So this it it...

My final day in Ireland. wow. It feels like just yesterday I was walking into Plassey Village House 6, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my 7 other housemates...and now here we are, banded together cleaning the house, listening to random mash-ups on mine and Rebecky's computer.

Time really does fly. These four months have been some of the most exciting, difficult, trying, wonderful months of my life. I've made fantastic friends and met some interesting people along the way. Will I ever get back here? I hope so, someday. I hope to see my friends and housemates once again, whether that be a roadtrip in the states or another European adventure.

What have I learned since I've been here? Well, I'd like to think I've grown in some profound way, but in truth I think all of the little lessons I've learned have truly made the difference. Life really does begin at the end of your comfort zone. I found that out when I plunged down a dark, forested mountain-side, when I took a Guinness glass from Stables (without permission of course...), when I willingly flipped my own kayak over in the Shannon River, etc. etc. Life happens. Sometimes things don't work out the way you planned; there is always an enjoyable moment, however, if you just look hard enough. My trip to Rome wasn't exactly what I thought it would be (I spent three-quarters of it alone, lost, and without an ounce of Italian language skills), but I feel like I conquered Rome and experienced its beauty in a way that I never would have had things gone according to plan.

I'm sad to be leaving this experience. I really, really am. I'm not ready to leave. But, I know it is time to get back to my life in the States, and one thing that I've learned here is to not let life pass you by. There will be more adventures awaiting me in Memphis, and I'm excited about that. Just because Memphis is no Ireland doesn't mean there isn't beauty and wonder and excitement to be found there.

Thank you Plassey Village, for your many memories of drunken Irishman, 4am fights, and general noisiness. Thank you House 6 for being ridiculously fantastic, and housing 8 wonderful people. Mo, we made it! It was a lot, but we got through it :)

I wish I could end with some sort of wise saying or thoughtful conclusion, but the truth is I am starving and a final housemate lunch is in order. Thus, I leave with what is most fitting: an Irish blessing...

May you be forty years in heaven before the devil knows you're dead.

:)

Lindsey

Is this real life?

I haven't blogged in a while, so I have a LOT to write about. I apologize in advance for the randomess of this post...

1.) Parents came to visit me the week before Thanksgiving!!! It was SO good to see them :) I surprised them at the airport the night they got here. We went to a pub for dinner, then parted ways for the night. For the next week, we went sight-seeing/shopping around the city, and we sampled some of the local cuisine at the better pubs in Limerick, like Dolans and The Locke Bar. Over the weekend, we took a private tour around Ireland--one of my favorite day trips by far! We went to La Hinch (popular surfing spot on the west coast), the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, the Ailwee Caves, Galway Bay, Bunratty Castle, the Dolman, etc. etc. etc. It was WONDERFUL. I miss them already!

2.) I've decided to FINALLY give a shout-out to the wonderful people I've been living with for the last semester (happy Julia?? :) here yall go-->

Rachel Shinsky--I love this girl. We've gotten to know a TON about each other this semester (like the fact that we can't drink together without fighting...haha) She keeps me sane. What started out as a daily lunch session in the upstairs kitchen (usually tomato soup, pizza, salad, or mac n cheese) has become an everyday campout session in my room. Rachel practically lives in my room. She works in my room. She watches tv in my room. She even SLEEPS in my room. Her sarcasm cracks me up, and I've definitely learned way more about Michigan life than I ever dreamed of wanting to know....can't wait to hang out with you in the states missy! :)

Julia Malanka--hm..what words come to mind when I think about Julia? homelessly chic, creepy, funny, ridiculous, partly insane, wonderful. Julia lives directly above me, and I always hear her rolling around in the bed or turning on the faucet to wash her hair. Every morning, I wake up way early and text her "WAKE UP. Come play with me." And slowly but surely, I hear her roll outta bed, open the door, and make her way downstairs for some girl chat. She MUST have her back rubbed everyday or bad things will happen to good people. She's a fan of random knick-knacks, like a walking stick named Waltar and homeless animals like the infamous "Moo-cow." When I make my way out to D.C., you better show me a good time Julio!!

Maureen Case--Mo money, Mo problems! Mo and I are very close. She lives directly across the hall from me, so we can see each other from our desks. The first day here, Mo and I both sat down in our desk chairs, looked at each other, and said "this is a lot." From then on, we've been besties, haha. Mo knows how to calm me down when I get heated about something, and the way she says "it's kinda like a wet burrito" NEVER gets old. We're both interested in the health professions, and we share a mutual love of "back-cracking." I'll never forget our crazy night out in London, our delightful vacation in Venice complete with nightly massages and 12+ hours of sleep, or our semi-failed girls trip to Dublin and daily girl chats in Plassey. You are a truly wonderful person Mo! :)

Kate Moran--aka KITTY!!!!!!!! This girl is pretty fantastic. I got to know her better on our trip to Florence, Italy, in October. That night in the hostel is one for the history books...but we won't talk about that now... ;) Kate is such a chill, laid-back person. I wish she and Rachel lived in the same house as the rest of us so I could see her more. Kitty is always down for a good time, and when she's not hangin out with K-dawg, she's usually trying to be a bad influence ;) haha...thanks to Kate (and Julia), I know incessantly check my facebook for any obscene messages or other random changes to my profile. I'm gonna miss you kitty!!!

Becky Gallant-REBECKY!!!!! rebekah has no emotion...and she's gonna KILL me for saying that ;) My first memory of Becky is when she christened our family dinner tradition by making pasta with chicken and vegetables. So yummy!! Becky and I had biochem together, and we shared a mutual disgust for the TA's grading system in our lab. Probably my favorite memory of Becky is when she yelled "NO NO NO NO NO" at the Bunratty castle waiter for trying to take away her food before she was done....Hahahahah PS-I want that ridiculous apple clock of yours & your gray Dunnes zip-up, k? Thanksssss ;)

Tara---Tara lives directly in front of me (while Mo is across from me). Tara and I often yell at each other through the walls (since they are super thin), or we get lazy and just facebook chat each other from the room. We know everything about each other's home life because of our skype convos and the lack of privacy that Plassey Village walls provide. I'll never say the word "sauce" again without thinking of Tara's VERY New Yorkish way of saying it. Tara and I are "splitters"; since our first meal together at the Hunt museum, Tara and I have always split desserts or meals together. Splitter fo life girl! :)

3.) The reason why I haven't blogged in a while is because I've been busy with school and traveling. I had 5 major papers due all within 3 days of each other. I took a girls trip with Mo, Rahchl, Kate, Julia, Becky, Katrina, and Mo's friend to Dublin during the middle of all the paper-writing madness. We went out for a musical pub crawl in Dublin, and that turned out to be a DISASTER. The pub crawl was NOT a real crawling of pubs; the guys who headed the organized musical debacle made fun of us, so Mo's friend got all of our money back (80 euro in all) and we left the pub crawl with free stuff, our refunded money, and our pride. Afterwards, we went to Urban Outfitters to buy out the store (I wish), and then headed off to Temple Bar to get some drinks. At Temple we met these ridiculous guys from Holland and a crazy few hours of random conversation ensued. The next morning we went on a tour of Wicklow, where movies like P.S. I love you and shows like The Tudors were filmed. The tour ended up being a bit of a bust because the mountains were iced with sleety snow, and we couldn't see everything we wanted. We still had fun though..

4.) I got back from Rome, Italy, last night around 4am. Julia was waiting for me at the bus-stop :) such a great surprise!! I spent the majority of my time in Rome alone because the friend I was supposed to meet up with got stuck in Scotland due to wintery weather. Even though I only know Italian words like "Ciao, non parlo italiano" (hey, i dont speak italian), I managed to find my way around and have several "Eat, Pray Love" moments of my own. I got blessed by the pope, saw the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon. I read a book and people-watched from the steps of the Trevi Fountain and ate some of the most delicious pastries I've ever had in my life. I ventured outside of Rome for one day (to Pompei), and while Pompei is exciting, I don't really want to talk about it (some of you know why...haha). Naples was a little frightening, but I did have some incredible mushroom pizza while i was there. On Sunday, I went to the Roman market and was sufficiently overwhelmed by the massive amounts of junk and treasures sold. I bought a couple rings and an old bracelet--I would've bought more, but there were SO many different stands that I just got really indecisive and couldn't decide on what to buy. While the trip was nothing like I thought it'd be, I still had a blast and feel like I've finally done Italy right (I've been to Bologna, Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, and Pompei).

5.) So I've got 2 weeks left abroad. I have mixed feelings--I'm excited to go home, but I'm really not ready to leave here yet. I don't know when I'll get back over here, and that saddens me. I've had such a blast in Ireland and traveling-its gone by SOOOOOO fast! This week I've got to study a TON for my biochemistry exam on Friday, and then I'm planning on doing some last minute traveling before I head back to the states in 2 weekends.

Until next time:

May peace and plenty be the first

To lift the latch to your door,

And happiness be guided to your home

By the candle of Christmas

Lindsey

Cork & Killaloe

It's been a while since I posted last. I've been taking in the spirit of the Irish, i.e. avoiding homework at all costs and just relaxing and enjoying life as it comes. Last weekend was my first weekend in Limerick since the beginning of September-it was so nice just to stay at home and lounge around :)

This week I pulled an all-nighter studying for a biochemistry exam; afterwards, I rewarded myself by watching back-to-back episodes of criminal minds on my laptop instead of being productive...was it worth it? definitely!

Yesterday, I went with the international society to Blarney Castle and Cork city. The morning started off foggy and misty, but by the time we got to the castle grounds the weather was absolutely PERFECT. We really lucked out :) The grounds are GORGEOUS this time of year-the leaves are all different colors, and everything is still so green because of the copious amounts of rain the west coast receives, and the castle looked magnificent.

It was so nice to just walk around the castle grounds and really appreciate the beauty of the country. So many colors, so much nature, such breath-taking scenery; no picture or vivid description could do it justice. I'm honestly glad I'm not Irish, because I fear that if I were, I wouldn't fully appreciate my surroundings; oftentimes, we get so distracted by the day's demands that we don't think to stop and "smell the roses." That's one valuable lesson I've learned since I've been abroad: just stop, and take it all in. It'll be gone before you know it...

Kissing the stone was quite the experience. Let me set the stage: my roommate and best friend here, Mo, LOVES taking pictures. As we were getting closer to the front of the line for the stone-kissing (which is highly unsanitary, by the way), Mo hands me her purse, jacket, camera, etc. etc. etc. and instructs me on where to stand, when to take the picture, etc. She's too funny ;) Anyways, she gets up to kiss the stone---to kiss the stone, btw, you have to lay flat on your back, hold onto handle bars behind you, and lean your body out and down to reach the stone (one of the employees at the castle holds your waist so you don't slip and fall off the castle's ledge)---so Mo is trying to kiss the stone, I'm trying to get a picture, and the employee is not very happy with us. Mo kisses the stone twice, I fail to get a good picture, and when my turn to kiss the stone comes, the guy lectures me about holding up the line, yadda yadda yadda. It was pretty funny. I successfully kissed the stone, though, and I'm hoping some Irish luck will come my way! :)

After kissing the stone, we explored the garden of poisonous plants, and that was actually really interesting--some of the plants had recently been seized by the Gardai (Irish police) haha. We walked some of the other trails in the castle grounds, and I found a nice giant rock to climb...it was quite an adventure!! The rain rolled in just as we were leaving--perfect timing! I settled in for a nice afternoon nap on the bus ride to Cork.

Cork was a nice enough city--the city center had their Christmas decorations up, so that was quite nice. I did a bit of shopping in the town, but other than that nothing exciting happened. We got back to Limerick around 6, ordered take-out from the local Chinese restaurant, and then one of the girls in the mountain biking club and I got ready to go out for a night on the town with some of the other Irish in the mountain biking club. It was a grand night--we went to the Wicked Chicken, a pub in the city-center, and I managed to run into my tutorial lecturer for Irish poetry. It's so weird to see lecturers out drinking, especially my Irish lit lecturer-she's slightly terrifying, but super badass at the same time. It was cool just to talk to her outside of class in such a random environment.

Anyways, today I went with some friends up to Killaloe to see where the mountain bikers were going to do their Sunday cycle. I saw Loch Dergh, and got some excellent pictures in the woods near the lake. Again, we lucked out with the weather--although it was a bit chilly, the sun was shining and no rain clouds were visible all afternoon-it was a relaxing, scenic afternoon.

So, what's on the agenda for this week? I have LOTS of assignments to complete before my PARENTS come next week!!! Ah! I'm so beyond excited to see them :) We are going to have a blast!! Things I need to complete before they come:

3 spanish essays (500 words, 1000 words, and 2500 words)

2 biochemistry lab reports

1 irish lit essay (2000 words)

1 physiology essay (2500 words)

I doubt I'll get it all done before they come, but hopefully I can blast through a nice chunk of that work...this coming weekend our program is going to the greyhound dog races, and I might take a trip out to the Cliffs of Moher and La Hinch to see the surfers in their natural environment.

Until then:

May the morning sun stir you from the bed

May the winds of March move you on the road

May the rains of April renew your strength

May the flowers of May captivate your sight

may summer heat inflame your zeal

May autumn color stimulate your dreams

May the silver moon make you wiser yet

May you never be with yourself content

May Jesus and Mary keep you young

Full of life and laughter and Irish song.

Lindsey

Mountain biking in Killarney

This blog starts with a bruise. Actually, multiple bruises. While these bruises REALLLLY hurt, I'm glad I have them. They are battle scars, testaments to the intense weekend I had. I went mountain biking with the UL club this weekend, and it was SO awesome!! I'll admit, I almost didn't go. I almost chickened out. I almost spent a weekend at home, relaxing, sleeping, etc. ALMOST. I guess the best way to describe my weekend is through pictures, so here we go:

See that picture above? If you look REALLY closely, you can see not one, but TWO rainbows. Cool right? Well, that goes to show just HOW much rain Killarney got this weekend. Rain that turned trails to mud. Rain that soaked through layers of clothes like a sponge. Rain that made me cold to the bone....Rain :)

I love the way the light hits the forest floor in the picture above. By the way, that's the SMOOTHEST surface we road on, and even that was difficult to bike through because the bikes frequently got stuck due to the rain.

Along the way, we had some difficulties with the bikes: quick release problems, flat tyres, faulty brake pads, etc. etc.

The picture above is probably my favorite from the trip. This is one of the trails that I rode down and did NOT fall. It might not look like it, but this trail was pretty technical--rocks, roots, mud, gravel, and all of it slippery. I was so excited and nervous riding down this trail-I kept thinking that at any moment, I'd tumble head first down the rest of the mountain, but I didn't. :)

Along the way, I got some cool pictures of the scenery all around us. I really wish I had taken more pictures of the stuff we cycled past. The picture above is one of my favorite scenic shots from Saturday.

So the picture above is of a trail that I almost mastered, but managed to epically fail at towards the very end. I was coming out of the woods and could see all the guys below me (I was always the last one to do everything because the guys are amazing cyclists and would just blow past me every time), and I was trying not to scream as I cycled down the last, steepest part of the trail. I was almost at the bottom when my bike got caught on a rock and I could feel my body lunging foward--I was well on my way to a painful face plant. I quickly caught myself, and ended up painfully sliding down the rest of the trail entwined in my bike. I managed to land at the bottom where a nice heap of mud was waiting for me (see picture below). By far the most painful part of the trip (see picture of bruises at the top), but I think I earned respect from the rest of the group. I laughed the fall off, picked myself up, and had a great rest of the day cycling (and falling) and cycling (and falling some more).

I'll end this post with a picture. At the end of the day, we cycled up to the most beautiful waterfall. It was definitely worth the effort it took to get to the waterfall, and it really sealed the deal for me. I thoroughly enjoy mountain biking, even the enormous challenges that come with it, and I hope to hone my skills with each cycle I go on. :)

A Weekend in Dublin

Visiting Dublin was a lot more fun than I thought it'd be. I figured it'd be something like London, and while London was an interesting place to visit, it wasn't really my cup of tea. I'll try to stick to the highlights of my Dublin trip:

1.) We woke up early Saturday morning with the intention of catching a 7am bus to Dublin (it's about a 3 and a half hour trip from Limerick). Well, we JUST missed the bus and had to wait another hour in the dark/cold. I got some excellent pictures of the quiet morning and the sun-rise, though (see picture above). All the traveling I've done this semester has allowed me to catch glimpses of some fantastic sun-rises and sun-sets.

2.) I slept the whole way to Dublin--I actually love the bus rides. Walking EVERYWHERE has taught me to appreciate any form of transportation that doesn't involve much physical exertion, haha. One of our first adventures in Dublin was at Trinity College, where we saw the famous Book of Kells. Honestly, the most exciting part of that excursion was that we didn't have to do a tour with some old guy rambling on about things we don't really care about...we were able to just go at our own pace and appreciate the Book of Kells and other famous artifacts housed in Trinity College's library.

3.) From the college we took a cab to the world famous GUINNESS FACTORY. Let me preface this by saying I absolutely HATE the taste of Guinness, and I've gotten my fair share of flack from the Irish about my lack of good taste in beer..The factory has a cool set-up and is much more informative than I expected; we also got about a pint and a quarter's worth of free Guinness to drink. I was only able to manage a few good gulps before I had to pass it off to one of the boys. While I'd probably never go back to the brewery, it was a fun experience and I conquered my fear of nasty-tasting Guinness. Been there, done that!

4.) Saturday night the girls and I scarfed dinner down in the hotel and quickly got ready for the JOSHUA RADIN concert at The Academy on Middle Abbey Street. I was really excited about this, because not only am I a huge fan of JR, but also I haven't been to a concert in ages and to go to one in Dublin is pretttttty cool. The scene was very hipster, and lots of under-aged kids were trying to pass for 18 and get into the bar--it was quite an interesting sight! We all bought a pint of cider and then headed up to the stage to see JR perform--we were right in the front row! That's what I love about artists that aren't well-known; they are much more accessible, and usually play in cooler venues than more well-known artists. Anyways, the concert was ok (he wasn't as great of a performer as I was hoping), and afterwards we went out to explore Dublin night-life.

5.) Sunday morning we set out for the Viking tour, one of the many guided tours Dublin city has to offer. Honestly, this might have been the best part of our trip, although we all decided that the tour would have been even more fun if we had pre-gamed it (sorry Mom!) Basically, the tour is conducted on a 1940s WWII duck, one of those things that can drive on land and then go straight into water. We boarded the "duck" and immediately put on plastic viking hats (hence the ridiculous picture above), and proceeded to roam around Dublin, literally ROARING (yes, roaring) and waving our little viking fists at unsuspecting passers-by. It was quite a riot. We had fantastic weather all weekend too, which definitely made the tour much more enjoyable.

6.) After the tour we did some last minute touristy shopping and then headed back to Limerick. It was a very successful weekend! :)

This week I've been up to my elbows with work: writing papers, doing laundry, studying for exams, etc. etc. etc. I really can't complain though-I love life over here :)

This weekend I'm going to Killarney with the mountain biking club to get in some incredible biking. It may or may not be the death of me--this past Sunday, the crew biked for 6 hours straight, over 35 km of biking, and not just easy biking--forest/mountain/rocks/roots...well, you get the idea. I'm super excited to push myself physically and mentally and see what all I can accomplish this weekend. Pictures will definitely be taken ;)

May the light always find you on a dreary day.

When you need to be home, may you find your way.

May you always have courage to take a chance

And never find frogs in your underpants.

:) Lindsey

Hellllllo ITALY!

So, I went to Italy for 6 days. During the middle of the semester. I had a biochem exam the day I got back to Ireland. No big deal...I could get used to this Irish lifestyle :) I'll try to recap the highlights of the trip:

Friday: woke up at 3am to catch a 4am bus to Dublin. The 4 hour ride was actually quite nice-I tucked myself into a corner in the back of the bus and slept the whole way there. We left Dublin for Bologna, Italy, around 9:30am and the flight was pretty interesting. When I wasn't napping, I was snapping picture after picture of the Swiss Alps that were RIGHT outside my window. The snow-covered peaks could be seen above the layer of clouds that had settled on the mountains. SO BREATHTAKING! By the way, this was my first Ryanair flight, and while everything was alright, I could definitely see why they offer low airfare--the plane is barely furnished, and if you want anything to eat or drink, it'll cost you an arm and a leg. They also have super strict luggage regulations, although we managed to squeeze by with our purses and bags without too much of a problem. Halfways through the almost three-hour flight, somebody stupidly tried to smoke in the lavatory, and the man right across from me had an epileptic attack and had to be put on oxygen for the duration of the flight. Oh, and did I mention the entire Connacht Rugby team was on the flight with us? Yeah. talk about some body odor...The rest of the day involves more forms of transportation (trains, taxis, walking, etc.) until we FINALLY made it to Florence!

Saturday: Two girl friends and I woke up early and explored the streets of Firenze, stopping for a tart and coffee in a typical Italian restaurant for breakfast. Surprisingly, most Italians knew at least a little English, so we really had no trouble getting around. We window-shopped and heckled with street vendors till lunch time, at which point we made our way to one of the Piazzas to embark on our Florentine cooking class adventure! We wound up in a tiny alleyway in Florence, and entered the In Tavola cooking class center. I had two crucial epiphanies at this cooking class: 1.) I am NOT a great cook. 2.) Cooking can be the most disastrously fun pastime everrrr. Our instructor told me right off the bat that I needed "a little less play, and a little more attention," which of course ticked me off. I paid him to teach me, after all, so I felt I deserved to have some fun. Anyways, the rest of the class went great and I learned how to cook the following:

Fresh egg pasta with meat sauce bolognese

Eggplant and ricotta ravioli

Tomato, basil, and garlic fetucinni

Panna Cotta with strawberry sauce

The food was SO delicious. I may or may not have eaten my body weight in pasta that day..

Sunday: My roommate Mo and I split from the group and headed to Venice on Sunday afternoon; the train ride from Florence to Venice was complete with fantastic views of the Italian countryside, and when we pulled into Santa Lucia station in Venezia, I couldn't stop smiling. Venice is a city unlike any other; it is absolutely gorgeous!! We hopped off the train and immediately got onto a water bus which took us to Lido, the island where we were staying for 3 days. Lido is precious; it is off the mainland of Venice and it's such a quaint town-we stayed in a cute little hotel that was only a ten minute walk from the main street in Lido (where we ate pizza and gelato every chance we could..)

Monday: Mo and I jumped on another boat to San Marco Piazza in Venice and proceeded to "shop till we dropped." The piazza was cool because during high tide, everything floods, and people walk on tables to get around the square. In the afternoon, we took a walking tour of Venice and learned some of the history behind the unique water city; our tour also included a delightful gondola ride through the Grand Canale. Mo and I felt like we had found the perfect honeymooners spot, haha! We headed back to Lido in the evening for calzones and gelato (the straciatella flavor is my personal fav) and then got a whopping 10 hours of sleep---let me just say that sleep is a rarity in Ireland...

Tuesday: We headed back to San Marco for some more shopping, and then took a boat to the beautiful island of Burano that afternoon. Burano is an island where all of the houses are different colors and the Italians showcase their laundry on clotheslines. It was a beautiful island. We caught a ferry back to Lido and got to watch the sunset on the water--perfect ending to a perfect day. We truly felt like we were on vacation and did not want to leave.

Wednesday: I took every form of transportation short of a camel ride on Wednesday: Walk-->Boat-->Train-->Taxi-->Plane-->Bus. Let's just say it was a LONG day of traveling, but I really didn't mind. I actually LOVE the train system in Italy--it was so fun! And the ridiculous 5 hour bus ride back from Dublin (we got stuck in rush-hour traffic) was actually quite entertaining-we all played games and recounted our adventures and fun things like that.

Of course I'm leaving out many MANY details, some more interesting than others, but the moral of this story is that Italy is a truly enchanting place, and I can't wait to go back.

What's on the agenda now?

Tonight: Movies

Tomorrow: Dublin

Tomorrow evening: Joshua Radin concert!!

Sunday: Guinness factory

Next week: class

Next weekend: Mountain biking trip to Killarney

That should keep me busy! Until next time:

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Lindsey

Ring 'O' Kerry

So I spent the weekend touring the Ring of Kerry, and I had so much more fun than I actually thought I would! Don't get me wrong, I LOOOOOVE Ireland, but I was a little wary of yet another bus tour...

Friday afternoon we left for Killarney to change buses en route to Cahersiveen, Ireland. (Caher=fort, Sive=little girl's name). Along the way, we saw all types of Irish countryside, including farms, mountains, lakes, rivers, islands, and the sea. Between snapping pictures like a madwoman and taking cat naps with my mouth wide open and my head smacking the window, I managed to find time to just take in my surroundings and really appreciate them for what they are: beautiful, historic, breath-taking..the list goes on and on.

Friday night we had a delicious meal at the Ring of Kerry hotel in Cahersiveen; we topped the night off with a talk from one of the locals who grew up in Cahersiveen in the 50s, and we watched Irish dancing with the stars.

Saturday morning we woke up just in time for a quick breakfast before heading out the door for our day tour. We started the day off by driving onto Valentia Island, where we took a nice hike up to the highest point on the island and took some AWESOME pictures (see photos above). While we were at the top of the island (it took us a good half an hour just to hike up to the top), it of COURSE started monsooning on us, so my roommate Mo and I sprinted down the mountain like crazy people. By the time we got to the bottom, the rain had stopped. Typical Irish weather...

From Valentia Island we went to the Skellig informational center where we learned about the Skellig islands and the dedicated monks who inhabited the rocky crags in total isolation many centuries ago. From there we took several one-way skinny roads that looked like bike-paths up to the slate quarry on Valentia Island, and then back down to a beach with the lonely remains of a once-magnificent castle. I managed to take more pictures of my converse in the tide than I did of actual people...don't judge.

After lunch and a power nap, I spent the rest of the day exploring Cahersiveen (including the famous church built for Daniel O'Connell). All in all it was a grand day, full of good craic :)

Sunday morning: We woke up early and went on a 45 minute walk up to the stone forts in Cahersiveen (hence the name of the city). The forts were DEFINITELY worth the walk-they were SO cool!! You could climb all the way to the top of the forts, and the insides were intricately designed with steps and little tunnels and things. It was awesome. Just as Mo and I made it to the top of the fort for some good pictures, another MONSOON rolled in and managed to soak us through and through. But what can I say? It wouldn't be Ireland without a bit of rain to keep you company.

We had soup and sandwiches back at the hotel for lunch before we departed for Limerick. We went a different route back and saw even more beautiful scenery. Honestly, just when you think you've seen it all, something even prettier comes along. I love love love Ireland.

This week I'm trying to get a handle on school--I've got a lot of things coming up:

Biochemistry lab exam

Physiological basis of human behavior paper

Modern Irish poetry paper

20th century Spanish culture paper

and more interesting assignments including a poetry recitation:

St. Mary Magdalene Preaching at Marseilles

by Eilean Ni Chuilleanain

Now at the end of her life she is all hair-

A cataract flowing and freezing-and a voice

Breaking loose from the loose red hair,

The secret shroud of her skin:

A voice glittering in the wilderness.

She preaches in the city, she wanders

Late in the evening through shaded squares.

The hairs on the back of her wrists begin to lie down

And she breathes evenly, her elbows leaning

On a smooth wall. Down there in the piazza,

The boys are skimming on toy carts, warped

On their stomachs, like breathless fish.

She tucks her hair around her,

Looking beyond the game

To the suburban marshes.

Out there a shining traps the sun,

The waters are still clear,

Not a hook or a comma of ice

Holding them, the water-weeds

Lying collapsed like hair

At the turn of the tide;

They wait for the right time, then

Flip all together their thousands of sepia feet.

This weekend's adventure is a surprise--I'll update soon ;)

Until then:

May brooks and trees and singing hills

Join in the chorus too,

And every gentle wind that blows

Send happiness to you.

Lindsey aka Shminsey

To LONDON!

Gosh it feels like ages since I've updated this blog-it's becoming quite the chore! I'm just too busy galavanting around haha

Last weekend, I went with my program to London, England. Even though I was only there for 3 days, it felt like I was there for an entire week-there is SO much to do!

Friday: woke up at 4am and caught the bus with my fellow study abroad

ers to the Shannon airport. Our flight didnt leave until 7:30, so while we were waiting around we saw a mass influx of American soldiers, and isn't it funny? We ALL instantly felt safer, even though we had nothing to feel unsafe about. We struck up a conversation with one of the soldiers and found out that they were all returning from their two week leave in the states-imagine, two weeks with your family and then the REST of the year fighting in a foreign country? I definitely felt guilty about taking a weekend trip to London

after he told us that...Anyways we had a very enlightening conversation with him, and then headed to our gate to board.

We arrived in the Heathrow airport around 9am and took a bus to South Kensington, where we stayed for the weekend. Apparently, S. Kensington is the ritzy side of town-I figured that one out when the front desk workers at the hotel gave us masked scowls while checking us in. After dropping our luggage off, we went to a little Italian cafe down the street and had a DELICIOUS lunch. I love Ireland, don't get me wrong, but the food here is...boring, for lack of a better word.

After devouring our Italian meal, we set out to explore the streets of London and hit up some of the famous fashion shops. We explored Harrods for a while (if you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up-it's pretty incredible). After some shopping--more like after looking at the prices of everything and NOT shopping--I went back to the hotel to take a short nap before dinner. Let's just say that that nap was the most restful sleep I got all weekend..

When I woke up, I went to Rachel and Mo's room, and we all decided (Rachel, Mo, Kate, Julia, and I) that we wanted to have a chill night, so we walked down to the fancy hotel restaurant clad in our best PJ's and ordered some dinner. They were having a cocktail special (buy 2 get 1 free), and since we were only going to be in London once, we decided to go for it. What started out as a chill night ended up being a night of shenanigans in the hotel, ridiculously expensive taxi rides into the heart of London, a club, and more ridiculous taxi cabs. AND, there is full visual documentation. Too many pictures from that night haha

Saturday: I woke up bright and early to the sound of bustling London stree

t-life and got ready for a morning bus tour. We all piled into a grand tour bus and trekked around the city, seeing famous sites like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, the famous London bridge, and lots of other exciting things. London is wonderful, however, to me it is just another

big city. While I appreciated the history and the sites, I honestly was more excited to go back to the hotel, have a bubble bath, and watch TV. Crazy, I know.

Saturday evening was by far my favorite part of the weekend. It started out by blaring the UK top 40 music mix and getting dolled up to go to the theatre. GREASE: is the word. Mo, Rachel, Ciera, Becky, Julia, Ryan, and I all went out for a nice dinner near Picadilly circus before heading to Picadilly theatre to see Grease the musical. We had a blast! The musical was great and our seats were fantastic. After the show we headed back to South Kensington and Mo, Rachel, Julia, Catherine, and I had a fun girls night complete with junk foo

d, cheesy music videos, and massages. SO fun.

Sunday: I ended up sleeping in Mo and Rachel's room Saturday night (Rachel hijacked my bed from the other room and dragged it down the hall...), so Mo and I woke up and got ready for the day while Rachel headed to Buckingham Palace. Mo, Catherine, Kate, Ryan, and I walked to the Natural History Museum (pictured bottom right) and had a BLAST exploring the dino exhibit, the ecology exhibit, and my personal favorite: the biology exhibit!! (total nerd alert) Catherine and I split from the group and walked around London, hopping in and out of store fronts and taking loads of pictures along the way. We went to an accessories shop where I proceeded to make EVERYTHING difficult: I wanted this purse that happened to be basically on the ceiling of the store front window, and it was the last purse in stock, and I made this poor lady get up there and get the purse for me. And to top it all off, the purse was made in India--the one item that I'm most excited to get in London, the fashion capital of the world, is a purse made in INDIA. Oh well :) After shopping, Catherine and I ate sushi and a really hip sushi bar, then popped into the Victoria and Albert museum to kill time before our flight back to Ireland. We shamelessly took pictures of everything, even the jewelry in the ONE exhibit that doesn't allow picture-taking. We both got in trouble, but it was so worth it :)

We got back to Ireland around 9:30 Sunday night, and before we could even get our suitcases in the door, our Irish friends swagger over and try to persuade us to have a night on the town with them. The Irish never stop partying. NEVER. I politely declined, and left them standing at our door haha. Sunday night we all had girl talk in my room (unrestrained gossip sessions that occur basically every night in House 6), then went to sleep.

This week is pretty low-key for me--just trying to stay on top of schoolwork and plan some trips. Tonight I'm going on a night cycle either in the forest or on a mountain with the mountain biking club. I'm slightly scared, but definitely excited.

This weekend I'm going on a Ring of Kerry tour, which includes a Ceili Dancing Class, tour of Valentia Island, hilltop walking, St. Finian's Bay, Skellig experience center, Ballinskelligs beach and castle, walking tour of Cahersiveen and stone forts, among other things. I'll post some pictures of my adventures next week! Until then:

May good luck be your friend

in whatever you do,

And may trouble be always

a stranger to you.

Lindsey