Southern accents are in this year

I made it!! My first two flights were a bit sketchy, what with the EXCESSIVE amounts of turbulence. The poor planes were jostled in the air like raggedy Ann dolls, and I was most unsettled. BUT my flight from New York to Ireland was wonderful. The pilots were Irish, and whenever they came over the PA system, I felt at ease. Even the stewardesses were Irish and they wore cute green uniforms.

I've decided that life is full of long lines. Too often I get frustrated by the present moment because I always seem to be looking ahead (if I could just get to New York, if i could just land in Ireland, if I could just get through customs...) I'm going to try to be more conscious of these thoughts and try to stay in the present moment. I fear that if I'm always looking ahead to the new best thing, I'll miss all of the little moments along the way that create the long-lasting memories. I'll admit, I got extremely homesick when I landed in Ireland. I miss the comforts of home, of being in good company with life-long friends, etc. BUT, I shall not wallow. I accepted the homesickness, then got to work on my new life here in Limerick. I refuse to allow my insecurities to hold me back from having one of the BEST semesters of my life.

By the way, southern accents are a commodity here, ya'll. I don't think I have much of a southern drawl, but my southern roots seem to be instantly betrayed every time I open my mouth. It's actually pretty interesting-I've never been in a place where I am the ONLY southern person around.

I'm still pretty jet-lagged (going on maybe 4 hours of sleep in the last 36), but I want to make a list of some of the wonderful things in store for the month of September:

Start of classes

Townhouse bonding (Americans, Germans, French, and Irish all under one roof..)

Cliffs of Moher

Munster Rugby Match

London trip, including a ticket to see Wicked

and plenty more shenanigans!

More to come--until then:

May God grant you always:

A sunbeam to warm you,

A moonbeam to charm you

A sheltering angel so nothing can harm you.

Laughter to cheer you,

Faithful friends near you,

And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.

Goodbye America, hello Irish land!

So this is it. I’ve been planning this trip since I set foot on Costa Rican soil over 3 years ago. I am going abroad!! I’ll be living in Limerick, Ireland, for almost four months. I honestly thought the day would never come. I just finished taking organic chemistry at Christian Brothers University a few weeks ago-it almost DESTROYED my life (just ask Michael Castellarin). Nevertheless, I survived, and as I sit here amongst the piles of clothes and last minute to-do lists, I can’t help but miss Rhodes and the people that have become my family. I’ll admit, I’m pretty nervous about going abroad. I chose my abroad program knowing that I would not know anyone else going on the same program. That’s a scary thought!! I want to study in a place where I don’t know anyone initially, though. I want to be uncomfortable; I want to push the envelope, to explore, to learn. I’ve become all too comfortable with my life and routine at Rhodes. I am no longer the bewildered freshman, or even the stressed-out sophomore. I have come to call Memphis my home, and Rhodes my playground. I don’t want to settle for a comfortable life, however. It’s time to change things up a bit!

I leave Little Rock bright and early Monday morning, and (hopefully) I’ll be in New York that evening. From there, I’ll meet up with other study abroaders and head out on an overnight flight to the Shannon airport. We are expected to arrive on the Emerald Isle around 5:30 am Tuesday. I’m not sure how I feel about the trans-Atlantic flight. I’ve been on several before, but something about going 600 mph high above a gigantic ocean just doesn’t sit too well with me…

I’ve been reading up on some Irish history and culture, and I came across an Irish blessing that I really liked:

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, And rains fall upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Well, that’s all for now. Hopefully I’ll be able to write more when I get settled into my townhouse in Limerick. Until then, I wish you all well!