Inis Mór

Over Easter weekend, I went on a trip with the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). We went to Galway for a night, and then we headed off to Inis Mór, one of the Aran Islands. The trip was a ton of fun, and it went by entirely too fast. 

In Galway, I was able to take a walk along the Corrib River and see the beautiful Galway Cathedral. The weather was absolutely amazing, and I enjoyed sitting along the Galway Bay and soaking up the sun. 

On our first day in Galway, I was able to get a traditional Claddagh ring. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Claddagh ring, it is a ring that has two hands holding a heart, and the heart has a crown on top. If you're single, you wear the ring with the heart facing outwards. This means that you're able to give your heart away. When you wear the ring the other way, with the crown facing outward, it means your heart is taken.

The second day in Galway was a blast. There was a huge market (similar to our flea markets) in the middle of town. There were tons of booths selling everything from jewelry to crafts to food.

I was even able to get a sushi roll! That is one of the things I miss most. Dublin has a few sushi restaurants, but they are extremely expensive. 

On Saturday afternoon, we took a ferry to get to Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands. We hiked up to our hostel (which wasn't easy for a chronic overpacker such as myself), and we spent the evening making dinner and hanging out with friends. 

The next morning, we rented bikes and trekked all across the island. Unfortunately, five minutes after we began our trek, my friend Renee's bike broke and she was unable to go any further. It was fortunate that we were so close to the bike rental place, and I was able to bike back there and get her a new bike. It was also fortunate in that we were able to meet Paul, a very nice and good-looking Inis Mór  native, who drove me and a new bike out to meet Renee. 

After the new bike arrived, Renee and I set off to see more of the island. The weather was once again spectacular, and the views were breathtaking. We rode around for about an hour and a half, and then we headed back to our hostel to meet up with everyone.

At the hostel, we rested for a couple of minutes and then headed off to find the Dun Aengus site. It is the main attraction on the island, and it could date back as far as 2,000 B.C. The site is a fort-like structure, and it is not fully understood what the purpose of the structure was. 

We dropped our bikes off in the parking lot, and made our way up to the site. After paying to enter, it was about a 15-20 minute hike to reach the top. Once there, we entered through a narrow archway and found ourselves with a spectacular view of the ocean and the fort. The fort was built on the edge of a cliff, and there were no fences along these cliffs. 

Though they are not as steep as the Cliffs of Moher, they were still quite high. It was both exhilerating and terrifying to stand along the edge. It also made for many great photo opportunities. Renee and I took turns being the brave one on the edge of the cliff and the safe one taking pictures. 

After an hour walking along the cliffs and taking pictures, Renee and I decided to make our way back to the hostel. We then took our bikes back and made the hike to our hostel (it was much easier without the extra baggage).

The next morning, we got up early to catch the first ferry back to mainland Ireland. Once we were back, we travelled through the Connemara area and stopped for a break at the Kylemore Abbey. After that, we loaded back up on the bus and headed back to Dublin.

The whole weekend was a great experience, and I met even more great people. To anyone who will be studying abroad in the future, I highly recommend getting involved with campus groups and going on trips with them.

All the photos from my study abroad experience can be viewed here.

Trim Castle

A couple of weeks after break, we had our second trip with the International Office. The first trip was to a monastic settlement, Glendalough. It was my first trip in Ireland outside of Dublin. It was a bit cold, but it was great to see some of the ruins. I think it's hard for American's to imagine buildings that are older than 100 years old. Seeing establishments that were built several hundred years ago is a great experience. 

After walking through and taking pictures of the monastic settlement, Danielle, Prarthana and I decided to go for a walk and find the lakes. There was a nice path that went past the lower lake and led us straight to the upper lake. The upper lake was also the bigger and prettier of the two lakes. 

We hiked along the upper lake until we came to another sit of ruins. According to the map we had seen earlier, these ruins more than likely belonged to the workers of the monastry. There were rocks surrounding us on all sides, and it really was spectacular to take it all in. 

Going to Trim Castle was anohter one of these great experiences. The castle was actually used in the filming of the movie "Braveheart." Immediately upon leaving the bus, I was a little awestruck. A castle is considered an entire fortified area, and what we normally think of as the "castle" (the main living quarters) is actually the keep. The castle definitely lived up to its name. There were several structures that were completely surrounded by a very large wall. The keep even had a moat surrounding it. (It isn't filled with water anymore, but it's fun to see that moats were really used). 

Next to the castle, there is a canal and the Boyne River. It is an absolutely beautiful area. The day we went, the sky was a bright blue and clear and the grass was very green. Danielle and I decided to take a walk while we waiting to tour the inside of the keep. 

There was a nice walkway, and the grounds surrounding the castle were lovely. There were bridges to cross, archways to walk through, flowers to see, stockades to take pictures in and plenty to take pictures of. 

After our tour of the surrounding area, Danielle and I took a tour of the keep. The keep was actually built in three stages, and each stage took many years. Each layer was also built by a different lord. Because it was so large, it was extremely difficult to keep the whole structure warm. Eventually it was abandoned as a personal home because of this. 

The amount of planning that went into the building of the keep is incredible. For example, the spiral staircases were extremely narrow, and the steps were different heights. This was to help in the defense of the Lord or King residing there. The staircases were each guarded by one right-handed knight. In the event the attackers would make it into the keep, the Lord or King would go to the highest point on the keep. If an attacker made it to the staircase, the knight would be able to fight while going up the stair. Since he was right-handed, he would be able to use his sword arm. If his opponent was also right-handed, he would be severly disadvantaged. He wouldn't have the use of his sword arm, and he would also have a hard time navigating the "trip steps." The knights defending the keep would be very familiar with the different heights and widths of the stairs, but an attacker wouldn't be.

After we toured the keep and castle, we went to a local hotel for lunch, and then it was back to UCD.  The trips with the International Office were a lot of fun, and they were definitely worth the 17 Euro charge.

On Friday, I will be leaving again for Galway and the Aran Islands. I will be traveling with the Erasmus Student Program, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the islands. I look forward to telling you all about it when I get back.

Spring Break

UCD really knows how to do a spring break. They give two weeks off! Granted, some courses will still have class, others may have finals and some will give projects due directly after break, but still...if you're lucky enough, you get a two-week break. (I was one of those fortunate people).

The first week of break, my parents came over for a visit. It was really great to see them after two months of being away. (Skype does make it much easier though. I'm able to talk or chate with my parents 4 or 5 times a week). It makes it feel more like I'm just a town away rather than an entire country!

The first couple of days, I showed my parents around Dublin, and we went on a tour. It was great to finally see all the things I'd be hearing about for a while. (Such as the Guinness Storehouse). 

After a short period in Dublin, we all took a train to Galway. It is such a lovely city. It's much smaller than Dublin, and it has a charm about it. Our Bed and Breakfast was right along the Galway Bay, and the view was absolutely beautiful.

Our second day in Galway, we rented a car and off we went exploring. The first day we traveled through the Conemara area, and dad was able to see "The Quiet Man" bridge. (It is one of his favorite movies). Driving through the countryside was a great experience. I've been in Dublin for so long that I've started thinking that most of Ireland is like it's capital. (It most definitely isn't). The rest of Ireland is much more rural and charming (at least what I've seen of it). 

The next day, we went to see the Cliffs of Moher. What an amazing experience. The cliffs are 600 meters high and over 8 kilometers long. I think the only way to describe the cliffs is simply majestic. 

After our stay in Galway, we all came back to Dublin and prepared for their departure. My dad and I were able to run together before they left, and it was great he was able to help prepare for the 5k I would run the day after they left.

That 5k was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it. I was able to run the entire way, and I have a T-shirt to prove that I ran a race while living here. It was fun too because my roommate, Andrew, also ran in the race. 

The next few days were very quiet, and I spent them preparing for my trip to Germany! Ever since I started learning German, I've wanted to see Germany. I finally got my chance thanks to the UCD Deutsch Society. A group of about 40 of us went to Düsseldorf from March 19-23.

The trip was absolutely wonderful. I very much enjoyed being able to see Düsseldorf and Köln. I also really enjoyed being able to practice German. It's funny though, no matter how many times I went over the sentences I was going to say in my head, I always ended up getting a little tongue-tied when trying to talk with the natives. Of course, the day before we left, I was spewing out sentences like a pro. 

As great as Germany was, the trip did have a few little hiccups. My friend Kate and I were fined 40 Euro for sitting in the wrong class on the train. Kate and I both have a fairly decent command of the German language, and neither of us was able to figure out the train issue. Classes were not marked. The only markings were a "1" and a "2." How were we supposed to know that meant class. 

While we were in Köln, we walked around the city and even visited the Schokoladen Museum. The museum went through the history and making of chocolate, and we were even able to get a sample truffle while walking through the factory part. The museum even included an indoor rainforest so the visitors could see the type of climate needed for cocao beans. It also had a very delicious chocolate fountain that visitors were allowed to sample.

On the way back from Köln, we nearly got another fine, but we were spared thanks to a very nice ticket lady. We had purchased our train tickets directly from the central ticket station to avoid any issues. However, when the ticket lady saw our tickets she said, "You need to buy different tickets." We couldn't believe our luck. We had boarded the fast train back to Düsseldorf. I ended up saying something in English, and the lady asked, "Are you on holiday?" To which we replied yes. She then said to not worry about, and that we would know for next time. Thank goodness! My bank account couldn't have handled another 40 Euro fine!

I met a lot of great people on that trip, and I will always remember it as a great time. I can't wait to go back and explore more of Germany one day.

The First Few Weeks

After the initial shock of cold and no internet, Ireland has turned out to be a great place. My first week of classes went smoothly, but I couldn't believe how often students aren't in class. Most classes only meet twice a week for an hour or once a week for two hours. There's also an incredible amount of Irish students that never go to class. Purdue has this phenomena too, but it is much worse over here. 

In my first Ag class, one of my fellow classmates came up to me and said, "You're from Purdue, huh?" Yay, my first Irish friend. =) Thank God for friends like Conor. He immediately started inviting me to ag society events and introducing me to everyone in Ag. I've had a lot of great times and met some really great people thanks to Conor.

The second week of classes brought along a pleasant surprise: Ag Week. This is a week where the ag students raise money for a particular cause (this year it was teen cancer), and it's also an excuse to drink the entire week. There are plenty events during the day, and lots of going out at night. This is a picture of Conor and I out at Portobello's as a part of Ag Week.

Along with classes, there has been a fair amount of going out and just having fun. Dublin city center (or An Lar in Irish) is a lot of fun. There are tons of great pubs to visit. I've had many nights of sitting in a pub and enjoying a pint with many friends. This is a part of the Irish culture that I want to bring home with me. 

Glenomena

It's COLD!!! Agi and I had just gotten into our apartments and our rooms and we discovered that it was absolutely freezing! We quickly turned on our heaters, but that didn't seem to help. We both began putting our stuff away and unpacking our suitcases. While we were doing this, we heard someone coming into the apartment.

We both went to see who was there, and it turned out to be Nolan, one of our roommates. He said he was from Michigan, and that he had been there since September. He had also studied abroad in Maynooth, and so he knew his way around Dublin and Ireland very well. I was so glad I had been moved to this apartment. We now knew someone who could help us out.

We all went back to our unpacking, and the first thing I tried to do was get online. Oh no! My computer won't connect...what the heck am I supposed to do without the internet? Luckily, Agi had been able to get hers to work, and she let me e-mail my parents. 

I can't lie and say that that first night was great. It was COLD, and I didn't have the internet. For the first couple of days I was pretty negative, and I almost felt that I had made a bad decision. Then my heater and internet both started working, and I decided I was going to like Ireland!

That first weekend, Nolan took all of us to Doyle's Pub in the Dublin city centre. We were all able to relax, have some fun and drink a pint. Things were continuing to get better and better.

As the weekend progressed, the rest of Agi and I's roommates came back. There's Andrew, from Cork, Ireland; Florentina from Romania; and Gianmaria from Italy. It's proved to be a very diverse apartment, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Departure and Arrival

There were no tears as I said goodbye to my mom, dad and sister. I had arrived at the airport extremely early and went ahead and checked my bags and got my tickets. It finally felt real....I was going to Ireland! My parents and I left the airport and we met my sister for lunch.

In the middle of lunch my sister told my parents, "You will not cry, and you will not be negative. You'll tell her to have a lot of fun and that you'll see her in a couple of months." My sister being quite the seasoned traveler, my parents listened to her. 

It made my departure so much easier. I gave everyone a hug and a kiss goodbye, and I told them I would see them in a couple of months. Getting through security was a breeze, so now all I had to do was meet up with Shelley for our flight to Pittsburgh. Soon after I found her, we were able to board the plane. We talked the whole way about our plans, and what we each wanted to see.

Everything was going well, and then we had the long wait...Shelley and I had arrived in Pittsburgh around 4:45, and our connecting flight to Dublin didn't leave until 9:15. We met Kristen when her flight arrived, and then we all hunkered down for the long wait. As it turns out, waiting wasn't too bad. We were all able to chat and read, and the time passed quickly enough.

During our wait we were all asked to check in. When I was asked when I would be returning to the states I simply said the end of May. The clerk gave me a strange look and asked for my Visa. I told her I wasn't required to have one, and another clerk replied I was. She did some checking on the computer, and then I was finally allowed to completely check in and go back to my seat. 

After that small scare, we were all allowed to board the plane. Now it was even more real. I'm going to be in Dublin in less than 7 hours! I lucked out with the seating arrangements, and I sat next to a very nice Irish lady. She told me some places that I should go and see and that most of all, I would have a lot of fun. 

Kristen and Shelley were a row apart about 10 rows behind me. I wasn't able to chat with them during the flight, but they met more UCD students. There were about 6-7 of us on the flight, and we all found each other before we headed off to customs. Once we were all cleared we headed off in search of a taxi. One of the girls, Agi, was also placed in Glenomena so we decided to share a taxi.

Once we got to Glenomena, Agi and I went to the reception desk to check in. The administrator, June, was very helpful and started telling us all about the people living in our respective apartments. She then stopped and said..."Are you two friends?" To which Agi replied, "We are now!" June was able to place us in an apartment together. This turned out to be a great turn of events...