parade such as leprechauns and four leaf clovers. But the funniest part of the whole parade was kids dressed up as grass! The best way I can describe this costume is to pretend the kids were wearing ninja turtle costumes and then imagine large pieces of fake grass sticking out of the shells. Unfortunately, I do not know of anyone that got a picture of the grass children.

Overall, the parade was very politically correct in that it had no religious or Irish symbols in it. Since St. Patrick's Day is originally a Catholic holiday and the Irish have adopted it as a national holiday, religious symbols are avoided to minimize the tensions between the denominations.

After the parade we went to a local Irish pub called Kelly's Cellar, which is one of my favorite pubs in all of Belfast. It has a really nice Irish feel about it and is more relaxed and homey than the other crowded bars. I had my Guinness for the day at Kellys. That drink was for everyone who asked me to have a drink on Patty's Day for them! While I was drinking my Guinness in this genuine Irish pub, one of songs from ps I love you came on and regardless of the cringes from my Irish friends it made me smile and get really excited to be in Ireland drinking a Guinness on St. Patrick's Day! I am pretty sure it was Galway Girl that was playing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWjyP1iW3vs . Everyone should watch this clip and pretend they are in Ireland drinking a Guinness with me, Cheers! :)
After the traditional Irish pub we walked down to the city center to see what was going on there. We went to another pub called McHughes. It was a really nice pub all decked out in green, but my favorite part was the country music they played! I have not heard country music since I have been here and it was a little bit nostalgic for me and a few friends. We found ourselves singing the lyrics very heartedly a few times! :)

After McHughes a group of us went back to Grant, my house, to relax and enjoy a few cheaper drinks. At about seven or eight we headed back to the pubs for the night. I ended up dancing and having a great time that night but was soundly asleep at midnight because I had a paper to write the next morning!

St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was a fun experience and I have officially checked it off my bucket list. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, but I am also excited for St. Patrick's Day in Iowa next year.