Life Less Ordinary

When I came home from Mayo, I was only in my apartment for a few hours before getting up and heading back to the airport! I had just enough time to unpack, throw in a load of laundry, repack, make a quick dinner, go to sleep early, and head out again. This morning had two flights in store for me, one from Dublin to London Gatwick and then from London Gatwick to Budapest!

I was nervous about not having enough time to connect in Gatwick and that my bag wouldn't make it there, but I was worried about nothing, because I had plenty of time! I was waiting in line for security in London and looked up to see that Tom was in line in front of me.. perfect! He was my travel companion to Budapest, which worked out really well.

A short flight later, we found ourselves in Hungary! When we had our passports stamped, the customs agent had a lot more to process than she did for most other travelers- we have both been traveling so much that our passports tend to overwhelm the customs agents, but after waiting for my bag, we wandered outside.

We walked to the train station, which was a bit overwhelming. Not surprisingly, neither Tom nor I speak a word of Hungarian (also called Magyar), so we were confused by the train schedule, the tracks, and the currency. Hungary is petitioning to join the EU, so while they still have their own currency (Hungarian Forintz), you can also pay for things in Euro. I took some forintz out of the ATM, but it was still a bit confusing, and I was happy to return to the Euro when I got to Spain.

After abandoning our train to the middle of the city plan, we took the airport shuttle, which dropped us off at our hotel. It was a long day of traveling, and we were both exhausted, so we went to bed really early that night to get ready for a full day of sightseeing!



Budapest is actually two cities split by the Danube River, Buda and Pest. We stayed in Pest, and wandered around it for our first day. We visited the Great Synagogue, which was absolutely beautiful. We learned a lot about Budapest's role in Jewish history and went to a very cool museum with some beautiful artifacts. We also stumbled about St. Michel, a beautiful church that was at one time Dominican! We were very excited to see a piece of PC abroad, and little did we know that it wouldn't be the only Dominican connection we would find in Budapest.

The next day, we wandered around the Buda side of the city. It was absolutely gorgeous- amazing architecture and views of the river, and we climbed up to Buda Castle. I think my favorite thing was Matthias Church. It was breathtaking, every single surface was decorated! After that we grabbed lunch, and had traditional Hungarian food- chicken paprikas and goulash. It was very delicious, and I learned that paprika is a traditional Hungarian spice.



We also found a giant market inside what looked to be an old train station, and had strudel which was so yummy! For our last night, we planned to go to the Faust wine cellar, which is located on the big hill on top of Buda, for dinner. It's actually in the ruins of a Dominican monastery, but once we trekked up there, we discovered it was closed due to a wedding :(. We were bummed out, but ended up actually finding a lovely restaurant on the Danube, and on our way home encountered a jazz band! They were singing in Hungarian, and I'm pretty sure Tom has a video of it. It was a really great trip. It was hard to say goodbye to Tom since I won't see him til July when he comes home from Oxford, but I was excited to be off on my next adventure- visiting Anne in Barcelona!

I loved Budapest, and I'm so excited for my best friend Katie to study there in the fall- there's so much to see, I'd love to go back and explore it some more... maybe I'll go visit her?

My Hometown

So, where did I leave you? In Cork?

Like I said, I absolutely loved everything about Cork. It was a great city, and of course it was so wonderful to see Danielle! I got the train back to Dublin and had my first few minutes to myself since classes were over- ahh. I watched a whole lot of Modern Family online, laid in my bed, and for the first time in so many weeks, I allowed myself to be positively mindless! It was a wonderful break.

Later that night, Kristy came to visit!! She’s been in London all semester, and it was so fun to show her my city. We wandered around the city, shopped a bit, made delicious dinner, and of course went to Queen of Tarts. It was a short visit, but it was grand to spend time with her! She’s actually back in the US now- so weird! I’m one of my only friends left in Europe… it’s a bizarre feeling!

After Kristy left, I had a few days to myself in Dublin. It was good to be home and settled, and I did a lot of laundry and just general wandering around the city. Tom came to visit on Wednesday with his Dad and brother Mark, and it was really wonderful to be with him and get to show him around my version of Hogwarts! We also visited the Dublin writer’s museum, went on a Literary Pub Crawl, and saw St. Stephen’s Green. I had so much fun, but on Friday I left him in Dublin to head out West for Easter!

I got on the Luas, the light rail system in Dublin, (Luas is Irish for “speed”) out to Dundrum to meet my cousin Paula, who picked me up and drove me out to Mayo. It was a beautiful ride, and it was one of those times where I remembered, “oh, I’m in Ireland!” It was so great to have some time in the country and relax with my family!



On Saturday, I went on a bike ride along the coast with my cousin Karen and her new husband Darragh. It was absolutely gorgeous- I felt like I was in a movie the whole time! It was slightly unprepared for how long the ride was- Karen and Darragh forgot to mention that it was an 18 km trail each way, and it was about 2 km to the trail from the bike rental place. We stopped halfway and had a lovely lunch looking out at Achill Island, but boy was I glad to be back in the car and on the way back to Tena and Sean’s house after the trip was over! It ended up being almost a marathon long- good training for my half-marathon, but I found myself sitting on pillows for the next few days, as I wasn’t used to cycling that much.



Sunday morning we got up before dawn for mass at Barnacarroll, the church where everyone in my family has gone to mass forever. Dawn mass was very cool- it was actually completely packed, and Karen, Paula and I found ourselves standing in the back! Afterwards, there was tea and scones outside the church, which was lovely. It would have been even lovelier had it not been cold and rainy, but everyone had great conversation clutching their teacups. It made me think of post-mass bash at PC, and I was happy to be a part of it!



After mass, I went back to sleep for a few hours. We got up and had a lovely, relaxing Easter. Paula and Tena and I went on a drive to go visiting some other relatives I hadn’t seen yet, but no one was home, so we went to Nancy’s house and walked out in the fields to see her new calves- she has two sets of twins! Paula and Tena loved taking pictures of the city girl out in the fields, and while I didn’t want to get too too close to the cows, I had a lot of fun getting back to my roots.

That night we went to Burke’s, an infamous pub in Knock. I had heard so much about it, and had been there once before, but didn’t really remember it. There was a whole big group of us in the back room, and I was treated to several pints and glasses of hot whiskey (my new favorite thing, it’s the most calming drink ever), and I slept very well that Easter night.

The next morning Paula and I got our things together, and after she very graciously printed my boarding passes for my next trip out, we headed back to Dublin. After another short ride on the Luas and walk back, I was home in my apartment- for a few hours. My next adventure began early the next morning!

Never Knew I Needed

So the Wednesday morning my parents left to go home, I also left. I packed a bag really fast, grabbed my iPod and a cab to Heuston Station, and hopped on a train to Cork to visit the famous Danielle!

I have been meaning to visit Danielle since I got to Ireland- she's been out to Dublin so many times but I hadn't made it there yet, and I felt awful about it! She's one of my absolute best friends, and I was so excited to see different parts of her life in Cork that I'd heard so much about. It certainly didn't disappoint. I absolutely loved Cork, and wish I had gone earlier so I could have gone more than once!

Danielle met me at the train station, and we walked into town. We stopped at O'Connail's, an amazing chocolatier that I had heard so much about from Danielle, and I was really happy to get to try it out for myself! I had hot dark chocolate with cayenne pepper... it was DELICIOUS. I hadn't ever had anything like it, but I really like spicy foods, and the cayenne brought out a different flavor in the chocolate. It certainly had a kick to it, but I really liked it. It was awesome to just have time to catch up with Danielle too, since I hadn't seen her in a few weeks.

We then went to her friends' house, where a tea party was happening! We had some delicious tea and cake and scones, and it was fun for me to talk about theatre with other students, and it was interesting to hear the UCC students' reactions to my stories about Trinity. It was a grand night, and we realized that it was 10:00, so we left the girls to their papers and went to Lennox's, a famous chipper in Cork. A chipper, for those of you who aren't acquainted with Irish terminology, is a place where you can essentially get anything deep fried with salt and vinegar, usually specializing in fish and chips. The food was of course delicious, and we were happy to get home and devour it!

I loved meeting Danielle's Irish roommates Maeve and Clionha, and we stayed up late that night talking with Maeve. She's spending the summer in Ocean City Maryland, and I hope I get to see her!

The next day we wandered around Cork, did some shopping, and encountered the Crawford Art Gallery, where a lot of the art I learned about in my art history class came from. It was a beautiful museum, and then Danielle and I ran home so we could make it to the theatre in time- we went to see Julius Caesar at the Granary Theatre, which was very well done, but unfortunately for the performers, the fire alarm went off right after Caesar's death. It was overall a great night though, and I loved seeing UCC's campus that day too- Danielle is so lucky to go to school in such a beautiful place! It really looks like Hogwarts- in a different way from Trinity- but has modern buildings too. It's absolutely gorgeous, and reminded me a lot of an American college campus.

Danielle and I also went to get pizza and gelato from a place in Cork with three of her theatre friends, who were all hilarious and so much fun to hang out with. The pizza/gelato was also delicious might I add, and it was a giggly fun girly day, which was exactly what I needed. We wandered around the English Market, which really reminded me of the Reading Terminal, and had so much beautiful food. If I lived in Cork, I would go shopping there all the time!

Overall, I loved Cork. I had a great time being in a smaller city, and while I didn't realize it, I think being in a giant city for so long was starting to overwhelm me. Every time I traveled it was to another giant city, and I needed something that reminded me of Providence- and Cork was exactly that. I wish I had time to make it back there before I go home... I guess I'll just have to make another trip to Ireland.

I Feel Lucky

So as I mentioned before, my parents came to visit! I was so happy to see them, since I had missed them so much! It was wonderful to have a piece of home in Dublin, and I loved being able to show them around the city.

It was cool to be able to show them where I live, and now when we Skype they can actually picture me in my apartment, since they know what's behind me. They had an awesome apartment that just happened to be right across the street from mine, and it was great to be able to just go over there and hang out with them.

We also got to see a lot of our extended family who came out from Mayo and Meath to see us, which was great! We had awesome dinners and lunches, and got to go up to Skreen Hill to see the ruins of a beautiful old Church. We were just next to the Hills of Tara, where the first Kings of Ireland lived!

We also toured Kilmainham Jail, something that has been on my to-do list for quite a long time. I wish I had done it at the beginning of my time here- I learned so much about Irish history and all the events in Dublin that eventually lead to Irish independence. The good thing about doing it when I did though, was being able to picture the places they talked about so vividly and have a geographical understanding of the revolution.

My Dad's first cousin Sal and her husband Pat took us on a special treat- we went inside the Dail Eireann, our version of Congress. We got to eat in the big government building that I walk by all the time, as well as sit in on question time with the new Taioseach. It was a really cool experience, and I'm so lucky to have had it!

It was hard to say goodbye to my parents, since I really do miss them so much. It was also crazy to think that from the day I said goodbye to them to when I come home was shorter than the whole amount of time I spent in Kenya. I think that's when it really hit me that I will be coming home soon, and looking back on that now it seems like forever ago. My time here is so limited!

Dancing in the Dark

Well, it has been an inexcusably long time since I've posted... I'm so sorry! The past month has been very busy between traveling, visitors, and studying! But I'm now back in Dublin for good until I go home. My days are numbered, and I have so much to do before I leave!

One of those things is to catch you all up on my blog. So, here goes. I have a lot of new posts I've been working on, and I've even uploaded some photos onto my computer. I'll start where I left off: The end of school and Trinity Ball.

The last day of classes for me was absolutely exhausting- probably because I hadn't slept very much two nights before, and not at all the night before. I had three 3,000 word essays due, and I had planned and researched them, so putting all that into words shouldn't have been difficult at all! I work very well under pressure and I'm usually able to churn out a good paper pretty quickly, so I wasn't too worried about it. The thing is, I should have been.

After a lot of hard work, I finally handed in my essays (that's 30 pages), and went to go pick up my tickets for Trinity Ball! My friend Julia and I went and got our hair done, and after grabbing some lunch with our fancy new 'dos, I finally went to sleep. A few hours later, I went and grabbed dinner with my Mom and Dad who were visiting!! It was so good to see them, and I was happy that they got to see me all dressed up (but more about their visit later- they get their own post!). I went back to sleep some more and waited for my friend from PC Kari to arrive- she'd been studying in London and came over to come to Trinity Ball with me!



Now, Trinity Ball is somewhat of a big deal here- it's actually the most exclusive private party in Europe, so it was so cool that I got to go! I got all fancy, grabbed a jacket, and we were on our way to the ball! There were a few different tents with a lot of different performers, and it was cool to hear new bands. My favorite was Jessie J- her voice is incredible, and she brought electrifying energy to the stage. (If you don't know her, check her out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMxX-QOV9tI )

I was at Trinity Ball for only a few hours, but it goes all night- way more than my exhausted body could handle at that point. I headed home early since I was starting to feel sick, but overall I'm so happy I made it there. I had so much fun! I also had a big day the next day- all of our family from Mayo was coming out to Dublin to see us! I finally got some sleep, and started to feel much better.

Did You Get My Message?

Hello everyone!

Things here have been pretty busy, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I have suddenly found myself in my last week of classes...

WHAT?!

I'm finished with two classes as of this morning (woohoo!), and have three essays due Friday (yikes), and then a month off before exams. Three weeks of that month will be filled with wonderful people visiting and traveling to other places throughout Europe (Barcelona is my only definite plan as of right now). Life here has been absolutely insane, and I'm looking forward to that month off to relax and re-energize myself before the last marathon begins.

If I have been ignoring you... I'm sorry! But I'm taking tonight to reply to all the lovely emails and facebook messages I have received, and know that it's not because I don't value your love, it's because I haven't had the time to sit down and write a lovely reply!

So, short but sweet (I hope) post... just saying hello from Dublin!
xo

Born To Run

So last week, after a lot of deliberation, I made a big life decision: I’m going to run a half-marathon. In Providence in August.
My favorite response to my decision has to go to my friend Anne: “you mean like… running?” I know my pure athletic skill and grace make this such a simple task, so I really won’t have to train very hard for it…






… NOT.

I am actually one of the least athletic and least graceful humans alive, but I decided to run a half-marathon. I have been saying for a long time that I want to get in shape, but I wasn’t consistently doing anything about it. I felt that I needed an attainable, tangible, definite goal to reach in order to make an actual difference, so after some googling and research, I found the “Run Rock and Roll” Half-Marathon Series, and their first one in Providence will be August 7th.

I’m starting to train now- which means I’m being extra careful about what I’m eating and drinking, and oh yes, I’m running. Since the only exercise I’ve really gotten since I’ve been here has been walking all over the city, it’s definitely been a struggle, but I make myself run every day. Marissa, one of my best friends here, is a cross-country runner and helps me to motivate myself, so with the combination of her encouragement and my growing discipline and determination, I know I can conquer this challenge. Any tips, suggestions, or support is welcome, and hopefully after a few weeks I will no longer be driving the strugglebus while I’m running, and it will get easier!