A real Irish Dinner (and possibly breakfast)

On Tuesday we had a little Irish reminiscing party. I made this Deliciousness and The Best for dinner. Brings back the memories of our first dinner out in Galway at this fine place. Can I go back now?

Quote

The principal benefit of living abroad is that it enables us to get glimpses of ourselves as others see us and to realize that others' views are more accurate than ours. Progress begins with grasping the truth about ourselves, however unpleasant it may be.

             - Russell Ackoff, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

 

Stateside

Well, I'm back at my Dad's in VA now. The flight over was largely uneventful and everything went smoothly. After a long day of traveling it was nice to be at 'home' but I miss Galway like crazy and have been thinking about everyone constantly. I was a bit surprised at how calm and peaceful I was in leaving Ireland. I guess I had gotten out all the tears and emotional stuff when saying goodbye to friends earlier in the week. I was all smiles yesterday as I looked back upon the best five months of my life. I had only good things to think upon and it made it so much easier on me (and on everyone in the airport I'm sure).

I spent my last two days in Ireland in the adorable little village of Adare. I had to move out of my apartment on Tuesday and so needed somewhere to go till my plane left on Thursday. My mother had been to Adare in the 80's and remembered it as being a favorite and so I decided to go check it out. I'm so glad I did! It is a lovely little town although far from quiet at this time of year but it is still peaceful compared to the city and has plenty to see and do. I explored the Adare Manor house and gardens, visited several churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, and I walked through the town park a half a dozen times. I sat in the local pubs and heard traditional music my last night in town. I became good friends with the owner of the inn I was staying at and they sort of adopted me for the 36 hours I was in town. They let me tag along to watch their son's U14 Gaelic football match! It was an incredible match and the lads played so well. I was glad I got to see a Gaelic football match before I left, even if it was just 14 years olds. I think they played better, and made the match more exciting, than some of the minor league teams. I also bought myself a Gaelic football to bring home. If you are visiting Ireland and plan to go down to Kerry at all you will most likely pass through Adare. If you do, promise me you will stop into Sean Collins' and Sons pub and say hello for me! They also run the Adare Village Inn which is where I stayed and Sean and his wife Bridie were the best hosts imaginable! I can't wait to go back for a visit.

It was a great five months and I am so grateful for the all the wonderful opportunities I was given. I've made so many wonderful friends and we've shared some great memories. Thanks for an unforgettable semester you guys! For the summer I'll be going back to my mom's in NY and dividing my time between work and summer fun (which will include gardening, shearing sheep, hiking in the ADKs, and reading in the hammock). I will continue to post pictures and stories on here that I've yet to tell, but they will be few and far between. For more regular updates on my life you can follow me here.

Slán go fóill!

Last Week

I have just one week left in Galway. I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming emotions I've been feeling. I have made such wonderful friends here this semester and I've truly started to feel at home here. I can't imagine going back to the way life was before, and I don't intend to. I've been changed this semester, and so I will return a changed person. We are all being sent to various corners of the globe, but we will remain friends across the distances. We will write to one another and maybe someday get to visit the faraway places that are still just stories for now. And someday we will all be reunited together again, and we will get to be together for eternity. That is the best thing of all. I have been so incredibly blessed this semester and I am so grateful for each opportunity I was given. The time went by way too fast, but we made the most of it and we have some wonderful memories. For that I am so truly grateful. To all my Galway friends, I love all of you so much! Thanks for an amazing semester. I can't wait to see you soon.

Visitors!

I'm finally getting some visitors this semester! All of my friends and roommates have had family and friends visit them and now I finally have some coming to see me! I am so excited!!! My dad and my sister will be here in less than two hours and I couldn't be more impatient. I love playing hostess and tour guide but I am also anxious for them to come because I said goodbye to my third and final roommate today. If Dad and Olivia weren't coming I would be by myself for more than two weeks! So thankful that that is not the case. In preparation for this visit I spent the day baking cookies, cleaning the bathroom, and doing laundry. I can't wait to show them around Galway tonight and tomorrow! We will then head off to Kilkenny, Cork, and Kerry where we will see my family's old farm and homestead. We we also be checking out the Rock of Cashel and seeing the house where my great-grandmother was born and raised! So excited!!! The biggest adventure will be watching Dad navigate driving on left-hand roads! Should be fun. They leave early on Sunday and then I have less than two weeks left. Slightly sad, but I'm not going to think about that yet.

Photo Safari

Some friends and I went on a photo safari tonight. Check it out here

Saying Goodbye

I hate goodbyes, I guess I'm just no good at them. And today I had two of them, pretty big ones too. I had to say goodbye to two of my dear roommates. These girls have been such a big part of my life these past four months. I don't know what I would have done without them. They made me laugh, they were always there for me when things got rough, they watched out for me and they kept me accountable. They were some of the best roommates a girl could ask for. Many great memories were made and I will forever be changed by their friendship. I will miss you girls! I love you both bunches.

Northern Ireland

I'm having a really hard time motivating myself to write lately (in case you hadn't noticed) but I'm going to do my best to write a post about my recent trip to Northern Ireland.

Last Wednesday I headed out fairly early to get on a bus headed for Derry. I had been throwing around the idea of going for awhile but hadn't actually made any solid plans until a few days beforehand. I booked my hostel and bought a buss ticket all just hours before setting off. Definitely different for me, I normally plan things out to the point of over-preparing. So here I am with only a vague idea of what I am going to do when I get there, no plans for returning, and no one going with me. All new experiences. The drive to Derry was lovely and the weather was pretty great for me the whole trip! A blessing for sure. Derry still has it's original city walls intact and you can walk up on them, so cool!

                                                                   City Walls!

                                              Fence around the Loyalist (protestant) quarter.

Amazing pipe organ in City Hall

                                                                    Fence at a school.

Peace bridge that extends across the river to the rest of Northern Ireland thus uniting Irish Northern Ireland and British Northern Ireland. As the guy at the hostel told me, most people in Derry still feel Irish.

Derry was an amazing city and I'm so glad I got to visit. I was only there one night but I was able to see most of the city. 

I then headed to Belfast for three nights and I spent a day out at the Giant's Causeway. 

 Linen Hall Library. I'm pretty sure it's the oldest library in Belfast. I'm really into libraries so I went in several others as well. All lovely.

 Belfast City Hall. The architect who designed this building was awarded a knighthood.

                                                    Me sitting in the Lord Mayor's chair

Clock tower that leans. They did this intentionally, it's about 4ft off. 

Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge!

Bushmills Distillery. The first company to receive a license to make whiskey making it the oldest legal brewery in the world. 

 Dunluce Castle. This castle is now in ruins, as you can tell, and for good reason. It is sitting very precariously on the edge of the cliffs. The last time anyone lived in this castle they were preparing for a party, there was a sudden rumbling and loud noise. The gardens, the kitchen (holding all the food for that night's party), and a few other rooms of the castle had just plunged into the sea below. That was the last straw for the lady of the house and she said she wouldn't spend another night there. So they left and the castle is now abandoned and in ruins.

Giant's Causeway 

The Giant's Boot 

 Docks where Titanic was built. The brick building on the right was the drawing offices where the ship was designed.

                                   War ship involved in WW1, don't remember the name.

 White Star house (named for the White Star line that owned Titanic). The height of the building was the approximate height of the deck that the 1st class passengers would have been standing on. So if you were Kate Winslet that's how high up your balcony was.

Cranes in the ship yard. 

Queen's University. Gorgeous campus!!!

Botanical Gardens. 

Opera House

St. Anne's Cathedral 

Kelly's Cellars! 

St. George's Market. One of my favorite things in Belfast. 

After Belfast I headed west and stopped in Enniskillen and Ballyshannon and then decided to stay a night in Belleek! It was lovely.

Belleek Pottery 

gorgeous view from my hotel in Belleek

This is a cake topper before it's finished. I want one. 

Kind reminder for all us visiting tourists.