Well, I wasn't going to post anything today but a series of events made me want to...
Today is my day off from classes. But, I still decided it was a nice looking day out and I should go the library to get some things done. Upon leaving, I decided I should go to the local supermarket, Tesco, and buy some apples and coffee because I have a craving for applesauce and I am almost out of coffee. It was not until after I left the store thinking today was going so well that the Irish Weather decided to get fierce.
First, a light mist. No big deal. It's Ireland, it rains and its cloudy almost all the time. Then, without warning, rain pelts out of the sky like a million freezing cold daggers out for cold blooded revenge. I tried to pull up my hood on my hoodie and get out my umbrella, but then the wind decided it needed in on this plot as well. My umbrella folded backwards and my hood constantly threatened to flip off of my head! So with rage, I fought with my umbrella to close it and carry it home, still being viciously attacked by the wind and rain. About halfway home, the wind decided it had had enough. It was nap time or something. So, I put my umbrella back up. However, motorists sometimes are not as friendly as the weather. Now that I was able to stay a LITTLE dry, a car sped up and ran right into a massive puddle which of course then sprayed me from my shoulders to me feet. I kept my head up and ignored it as to not give them the satisfaction I know that they craved. Not a moment later, the rain stopped. I put my umbrella away and watched as the dark clouds blew away revealing a bright blue sky and sunshine. -.-
On the plus side, my room mate and I are making apple sauce today. I can not WAIT because I love applesauce and you can not buy it in a jar here as far as I have noticed. This is the first time I have made homemade applesauce and I can't wait to try it! It smells and looks delicious! We just put it in the fridge so it could cool down a bit first.
Coffee and Applesauce. The saviors of my intense scuffle with the weather. <3
Yours Truly,
Alicia
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Mid-week Four.
It's Wednesday. "Over the hump day" as some say. I can not wait to be over it. Wednesdays are my long days here in Carlow, Ireland. I have 2 classes that tend to be between an hour and a half to two hours long. Then again, at least I'm busy instead of sitting in my flat most of the day.
I find that I am still not over the homesickness I have had since I arrived here. Much to others dismay, I am already counting down the days until I get on the plane to go back home. It's 73 days in case you were wondering. I am trying to wake up each morning and tell myself today will be the day I get over this, but it has not happened yet. I'll keep doing my best and finding something to look forward too each week. So far, the only thing I look forward to are Friday's for our excursions. They always end up being fun and interesting. I came to Ireland to learn and see the country, and the excursions are allowing me to do that.
On a slightly different note, I am also really hoping my Monday class, Developmental Psychology, gets better. Here in Ireland, it is a second level course, so it makes sense that people should have some idea what they are there for. However, this week someone had to ask what psychology is and what various types of psychologists do. I hope I am going to learn something from this class so I am not behind when I head back home. That would be terrible.
Yours Truly,
Alicia
I find that I am still not over the homesickness I have had since I arrived here. Much to others dismay, I am already counting down the days until I get on the plane to go back home. It's 73 days in case you were wondering. I am trying to wake up each morning and tell myself today will be the day I get over this, but it has not happened yet. I'll keep doing my best and finding something to look forward too each week. So far, the only thing I look forward to are Friday's for our excursions. They always end up being fun and interesting. I came to Ireland to learn and see the country, and the excursions are allowing me to do that.
On a slightly different note, I am also really hoping my Monday class, Developmental Psychology, gets better. Here in Ireland, it is a second level course, so it makes sense that people should have some idea what they are there for. However, this week someone had to ask what psychology is and what various types of psychologists do. I hope I am going to learn something from this class so I am not behind when I head back home. That would be terrible.
Yours Truly,
Alicia
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Another long week down. I am still trying to accomplish my goal of one whole week where life in Ireland feels like an adventure rather than a struggle. Why is it a struggle, you may ask. Well, I have found that I am having trouble adjusting to the culture, a new room mate, being away from people I can trust, etc. Sometimes you simply do not realize all that you have until everything is turned around. I find I am missing home much more than I imagined. While Ireland is great and I know I will slowly find things to enjoy, I find that I would really like to grab a bowl of applesauce and watch a movie on the couch or wander the mall with friends. These things are kind of hard to find in Ireland. The only apple sauce I can find is bramely applesauce which has an odd color and the label reads "goes great with pork!" Due to this, I am a bit intimidated to try it. And as far as movies go, there isn't a channel on tv for them and I didn't bring dvd's. Finally, the only thing I can call a mall here does not really have any stores I am drawn to explore. Maybe I will find more luck in other cities here.
Which leads me to something I am excited for. Today I booked a hotel for myself and my boyfriend for a weekend in Dublin! We will be leaving Carlow Town for Dublin on October 21st and staying until the 23rd. I can not wait to explore one of the biggest cities in Ireland and hopefully find some stores with clothes I would like to wear! There is also a Harley Davidson store there! Can't wait!!
As far as exploring went, our weekly excursion took us to Wexford. While we were there, we walked through the Irish Heritage Trail and learned a lot about Ireland's known history. As it turns out, much of Irish history is a mystery. Before the stone age, the tools, clothing, etc of the people were made of organic materials that have decayed away. However, what we do know of the history here is still very interesting. From the Celts to the Vikings, Ireland has seen its fair share of turmoil and change.
After the history lesson, we traveled to the beach. And not just any beach, but the beach where Saving Private Ryan was filmed. I personally have not seen this film, but I can see why they chose that beach. When you stand between the dunes and the endless ocean, and breathe a fresh breath of air, life somehow gains a new perspective. It unexplainable and magical. It is something that everyone should experience. I found that I was able to let go of a lot of stress and let it fly off into the wind. And when the rain started to get a bit intense, I could feel some of my fears wash away.
Unlike my time at the beach, I am currently finding it difficult to clear my head and get this blog post written. For that reason, I will bid you adeiu for now and write some more soon!
Yours truly,
Alicia
Which leads me to something I am excited for. Today I booked a hotel for myself and my boyfriend for a weekend in Dublin! We will be leaving Carlow Town for Dublin on October 21st and staying until the 23rd. I can not wait to explore one of the biggest cities in Ireland and hopefully find some stores with clothes I would like to wear! There is also a Harley Davidson store there! Can't wait!!
As far as exploring went, our weekly excursion took us to Wexford. While we were there, we walked through the Irish Heritage Trail and learned a lot about Ireland's known history. As it turns out, much of Irish history is a mystery. Before the stone age, the tools, clothing, etc of the people were made of organic materials that have decayed away. However, what we do know of the history here is still very interesting. From the Celts to the Vikings, Ireland has seen its fair share of turmoil and change.
After the history lesson, we traveled to the beach. And not just any beach, but the beach where Saving Private Ryan was filmed. I personally have not seen this film, but I can see why they chose that beach. When you stand between the dunes and the endless ocean, and breathe a fresh breath of air, life somehow gains a new perspective. It unexplainable and magical. It is something that everyone should experience. I found that I was able to let go of a lot of stress and let it fly off into the wind. And when the rain started to get a bit intense, I could feel some of my fears wash away.
Unlike my time at the beach, I am currently finding it difficult to clear my head and get this blog post written. For that reason, I will bid you adeiu for now and write some more soon!
Yours truly,
Alicia
Saturday, September 24, 2011
A long, but mostly enjoyable week
Classes finally started for me this week and I made it to each of them early. This is only something notable due to the fact that Irish people tend to be a little late and not mind the time as well as we do in the states. This is so true that I have heard even the buses tend to arrive "somewhere around" the time they are intended to. The Irish simply do not mind taking detours and enjoying the smaller things in life it seems. Each of my classes had great qualities as well as notable moments.
The first class I attended on Monday was Developmental Psychology. I was nervous when I walked into the room because it was HUGE compared to the small sizes I am used to in Carlow University. There were rows upon rows of chairs, and there still were not enough for the number of students that came pouring through the door! This makes me even more nervous about when classes are in full swing because I feel I may get lost in the room and miss out on important things. I guess its good I like to sit in the front! This class was fairly short because the Irish students are allowed two weeks to decide what classes they want to take and the lecturer did not want to start class until she knew how many students cared.
The second class I had was on Tuesday and it was Counseling and Social Care Skills. Remember when I said I was nervous due to the size of my last class? Well this time that anxiety was doubled, if not more. The room was at the VERY top of a set of square, spiraled stairs and was simply massive. Luckily, there were many more seats than students in the room once class began, although I am told there was a traffic jam and some were going to be late if not missing class entirely. Once the lecturer began speaking, I felt a bit lost. I could understand bits of what he was talking about, but much of it only related to the Irish students. When he took a break, Andrea and I informed him that we were American students here to study for a semester and asked how things related to us. Instead of a real answer, he simply told us to "just do whatever." ?!?!? !!? I am now very worried about this class because I am used to knowing what is going on and not being told to do whatever I want. Hopefully it works itself out in the next few weeks.
On Wednesday I had two classes. The first was my Irish Experience class. I think that this is the class I was looking forward to the most because I think I will gain some valuable insights here. Because it was the first class, we really only went over the basics and got some things sorted out. However, we were told about the Friday excursion which sounded exciting! My second class was Social Psychology. After sitting through class, I think I may really enjoy this class. There are many topics mentioned that I have a small bit of knowledge about and some that I know little or nothing about. I think this will help me put new perspectives on my previous knowledge as well as expand my knowledge in the field of psychology. Also, the lecturer seems to be good at teaching. I was interested the whole time and felt like he knew what he was talking about. After class, the other American students and myself introduced ourselves and he was happy to meet us. This was a MUCH better response than my Tuesday class!!
I was scheduled to have a Thursday class, but it turns out it was moved to the same time as my Social Psychology class and therefore I had to drop it. This differs from the states because our schedules are worked out months in advance and classes don't overlap in that way once a student is scheduled for it. But, I won't let it bother me, that's simply not the Irish way!
Friday was our first excursion! We went to a variety of places that each had a great story to tell. Instead of me rambling on about each, allow me to just name them and put a few photos from each. Pictures are worth a thousand words, right?
Killeshin Church (Cill Uisean)
The next photo is from the top of a hill that overlooks the Barrow Valley.
By the Barrow River.
Saint Laserian's Cathedreal / Old Leighlin Church
Saint Mullin's Monastery.
(will add pictures soon, its being very slow and I need some sleep!!)
Duckett's Grove.
The trip to all of those places was grand, as the Irish would say. I came to Ireland to see things like this, and I feel like that purpose is finally starting to be fulfilled!
However, later in the evening the day began to lose its splendor. Sometimes getting along with room mates and girls who see things differently than you can be hard. On top of that, my phone was not working so I could not use the internet. It was a rough night where I cried and even said I wanted to go home. I hope nights like that begin to disappear.
This morning, my room mate left with some of the other girls and I began the weekend alone. I have this whole apartment to myself. It is very quiet now that it is night time, but I think I needed the space. As I said to my dad, I always seem to feel like the odd one out. I don't like to do the same things some other girls my age like to do, and that makes it hard for me to fit in. I feel like none of the people on this trip relate to me very well and I can not wait until my boyfriend comes to visit me so I have someone else to talk to. Although my dad doesn't seem to think this is a bad thing. He also was kind of a loner and often on his own around my age. He told me to keep my head up and stay true to myself. I am glad someone appreciates who I am.
Today was not all bad though. I got my phone fixed and even visited the farmers market here in Carlow. There were so many awesome goodies, but I decided I should only pick one. So, I bought a loaf of sun dried tomato and herb bread. It smelled delicious and I could not wait to try it! I had grilled cheese and tomato soup from the bread and it was amazing! I love local goodies. :] I also took a walk around town and visited the remains of Carlow Castle. I was hoping it would be larger, but I suppose something tucked away in a town like this would have to be small. All that remains is a small piece of the wall and two pieces of round towers. It was still an interesting sight. While I was there, I saw a pigeon who was too fat to fly! It made me laugh and definitely helped to cheer me up!
Yours truly,
Alicia
The first class I attended on Monday was Developmental Psychology. I was nervous when I walked into the room because it was HUGE compared to the small sizes I am used to in Carlow University. There were rows upon rows of chairs, and there still were not enough for the number of students that came pouring through the door! This makes me even more nervous about when classes are in full swing because I feel I may get lost in the room and miss out on important things. I guess its good I like to sit in the front! This class was fairly short because the Irish students are allowed two weeks to decide what classes they want to take and the lecturer did not want to start class until she knew how many students cared.
The second class I had was on Tuesday and it was Counseling and Social Care Skills. Remember when I said I was nervous due to the size of my last class? Well this time that anxiety was doubled, if not more. The room was at the VERY top of a set of square, spiraled stairs and was simply massive. Luckily, there were many more seats than students in the room once class began, although I am told there was a traffic jam and some were going to be late if not missing class entirely. Once the lecturer began speaking, I felt a bit lost. I could understand bits of what he was talking about, but much of it only related to the Irish students. When he took a break, Andrea and I informed him that we were American students here to study for a semester and asked how things related to us. Instead of a real answer, he simply told us to "just do whatever." ?!?!? !!? I am now very worried about this class because I am used to knowing what is going on and not being told to do whatever I want. Hopefully it works itself out in the next few weeks.
On Wednesday I had two classes. The first was my Irish Experience class. I think that this is the class I was looking forward to the most because I think I will gain some valuable insights here. Because it was the first class, we really only went over the basics and got some things sorted out. However, we were told about the Friday excursion which sounded exciting! My second class was Social Psychology. After sitting through class, I think I may really enjoy this class. There are many topics mentioned that I have a small bit of knowledge about and some that I know little or nothing about. I think this will help me put new perspectives on my previous knowledge as well as expand my knowledge in the field of psychology. Also, the lecturer seems to be good at teaching. I was interested the whole time and felt like he knew what he was talking about. After class, the other American students and myself introduced ourselves and he was happy to meet us. This was a MUCH better response than my Tuesday class!!
I was scheduled to have a Thursday class, but it turns out it was moved to the same time as my Social Psychology class and therefore I had to drop it. This differs from the states because our schedules are worked out months in advance and classes don't overlap in that way once a student is scheduled for it. But, I won't let it bother me, that's simply not the Irish way!
Friday was our first excursion! We went to a variety of places that each had a great story to tell. Instead of me rambling on about each, allow me to just name them and put a few photos from each. Pictures are worth a thousand words, right?
Killeshin Church (Cill Uisean)
(The beautiful archway and some of the intricate details)
(Chrissy helped most of us down)
The next photo is from the top of a hill that overlooks the Barrow Valley.
Saint Laserian's Cathedreal / Old Leighlin Church
 | ||
| (The weird stairlike piece helps to hold the building in place... it walks away!) |
Saint Mullin's Monastery.
(will add pictures soon, its being very slow and I need some sleep!!)
Duckett's Grove.
The trip to all of those places was grand, as the Irish would say. I came to Ireland to see things like this, and I feel like that purpose is finally starting to be fulfilled!
However, later in the evening the day began to lose its splendor. Sometimes getting along with room mates and girls who see things differently than you can be hard. On top of that, my phone was not working so I could not use the internet. It was a rough night where I cried and even said I wanted to go home. I hope nights like that begin to disappear.
This morning, my room mate left with some of the other girls and I began the weekend alone. I have this whole apartment to myself. It is very quiet now that it is night time, but I think I needed the space. As I said to my dad, I always seem to feel like the odd one out. I don't like to do the same things some other girls my age like to do, and that makes it hard for me to fit in. I feel like none of the people on this trip relate to me very well and I can not wait until my boyfriend comes to visit me so I have someone else to talk to. Although my dad doesn't seem to think this is a bad thing. He also was kind of a loner and often on his own around my age. He told me to keep my head up and stay true to myself. I am glad someone appreciates who I am.
Today was not all bad though. I got my phone fixed and even visited the farmers market here in Carlow. There were so many awesome goodies, but I decided I should only pick one. So, I bought a loaf of sun dried tomato and herb bread. It smelled delicious and I could not wait to try it! I had grilled cheese and tomato soup from the bread and it was amazing! I love local goodies. :] I also took a walk around town and visited the remains of Carlow Castle. I was hoping it would be larger, but I suppose something tucked away in a town like this would have to be small. All that remains is a small piece of the wall and two pieces of round towers. It was still an interesting sight. While I was there, I saw a pigeon who was too fat to fly! It made me laugh and definitely helped to cheer me up!
Yours truly,
Alicia
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Relaxation at last!
Today was a lovely day. Originally, Andrea and I had plans to visit Carlow Castle, but instead chose to simply explore the town.
It began with a nice visit to a local coffee shop called Costa Coffee. It appears to be the equivalent to Starbucks. I ordered a gingerbread latte that was as delicious as it looked!
It began with a nice visit to a local coffee shop called Costa Coffee. It appears to be the equivalent to Starbucks. I ordered a gingerbread latte that was as delicious as it looked!
(sorry, couldn't get it to turn...)
Then we strolled through the various malls of the area, and even discovered a Gamestop!
(I wish my store was this big!)
Next, we found a few other little shops. At least they looked small until we walked in! Some store here have small storefronts, but seem to go on for miles once you are inside! Although this just makes more room for all of the awesome goodies inside!
(My name, in train)
Finally, we had a "family" dinner with the other Carlow University girls as well as two new friends from Illinois. Their names are Sarah and Jamie and they study at Saint Ambrose. We had really good homemade potatoe soup, courtesy of Allison, as well as sandwiches, cheese, crackers, chicken nuggets and chips (thats Irish for french fries!). Allison even used her mom's soup recipe! So it really was "family" dinner night!
(Dinner in the making.)
In the preparation of the soup, Allison even added a secret ingredient and wanted us all to guess what it was. When no one could figure it out, she told us she put coconut oil in it! Apparently it helps with a variety of things including a quick boost of energy. I couldn't tell it was in there, but after learning more about its good qualities, I am glad she snuck it in!
One more day until classes start!
Yours Truly,
Alicia
Friday, September 16, 2011
From Pittsburgh to Carlow
**I was a bit behind in detailing the first days here in Ireland, so this entry contains three days!**
When it rains, it pours. And here in Ireland, it rains... ALOT! For example, yesterday it rained like six times! It was in small, drizzly amounts, but it still rained! Anyway, the point of that metaphor was that I did not have as great of a day as I was hoping for yesterday. But, lets start with the good stuff!
DAY ONE (Tuesday):
Heading to the airport was a bit tedious for me. I was feeling a lot of things, ranging from nervous to excited. I wanted to bring my home with me, but I knew that I couldn't. In addition, it was my boyfriends birthday and I was leaving him before he even technically turned 21! But, this is a journey I have to make more or less on my own. The first flight I had to take was a small puddlejumper plane with a big green Canadian leaf on it because it was a flight through Air Canada. Upon boarding, I felt a bit uneasy. I have never flown or even been to an airport before that day!! Once the flight began, I was excited to see Pittsburgh disappearing below me and Toronto appearing once we got there. Honestly, if you have never experienced a sunset over a city from an airplane, you should. Especially when the plane is tilted because it is turning. The feeling of being slightly off balanced mixed with the beauty of the scene is amazing.
The second plane was much bigger and much smoother. It actually may be smoother than a car ride! On this flight, I even got to meet a lovely couple from Ireland! Imagine that! The woman I met welcomed me to Ireland and told me I was bound to have a grand time.
Upon arrival, I had mixed emotions. I was eager to get to Carlow and begin my journey, yet apprehensive and nervous. We took a bus (which most of us accidentally fell asleep on due to the tremendous jet lag!) and made it to the town in no time. I had a lot of fun exploring the town with friends and buying a phone, which by the way is a smart phone. Chalk up another first for me!
Once I was shown where I would be living, things were already exceeding my expectations. The flat we will be living in is MUCH nicer than I imagined. Andrea (my room mate from home) and I share a nice sized room and a small bathroom. There is a lovely kitchen and living room area with super comfortable couches. And it turns out I was given Irish room mates! Their names are Lisa and Ashley (although I know she does not spell it that way... I need to find out the proper spelling). However, as the night went on and day turned to night here in Carlow, I found myself homesick and lonely. I wanted to share my adventure with someone, but the internet was very unreliable. But, I managed to relax and get some sleep.
DAY TWO (Wednesday):
On this day, we had our orientation at Saint Patrick's College, aka Carlow College. It was somewhat long and to me seemed very similar to the orientation I had already experienced at home. We had a break for lunch and then had to finish up orientation with a couple short presentations. After this was done, it was another great day in town. However, once again the night managed to get the best of me. My Irish room mates were having a party, and I am simply not the parting type. So, I found myself even more homesick and actually wanted to catch the next plane home!
DAY THREE (Thursday):
Things began to look up on this day. We visited the convent where Catherine McAuley used to live. There were so many interesting stories and things to see and the sisters who live there now are so kind! We signed a guestbook that was pages upon pages long with all of the visitors who we followed here. Afterwards, we saw each room of the convent and listened to interesting facts about each. In one room, Sister Mary was showing us her collection of items she collected from her visit to Pakistan. She even let us try on her various colored headscarves! I fell in love with the color of the one I picked up and she actually cut a piece off for me! I can't imagine ANYONE in Pittsburgh doing something like that!!
Before leaving the convent, we enjoyed some tea and snacks with the sisters. The tea was definitely one of the best I have ever had and all of the goodies were hand made! Also, Andrea is not a big tea drinker, so Sister Mary even made her a cup of hot chocolate!
This was also the first day I cooked my own food in the kitchen. I made pasta because it was late and I wanted something simple to make, and we invited two other American students over (although they brought along their own food). During the short time we were cooking, we managed to set off the smoke alarm, TWICE! And we didn't even burn anything... badly.
By this night, I was very glad I decided to come to Carlow. I was settling in and beginning to feel right at home, although still a bit lonely at times.
Yours Truly,
Alicia
When it rains, it pours. And here in Ireland, it rains... ALOT! For example, yesterday it rained like six times! It was in small, drizzly amounts, but it still rained! Anyway, the point of that metaphor was that I did not have as great of a day as I was hoping for yesterday. But, lets start with the good stuff!
DAY ONE (Tuesday):
Heading to the airport was a bit tedious for me. I was feeling a lot of things, ranging from nervous to excited. I wanted to bring my home with me, but I knew that I couldn't. In addition, it was my boyfriends birthday and I was leaving him before he even technically turned 21! But, this is a journey I have to make more or less on my own. The first flight I had to take was a small puddlejumper plane with a big green Canadian leaf on it because it was a flight through Air Canada. Upon boarding, I felt a bit uneasy. I have never flown or even been to an airport before that day!! Once the flight began, I was excited to see Pittsburgh disappearing below me and Toronto appearing once we got there. Honestly, if you have never experienced a sunset over a city from an airplane, you should. Especially when the plane is tilted because it is turning. The feeling of being slightly off balanced mixed with the beauty of the scene is amazing.
The second plane was much bigger and much smoother. It actually may be smoother than a car ride! On this flight, I even got to meet a lovely couple from Ireland! Imagine that! The woman I met welcomed me to Ireland and told me I was bound to have a grand time.
Upon arrival, I had mixed emotions. I was eager to get to Carlow and begin my journey, yet apprehensive and nervous. We took a bus (which most of us accidentally fell asleep on due to the tremendous jet lag!) and made it to the town in no time. I had a lot of fun exploring the town with friends and buying a phone, which by the way is a smart phone. Chalk up another first for me!
Once I was shown where I would be living, things were already exceeding my expectations. The flat we will be living in is MUCH nicer than I imagined. Andrea (my room mate from home) and I share a nice sized room and a small bathroom. There is a lovely kitchen and living room area with super comfortable couches. And it turns out I was given Irish room mates! Their names are Lisa and Ashley (although I know she does not spell it that way... I need to find out the proper spelling). However, as the night went on and day turned to night here in Carlow, I found myself homesick and lonely. I wanted to share my adventure with someone, but the internet was very unreliable. But, I managed to relax and get some sleep.
DAY TWO (Wednesday):
On this day, we had our orientation at Saint Patrick's College, aka Carlow College. It was somewhat long and to me seemed very similar to the orientation I had already experienced at home. We had a break for lunch and then had to finish up orientation with a couple short presentations. After this was done, it was another great day in town. However, once again the night managed to get the best of me. My Irish room mates were having a party, and I am simply not the parting type. So, I found myself even more homesick and actually wanted to catch the next plane home!
DAY THREE (Thursday):
Things began to look up on this day. We visited the convent where Catherine McAuley used to live. There were so many interesting stories and things to see and the sisters who live there now are so kind! We signed a guestbook that was pages upon pages long with all of the visitors who we followed here. Afterwards, we saw each room of the convent and listened to interesting facts about each. In one room, Sister Mary was showing us her collection of items she collected from her visit to Pakistan. She even let us try on her various colored headscarves! I fell in love with the color of the one I picked up and she actually cut a piece off for me! I can't imagine ANYONE in Pittsburgh doing something like that!!
(I think we pull this look off quite well, haha.)
Before leaving the convent, we enjoyed some tea and snacks with the sisters. The tea was definitely one of the best I have ever had and all of the goodies were hand made! Also, Andrea is not a big tea drinker, so Sister Mary even made her a cup of hot chocolate!
(Look how cute the tea cups were!)
This was also the first day I cooked my own food in the kitchen. I made pasta because it was late and I wanted something simple to make, and we invited two other American students over (although they brought along their own food). During the short time we were cooking, we managed to set off the smoke alarm, TWICE! And we didn't even burn anything... badly.
By this night, I was very glad I decided to come to Carlow. I was settling in and beginning to feel right at home, although still a bit lonely at times.
Yours Truly,
Alicia
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Final Countdown...
As I sit on on the couch, I can smell dinner being made. I can hear my boyfriends sister, Allie, attempting to teach her younger sister, Victoria, math. My boyfriend, Richard, sits quietly drinking an obnoxious amount of water because he is feeling under the weather. The wind is blowing from hurricane Irene and the trees are definitely showing it outside. Life is good, but the only things I can think of are all the changes that will occur in only 6 days and how busy I will be before it all...
I've read all about airport security and their procedures. I've called an incalculable number of people. I've been told "good luck!" "have a great trip!" and "you're so lucky!" so many times that it is amazing I have any other conversations. But am I ready? Have I prepared enough, or is it perhaps too much? Will I pack too much or too little? A million other thoughts pass through my mind. But the most important seems to be will I fit in enough that I can enjoy everything without feeling watched or awkward and still stand out enough to be noticed?
I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Which is good because six is a very small number and it is anxiously awaiting to become 0.
Yours truly,
Alicia
I've read all about airport security and their procedures. I've called an incalculable number of people. I've been told "good luck!" "have a great trip!" and "you're so lucky!" so many times that it is amazing I have any other conversations. But am I ready? Have I prepared enough, or is it perhaps too much? Will I pack too much or too little? A million other thoughts pass through my mind. But the most important seems to be will I fit in enough that I can enjoy everything without feeling watched or awkward and still stand out enough to be noticed?
I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Which is good because six is a very small number and it is anxiously awaiting to become 0.
Yours truly,
Alicia
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