I'm leaving on a jet plane.

I just returned from my last dinner in downtown Waterford! I can't believe I'm saying/typing those words. Taylor and I went downtown this afternoon to finish up some souvenir shopping and then met Elizabeth, Emily, and Tiffany for dinner at a french restaurant. Let me just brag on this food for a second. I had French onion soup for a starter, then a Salmon fish "pie" (salmon baked with mashed potatoes on top) with a salad, then chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream and meringue. Oh, and some white wine. It was all incredibly amazing and I am so sad I won't be able to go back again.

I had a great time this weekend with a small trip to Kilkenny. I took my first train ride ever! Taylor and I watched James (our new Irish friend that we met in Waterford) play a show with his band. They were incredibly talented and despite the numerous drunk groups of boys getting way too close and borderline harassing us, we had an awesome time. Or, as the Irish would say, a savage time.

Monday is a class day, Tuesday is a rest/study day, and Wednesday is finals and our very last dinner in Ireland. We leave Waterford at 1:00am Thursday morning for Dublin. I have a layover in Frankfurt (a short one, thankfully) and then a horrendously long flight back to Atlanta. We should be landing at 4:00pm Atlanta time, where Andy and my mom will be picking me up! This will be my last entry from the Emerald Isle so I wanted to make some lists.

Things I Will Miss:
- The accents.
- Organic, local beef.
- Perfect fruit.
- The clothes/shopping.
- Walking/Public transport/No driving!
- Friendly and extremely well-behaved dogs everywhere.
- Young children speaking in a well-thought out and mature manner.
- 3 Bulmers for 10 euro at Mason's.
- Making Irish friends just by being an American.
- Mike and Howard being there for us 24/7
- The kind staff at WIT.
- No billboards or advertisements on the highways.
- Endless green fields, broken down abbeys, and castle ruins.
- So. Many. Cows.
- Penney's.
- Free breakfast almost everyday.
- Irish sausage.
- Hot tea with every meal.
- Cell phone free for a month.
- Pulling into Waterford after a long field trip day and feeling at home.
- Being brave enough to take on new cities by myself, with only a back pack full of clothes and a bus schedule in hand.
- The Gingerman.
- Live music in pubs.
- Laundry service.
- Something new and exciting every single day.
- Learning new words and phrases.
- Kind and helpful strangers.
- Taking two photography courses at once.
- Taylor, Joey, and all of the friends I've met here.
- The bus drivers.
- The ketchup.

Things I Will Not Miss:
- Never getting enough sleep.
- Conversion rate and foreign transaction fees.
- Inappropriate drunken behavior.
- Daylight until 10:30pm and sunrise at 4:30am.
- Dead camera batteries.
- Sprained ankle.
- Unable to text Brittany.
- The showers.
- Everything closes at 6pm.
- The WIT Facebook block from 9am-3pm.
- 50lb luggage limit (determined to conquer this, by the way!)
- Weather that changes almost every hour.


Clearly, one list outweighs the other. I'll try and update once more when I get back to the States. So incredibly excited to see my friends, family, and fiance! :) :) :) :) :) :)

I leave for home in 8 days!

Is my time here already almost gone completely? It feels like last week when I posted an update about how I had 8 days until I was leaving to BEGIN the trip! Looking back at the list of places I've explored while I've been here really is amazing. Because of our wonderful program directors, we've been able to experience so much in such a short time span. And I'm sure I now know more about Ireland than I do my own country. It has been such an awe-inspiring five weeks! I will be extremely sad to leave this all behind. :(

I'm sitting in my Photo IV class right now and my final project is pretty much ready to go, so I'll just give you a quick update on my weekend. Taylor and I decided to spend the weekend in Waterford rather than travel. We had plans to take surfing lessons in Tramore but then I went and sprained my ankle BIG time so that did not happen. The first two days were intensely painful and it was agony to try and walk just to the bathroom. Fortunately, it seems to be healing up quite nicely now and I can walk at a moderate pace with my Ace bandage and pain medicine. Everyone here has been so accommodating and helpful as I hobble along behind the group! Even though my injury made me want to be home in my own bed so badly, my friends here have made it much easier on me. So, instead of surfing, we just hung out at home and relaxed.

Tayto and I with our Bulmer's -- the ultimate drink of choice on this trip!

 Having a grand ol' time, despite my ankle.

Five dollars if you can guess which one is sprained!

For Tuesday's field trip we went to Kilkenny which is only about 45 minutes away from Waterford (a short bus ride is a treat here!) We toured the Kilkenny Castle. That was honestly a lackluster experience made better by the fact that I got in free with my Heritage Card and made worse by the fact that my ankle was killing me. Most of the items there were reproductions. I was grateful to get inside from the soft rain and blustering winds, however. We all made a fun game of spotting the "hidden" baby monitors they had set up all over the castle. Taylor, Hillary, and I grabbed lunch at a place called Katz Kafe. I had the most amazing smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel! Afterward we toured the Smithwicks (pronounced "Smit-icks") factory. The tour was super cool despite the minimal photography allowed and at the end we were offered free pints of Smithwicks in a pub closed to the public. I only had about 3/4 of mine and then switched to water. I enjoyed it much more than Guinness but towards the end the bitterness was getting to me. On the trek back to the bus we grabbed hot chocolates from Choc-a-Latte; they were made from melted chocolate from a fountain and therefore were absolutely DIVINE. Back at Waterford, Taylor, Joey and I had dinner at this really nice Chinese restaurant Jade Palace. It was 20 euro for a 3 course meal and I couldn't finish my entree because the portion was so large. Not bad for an upscale meal! Not sure why, but the Chinese I've had here has been fabulous! Go, Ireland. 

Making fun of the statues at Kilkenny Castle.

 Precious book swap at Katz Kafe.

It was so windy and cold that day!

Graffiti in Kilkenny.

Smithwicks.

Tasting room at Smithwicks.

All full of beer! They also make Guinness, Bud, and Bud light here.

Out "high visibility" vests and goggles.

Joey!

Yummmm.

Looks like I'm not very good at keeping my promise regarding blogging. Whoopsie! I can't believe I've finished my third week here! Only two more weeks left? Its just unreal.

This week my field trips were to Ardmore and Lismore. Ardmore had a lovely beach and we took a two hour walking tour of the town, completed with burger and chips takeaway and an ice cream cone. I can't seem to find the photos from that trip anywhere and I'm hoping they are just sitting around on one of my random USB or SD cards somewhere? Lismore was another small town. We went to the castle of Lismore and I spent the bulk of my time in the gardens which were just beyond lovely! I got to experience the Irish cinemas today for my two viewings of the new Harry Potter movie (don't get me started on my feelings on that... I cried); not much is different except don't ask about their free refill policy without being prepared to be laughed at to your face. Our theater was super hot for some reason and we were also the ONLY ONES to show up early for the movie. Apparently, they don't do premieres big here. Everyone just shows up right before the showing is to begin. Silly Americans. Ah well :P

Aaaaaand here are some random pictures!

Millennium Spire in Dublin

Rock of Cashel

Rock of Cashel

Taylor, Meghan, and Kristin at the Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Castle Gardens at Lismore

Mmmmm Bulmer's :)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II midnight premiere!

Beir bua!

I'm so sorry for ignoring you, dear blog! Time here is just flying by so fast and I hardly realize that the week has passed until it's well into the next week. It feels like I posted here maybe two days ago, max! I'm reaching the mid-point of the trip and feel so torn about missing home and never wanting to leave this country. I want to see my family, friends, and Andy SO badly and yet I know it will be immensely difficult to leave here. I'm trying to savor every moment without clouding it with homesickness, but it gets hard. I am learning SO much about myself, my world, and my God while I'm here and I can't help but wonder how different life will be when I get back. It will be an entirely new adventure, separate from my adventure here. All I know is that this has already been a life-changing experience and it will NOT be the last time I travel abroad.

A quick re-cap of the field trips of the past week and then weekend trip I just got back from. Tuesday we went to Dublin! We toured a museum and then visited Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. It was really cool getting to view such an important piece of history in person. Although, the experience was slightly tainted with the 8 euro entry fee and being rushed through the exhibit in maybe 10-12 minutes by the surrounding  (pushing and shoving) tourists. I actually enjoyed seeing The Long Room more than the Book of Kells. I was heartbroken to hear that photography was prohibited because it really was breathtaking the amount of books in that room. OLD books. I walked up the stairs and instantly thought of Beauty and Beast when Belle discovers the library. It was overwhelming and very, very impressive. As for Dublin itself, I felt kind of "meh" about it. I'm glad I can say "I've been to Dublin," but I can't help it being a small town girl; I was quite happy to get back to Waterford at the end of the day.

Thursday we traveled to Cashel to tour the Rock of Cashel and then the Hore Abbey. The Rock of Cashel was really interesting and beautiful. But, at this point, guided tours were becoming a little tiring. There's distinct feeling of being herded like cattle. The Hore Abbey was one of my absolute favorite parts of the trip! It was just beautiful. An old Abbey in ruin that the photo class was free to roam about by ourselves. It was raining (of course) and we had to hike and climb walls to get there, but it was so worth it. I just about died when my camera battery gave up on me not five minutes after we arrived. After asking around the group for a spare battery, I took it as a sign from God that I was supposed to just enjoy this moment not hidden behind a lens (and also bring spare batteries... whoops). So I did. And it was amazing.

Taylor, Meghan, Kristin, and I (and another group of four girls that we split the hostel with) spent the weekend in Lisdoovarna. The thought of traveling across the country without Mike or Howard was fairly intimidating but we survived! One of the many things study abroad teaches you is how capable you really are. Taking on the bus system of Ireland was a challenge, but a real learning experience. Some buses stick to the schedule and some buses don't. Some buses smell and have food smooshed into the seats and others are super clean. Some bus drivers will drop you off right in front of your hostel and some bus drivers will make you miss your connection and you will be stranded in a strange city for 5 hours. My first time staying a hostel was great! Eight girls and one bathroom isn't exactly 5-star living but everything went smoothly and we had a great time. We took a cab to Doolin to see the Cliffs of Moher (aka The Cliffs of Insanity from Princess Bride) and they were just spectacular! We had an hour-long cruise that went right up to the cliffs (or, as close as you could get). The water here, you guys. It is just insane. SO BLUE. A deep, rich blue. It was an amazing afternoon! I HAVE to go back again sometime in my life. It is an requirement.

Today was a long day of traveling, but not as bad as the first since all of our buses were right on schedule! Once I got back home I finished up some photo homework, unpacked, and cleaned my room. Sorry for the lack of photos in the post but I just have soooo many to go through before posting them. I'm thinking of doing an all photo post tomorrow?

I WILL post tomorrow. I PROMISE. :)

Beir bua!

Long time, no blog.

Sorry for the silent week (Mom). It's been busy getting adjusted to daily life in Waterford, but I've had an insane amount of fun every day of it! Wednesday was our first day of classes. We are in class from breakfast until dinner. It's a long day, but definitely made easier by the photo classes and free meals all day. Tuesdays and Thursdays are field trip days and Thursday we toured Waterford. First stop was the Waterford House of Treasures which was just filled to the brim of cool stuff. Next we did a walking tour around the town with a world-famous historian who cracked us up the whole time. Finally, we went to THE Waterford Crystal Factory and oohed and aahed at everything. One of the amazing things about that company is if at any point during the process a flaw is found, the piece is simply smashed and melted down to start over. This rule also applies to if someone accidentally breaks something in the store! That didn't stop me from being extremely nervous while looking at all the expensive pieces, however.

The special tools used are so safe that craftsmen aren't required to wear gloves or goggles!

A 30,000 euro crystal grizzly bear!

Friday and Saturday were spent enjoying the festivities in downtown for the Tall Ships Festival! We steered clear of the gimmicky tourist stuff, but still had a great time seeing all the boats and listening to the live music. Taylor and I also found our official favorite restaurant in Waterford! It's called The Gingerman and is just beyond comparison, even for Irish food. Best of all, it's only about 12 euros for a HUGE meal and a pint. We've already been twice and I'm sure we'll be back soon. 

I miss it already.

Saturday evening we were headed downtown for crepes when we found several hot air balloons being set up on our campus! So, we stayed back and watched the whole process from start to finish and it was AMAZING. I was geeking out the entire time. In downtown, we stopped by the crepe stand and I had the lemon sugar crepe which was literally sugar with lemon juice and it was just divine. I could go on and on about the food here! What a difference it makes when you're using nothing but REAL FOOD and none of that random crap that everyone else has decided is necessary. Later that night we went to Mason's (bar/nightclub) and enjoyed the free entry and "3 Bulmers for 10 euro" deal. We had a grand ol' time making friends with just about every Irish person who overheard our American accents and being taught the lyrics to traditional Irish tunes. It was also finally decided that the Irish talk too fast and we Southerners talk too slow. I'm not sure where the middle is, but the combination of Georgia girls and Irish guys sure does make for interesting conversation (most of it being laughter at me for asking "What did you just say?" about 3829874 times).

Today I finally caught up on sleep and have just been relaxing at the apartment. I cleaned house, worked on some Photo homework, and ordered Irish Pizza Hut with Taylor. Yes, even the Pizza Hut here is SO. MUCH. BETTER. I honestly don't know how I'm going to ever be satisfied with the food back in America.

Beir bua! 

Killarney

Turns out I wasn't able to pack my laptop for the 3-day Killarney trip because everything had to fit into a bookbag. But, it was a great (albeit tiring) trip! We left early Sunday morning and got back Tuesday afternoon. On our way to Killarney, we stopped in the city of Cobh for lunch and then went to Blarney Castle. It was 8 euro to climb through the castle (a feat in and of itself) and then kiss the stone, but worth it just to say I've done it. I didn't realize the "stone" was really a brick in a wall. And I also didn't realize just how far back you had to lean to get to the stone. You're on the roof and lying on your back. The employees hold your legs and from the waist up, your body is hanging down, backwards. Thankfully it barely lasted long enough for me to understand what just happened. In front of me was this grandmother who was just too cute and went through with the whole shebang; she was a hoss!

Cobh

Kissing the Blarney Stone!

In Killarney, we arrived just in time for dinner at the Castlerosse Hotel where we stayed. Each morning we had a full Irish breakfast and each night a 4-course dinner... for free! Monday, we toured the Ring of Kerry and that was a full-day excursion. We stopped in various towns, including where the home of Daniel O'Connell lived (big name in Irish history). The sea-side and mountain views were just insane! It was a long, long day of driving that finally ended back in Killarney just in time for dinner once more. At this point, I was getting pretty tired of travelling and just wanted to stay put for a little bit!

Today, we stayed in Killarney and visiting the Killarney National Park. It had some beautiful gardens and a nice little hike to a waterfall. We shopped and had lunch in Killarney before making our way back to Waterford (you guessed it) just in time for dinner. I have found my Irish Forever 21 replacement: Penney's! I spent about 30 euro there today but got so many clothes! I'm going to need someone back home to compliment my outfits so I can say, "Oh yeah. This is from Ireland." Once back home, Taylor, James, and I walked the few blocks to Tesco to get some basic groceries and now I'm about to make pizza for dinner. Tomorrow is our first day of classes! But, to be honest, I'm more excited about just staying put in Waterford for the rest of the week. As nice as our tour buses are, nothing is more uncomfortable and just screams "HEY I'M AMERICAN Y'ALL" than a tour bus.

Clearly exhausted, but still having a great time!

Beir bua!

So many adventures!

My first full day in Ireland is coming to a close and so much has happened. Traveling was fairly miserable because we all went essentially two days without any sleep. But everyone remained in high spirits which helped a great deal. Thursday, we left the Atlanta airport at 6pm for a 9 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany. I tried to sleep on the plane but my body was having none of that. Even though I had a pillow, blanket, and the seat leaned back, there was no position comfortable enough to rest. I feel as though I'll be having nightmares about that plane seat for many nights to come. I am eternally grateful that I have 5 weeks until the next flight. Our 8 hour layover in Frankfurt was great! We had a chance to really stretch our legs and the opportunity to add another stamp to our passports. We only had a quick tour, but I loved getting to have a brat in Germany and see all the beautiful architecture.

Beef brat, mustard, crusty bread, and "apfel wine".

The 2-ish hour flight to Ireland was thankfully short, but equally sleepless and at this point I was beginning to get delirious. I was very excited when I saw on my ticket that I had a window seat but Lufthansa tricked me! I was next to the emergency exit. That means no window, no tray table, and no having my carry-ons by my seat. I tried to nap by leaning forward on my knees but kept snapping awake due to back pain and the paranoia of actually having to perform my duties at the door during an emergency. By the time we got to Dublin, I was entering cranky territory but tried to pull it together when I was able to look at my passport and see that green stamp. Also, a group of middle schoolers were singing Don't Stop Believin' after baggage claim. That helped.

Then a torrential downpour started and we had to hike across the biggest parking lot in the history of the world to get to the bus. I was at 30+ hours no sleep, carrying my 50 lb luggage and two carry-ons, and getting slapped in the face with rain. I'm not entirely sure how I made it to that bus but it was the greatest accomplishment of my life thus far. One 3 hour bus ride later and we made it to Waterford (around 9:30pm, Wateford time)! The program directors were absolute saints and had dinner waiting for us in our apartments. The apartments are pretty nice! We each have our own room with a desk, closet with a mirror, and our own bathroom! My first Irish breakfast this morning was fabulous and now I'm wondering why we don't eat beans in the morning in America; it's a revolution! I am also vowing to not eat any breakfast meat unless it is Irish sausage for the rest of my life. 

The people here are incredibly kind and friendly. It's a real treat seeing the realization on someone's face when I start speaking in an American accent. Every person I have talked to has been nothing short of absolutely warm and welcoming and happy to help. I had the best time exploring the grocery store (SuperQuinn -- it's like a Kroger), seeing the different names of products, and talking to the employees. A few shoppers stopped me to ask if I was on holiday and were delighted to hear about our study abroad program. I feel like I have thousands of instant-grandmothers. The woman who bagged my groceries was excited that we would be in town for the Tall Ship Festival next weekend and gave all sorts of tips on how to get the most of that experience. She was so genuine and sweet! Everyone from our bus drivers, to the cooks at the dining hall, to strangers on the street have been just great and a breath of fresh air after the harsh experience in Germany. 

Today we did some very short introductory tours of downtown Waterford (comparable to Savannah's River Street), Dunmore East (a fisherman's village on the coast), and Tramore (the Tybee of Ireland). They are all within a 10 minute bus ride from our campus at WIT so we'll be frequenting them a lot in these next five weeks. I can't wait to go back to Dunmore. It was so quaint and just breathtaking with the intensely sea-green (seem obvious, but you haven't really seen sea-green until you see this) waves crashing on the cliffs. Sadly, I forgot my camera on this excursion but I'm sure I will go back many, many times. I've had the best time hanging out and getting the know my fellow students on the trip. It's funny the amount of things you can have in common with a complete stranger.

Tomorrow we leave early in the morning for a trip to Cobh, Kerry, and Killarney. We''ll be back Tuesday and start classes on Wednesday. I'm hoping the hotel will have wi-fi so I can update the blog and pictures fairly often. I have a feeling it will really pile up and become a chore if I slack.

Beir bua!