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!

I'm leaving on a jet plane!

I'm completely packed up and ready to head to the airport tomorrow around 1pm for my 6pm flight. We'll be landing in Frankfurt, Germany for an 8 hour layover before continuing to Dublin, Ireland. Finally, we'll be in Waterford, Ireland at WIT (Waterford Institute of Technology) where we'll be staying. I'm not sure when I'll be near a computer again these next couple of days. But, I have a small notebook to be used as a travel journal so I can be sure to remember everything! Before I sign off for the last time in America, I wanted to share a little bit of family history.

My mother's maiden name is Sharon Callihan. My great-great-great grandfather Drury Sidney Callihan Sr. came to North Carolina in the late 1700's/early 1800's from Ireland with his two brothers. Drury went on to Fanning County, Georgia and started my family line! It goes something like this: Drury Sr. (great x3) --> Drury Jr.(great x2) --> Sam (great) --> Joe (grandfather) --> Sharon (mother) --> ME. So, I'm the sixth generation. Our part of the family spells Callihan with an 'i'. It is more commonly seen spelled Callahan, but both spellings refer to the same family. The only reason I know any of this information is because my mother's cousin Dave Callihan spent many, many, many years collecting information about our family's history and eventually made it into a HUGE book that everyone could own. I just can't imagine how much effort went into this project, but I am so so grateful he was passionate about it. The book has all sorts of cool stuff like copies of the census, taxes, bills, receipts, etc. Tons of small clues linking everyone together. There's even a receipt that shows payment made in SYRUP. Love it! There's also the story of Drury and my great-grandfather Sam Callihan and what hard workers they were. Reading about their lives makes it easy to see where the Callihan dedication and stubbornness stems from. My family was the poorest of the poor, but make no mistake about it: every penny to the Callihan name was a penny earned twice over. My grandpa Joe worked two jobs (with the U. S. Post Office in the day, and stocking a grocery store for the night shift) to support the family of 8 living in a single-wide trailer with no air conditioning that my mother grew up in. In fact, the house I live in right now in standing on the same exact plot of land that the trailer was on.

There's so much more I could write about them thanks to the extensive research Dave put into the project, but I think you guys get the gist. I would LOVE to find a Callihan/Callahan while I'm in Ireland. I'm also going to be on the hunt for a Callihan fmily crest.

The next time I post will be from the Emeral Isle! :D
Beir bua!

TWO. DAYS.

Just wanted to post my re-do of the complimentary color assignment! I'm so glad my classmate/roomie Patricia noticed that I mixed up some of the colors so I had a chance to fix it. I can't imagine how foolish I would have felt turning it in like that in Ireland hahaha. So here we go! For the sake of brevity, I'm just posting one picture for each pairing.

Red and Green:

Orange and Blue:

Yellow and Violet:

By the way, I put together this miniature studio using just two sheets of copy paper, some scotch tape, and a light scoop! Quality on a budget, thankyouverymuch ;)

FORTY-EIGHT HOURS, PEOPLE!

3 Days!

I've gotten a lot done today prep-wise, including one of my homework assignments! As I mentioned yesterday, for Photo IV we had to feature the three pairs of complimentary colors in a total of six photos. I decided to try out a theme. And, of course, I choose FOOD. For each pair, I contrasted fresh foods with food products. I'm pretty pleased with it. :)

Yeah, I totally mixed up some of the color pairings. So, I'm going to have to re-do 2/3 of the homework. D'oh.

4 Days?

Ahhhhhhhh! FOUR DAYS! Are you kidding me, Life? I'm so incredibly excited and nervous and ecstatic and nauseous at the same time. I have (hopefully just) one more WalMart trip to make and then I'll have everything I need for the trip that I won't be buying overseas. Tomorrow I'll be taking the photos for my two homework assignments. For Photo III, I have to answer six questions about my life here in America in photo form as if I were introducing my culture to someone in Ireland. For Photo IV, I am taking six photos featuring the three pairs of complimentary colors. I'll post the photos on the blog before I leave for Ireland!

There's not much else to talk about besides how much I'm freaking out every 15 minutes, give or take. Just trying to get in the habit of posting often. :)

Beir bua!

One Week

Just one week left in the States (don't I sound cultured?). Something about the words "one week left" made me wake up with a pit in my stomach this morning. Like the realization hit me square in the face. One of my friends said it perfectly, "Five weeks is a short time to be in Ireland, but a long time to be away from home." And that's exactly how I feel right now. I just can't believe it's finally HERE!

Howard, one of the program directors, sent an update email today which pulled me out of my preemptive homesick funk and got me giddy all over again. How much do I love that everyone is on a first-name basis? Another part of Ireland having a casual culture: respect is mutual all around! I'm used to that type of atmosphere being in the art department at GCSU. So, when Howard first told everyone that we would all go by our first names sans any titles, I felt right at home. It was funny to look around at some of the confused faces. I was talking to some other students afterward and they mentioned how strange it would feel calling professors by their first name. When I told them that's exactly what we do in the art department, the bewilderment continued. It was a fun reminder that we'll be learning so much not only about Irish culture, but about ourselves and fellow Americans while on the trip.

I'm going to go try not to eat my feelings while thinking about not seeing my family, friends, or fiance for five weeks. Until tomorrow!

8 Days Left!

Time is just flying by and I feel like I still have about a million things to do before I leave next Thursday! I need to call Sprint and figure out if we're going to get an international plan with my existing phone, or just get an international pay-as-you-go phone with re-loadable minutes. And I need to call my bank and credit card company to give them the dates I'll be abroad so we won't get any fraud alerts. I also have to PACK. Crazy. What in the world do I bring? How much do I bring? Ahhhhhh so many choices! I keep hearing that Ireland is a casual country. Not to mention we'll be walking A LOT. I'm guessing my wardrobe will be jeans/shorts, comfy shirts, cardigans, and good walking shoes. The trick is to pick items that are interchangeable so I can meet that 50lb weight limit (with room to spare so I can bring Irish goodies home). I'm not TOO worried about it. I helped my friend Brittany pack for her study abroad to Paris a few weeks ago and she was able to pack A LOT of stuff for around 48lbs.

Another thing I have to do is my homework! Can't believe I almost forgot about that hahaha. The classes I am taking while in Ireland are Photo III and IV and and Irish Culture class. I have an assignment in both of the Photo classes that I didn't remember until I was organizing some things in my room and found the CDs stashed somewhere. Whoops hahaha.

I'm gonna be honest: Sometimes I forget that this is an academic trip. On the Facebook group for the trip, I see people discussing readings and essays they have to do for their classes. That sort of jerks me back to reality. Don't get me wrong: I know I'll have work I'm responsible for while in Ireland. But, that work is photography. And that isn't work to me. One of the many blessings in my life that God has given me: the opportunity to explore a major and a career centered around my passion. How wonderful to be able to say work isn't work!

This is actually happening, you guys! :D

Testing, testing...

If you couldn't tell or were not aware, this is my travel blog for my study abroad trip to Waterford, Ireland! I leave the country for the first time in my life in NINE DAYS. I just can't believe it. It still feels like a dream. Crazy to think that it was just November when I first had the notion to attempt and make this happen. It truly seemed impossible. But, here I am and everything has just fallen into place. I am thanking God constantly for this awesome opportunity. It's unreal!

I have several friends who are on study abroad trips right now and I've loved reading their blogs and combing through the hundreds of pictures. It just made sense that I would blog about my experiences abroad as well. I just want to apologize in advance to those of you who follow me on multiple websites (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr... and now Blogger). As a photographer I am a document-er of life and I'm sure that won't slow down now! Hopefully my hyper-chronicling will prove to be entertaining rather than annoying. ;)

I wanted to give you guys a small introduction to what I'll be doing on this trip, but I'm in Starbucks and there is this older guy making fun of me for typing on a non-Apple product. So, I'm gonna leave now. More tomorrow, I'm sure!