Paris in Paris and home again soon!

Having Shannon here has been wonderful and we have had some really great adventures! I have gotten to show her around my temporary home in Derry and take her to some of my favorite places on the Northern Coast.  We got to travel together to Galway and see the Cliffs of Moher and even travel to London and Paris.
I had already been to London, but that did not make this trip any less of an adventure.  The day before we got to London a soldier was killed on the street where our hostel was but we didn't hear about it because we were traveling.  We found out when a riot broke out just after we walked into a grocery store to ask for directions.  The manager of the store drove us out of town so that we could find somewhere safer to stay at least for the night.  We were safe and had no more problems during our stay in London.  We saw many beautiful things and enjoyed a city very different from Derry.  I think my favorite part of London was walking through Westminster Abbey for several hours and having Eucharist while we were there closely followed by seeing Singing in the Rain on stage.  We were also fortunate enough to get seats on an overnight bus to Paris after being unable to find a place to stay our last night in London.
Paris was a dream, especially once I was rested enough to fully enjoy it.  Simply walking through the streets was enough for me before we saw anything else.  Paris was one place that I wanted to see before I died and I am glad that I took the time to go see it, even though this point in my time in Ireland in precious.  The highlight of Paris was simply sitting by the Eiffel Tower, whether it was to watch the sunset, eat a dinner of baguettes and wine, or watch it brilliantly sparkle at night.  My time in Paris is something that I will cherish for a long time to come and I couldn't have shared my time with a better person than Shannon.
I've now packed up everything in my room and I'm leaving Derry tomorrow to stay near the airport for an early morning flight.  It is a very bitter-sweet time for me and my feelings are quite polorized.  I couldn't be more excited to get home and see family and friends that I have missed dearly, but it is definitely harder than I could have ever imagined to leave Ireland and the amazing friends that have become like family since I have been here.  I know that this is not goodbye forever because I will be back to my second home and I will see all of these people again, but I can already feel how much I will miss this place.  I have changed a lot as a person during my time abroad and I am very excited to share those changes with everyone at home, but I will definitely be leaving a part of my hear behind.
So Ireland, this is goodbye for now, but not goodbye forever.  Thank you for the amazing memories that I will cherish forever, the amazing friends that I will hold close to my heart, and the beautiful sights I will never forget.  Sláin go fóil!

We're on the road to Paradise

This weekend was a long weekend because of the bank holiday in honor of May Day.  Though I always have long weekends because of my class schedule, long weekends in the real world mean that I get to go on adventures with friends that usually have to work or go to class.  This weekend was a great opportunity to spend some quality time with friends that I will miss dearly when I leave for home.
On Saturday we took a trip to Donegal and got to see a lot of the mountains that I can see in the distance from the student village.  We drove through Glenveagh National Park which was beautiful and reminded me a lot of the highlands of Scotland.  We took a walk through the park (which ended up being 4km) to see the Glenveagh Castle.  The castle and gardens were beautiful and I was very happy that we decided to walk to see it, though I was equally happy to take the bus back to the car park.  We also made it to the beach before we left Donegal.  Being on the beach with multiple jackets and jeans still takes a little getting used to, but I was wearing canvas shoes, so I decided to walk barefoot on the beach.  It was a great idea where the sand was dry, the feeling of sand under your feet is unbeatable no matter where you are, but once my toes hit the water I instantly regretted my decision because the water was freezing!!!  All-in-all Donegal was an amazing day trip and I couldn't have asked for a better day or a better group of people to spend time with.
Which is why on Monday we decided to take another trip, this time to Rathlin Island just off the North coast of Ireland at Ballycastle.  Rathlin Island is known to be home to both Puffins and sea lions which I was lucky enough to see!  The island was beautiful and during our 4.5 mile walk back to the harbor from the lighthouse where we saw many beautiful birds, I was lucky enough to take in and be very aware of the beauty of creation that God chose to reveal to me.  We encountered cows, donkeys, sheep/lambs, and I was even lucky enough to see an Irish hare.  The landscapes were beautiful and I made sure that Stephanie and I took time to stop what we were doing so that we could appreciate the stillness and beauty that is Rathlin Island.  I truly felt God's blessings as I walked through the Island and realized that the stillness will probably be the thing that I miss most about my time in Ireland.  God has given us a beautiful creation to enjoy and I plan on taking advantage of that as much as possible while I'm abroad as well as when I return home.

Glenveagh National Park

The beach!

Rathlin Island

 home to Puffins!

In Dublin's Fair City...

I haven't written a post in a few weeks because we slowed down our travels a bit after Easter and I've actually been busy working on coursework.  Last week was the last week of lectures and this week is exam review followed by a reading week and exams.  We all seem to be a bit more busy than we were and we are quickly learning that studying in Ireland has made us a bit more lazy about school work than we might have hoped.  We were lucky enough to take a bit of a break from working this weekend though and make a trip to Dublin.

Dublin is a great city, but we learned quickly that it is very different from Derry.  It was a lovely place to visit and there were plenty of things to see and do, but I couldn't handle living there for an extended amount of time.  Though I wouldn't want to live in Dublin I had the best time visiting.  We got to see St. Patrick's Cathedral which was beautiful inside and out.  I learned about how Guinness is made and poured a perfect pint at the Guinness Storehouse.  We visited Jameson Distillery  but didn't have time for a tour because we were also headed to Dublin zoo where I got to see 6 giraffes (which absolutely made my day).  Then we headed back into the city center to visit the Wax museum which was a bit disappointing except for the horror room which was terrifying!  After a full day of adventuring we even woke up early the next morning and visited Trinity College, Dublin and saw the library and the Book of Kells which was inspiring.  Then, as if the weekend wasn't eventful enough (especially since we were celebrating Stephanie's birthday) we went to see The Lion King which was just beginning its run in Dublin.  The show was absolutely breathtaking and I was taken aback by the music as well as the ability of the actors to portray animals so well.

We ended our stay in Dublin in the typical Irish fashion by enjoying dinner in a local pub followed by drinks to celebrate Stephanie's 21st birthday while listening to live traditional music.  It is sad to think back and realize that my time in Ireland is coming to an end and that this was the last Irish adventure that Megan, Stephanie, and I will take together.  I feel like it was only a few weeks ago that I arrived and I am already having to say goodbye to people and a place that I have come to love so dearly, but there is time to dwell on that later.  For now I am still here and am determined to make the best of the time that I have left here.  This time is a blessing and I intend to enjoy every last bit of it!

Exploring Ireland - week 2 of Easter Break

After spending an entire week in Scotland, it was nice to be back in Derry for Easter and to have a chance to explore Ireland a bit for the second week.
On Monday morning, after being woken up by a fire alarm at 5:30am, Megan and I began our travels to Cork in the Republic of Ireland.  We started off with a 4 hour bus trip from Derry to Dublin, then another 4 hour bus trip from Dublin to Cork.  When we arrived on Easter Monday we were a bit surprised to see that pretty much everything in the city was closed for the holiday, but we explored anyway and got to see a couple of really beautiful churches and headed to the hostel to get some sleep so that we could spend all of Tuesday exploring before we got on the train to head back to Derry that night.
On Tuesday morning we woke up and went directly to Blarney Castle.  Blarney Castle was the ideal picture of Ireland.  We got to see the Castle, kiss the Blarney Stone, and explore the grounds of the castle.  Kissing the stone was a bit more terrifying than I anticipated because (after we asked the people to sanitize the stone) we had to lay down and lean back over a gap in the stone walls that dropped 3-4 stories down to the grounds.  After we gained the "gift of gab" we explored the grounds which are home to one of the most poisonous gardens in the world as well as fairy gardens and druid stones.  Playing outside of the castle on the beautiful day that we were there was a blessing that fulfilled any preconception that I held about Ireland.
After a day of resting I went to Armagh with some Irish friends.  While we were there we went to the planetarium and then headed to the cathedrals (which was why I was there!).  Armagh is home to two cathedrals that are both called St. Patrick's.  One of the cathedrals, the oldest and the one that is said to sit on the spot where St. Patrick established the Church in Ireland, is affiliated with the Church of Ireland.  The other church, in typical Northern Irish tradition, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church.  We had a lovely day exploring another city and ended the day by teaching me how to play pool once we got back to Derry.  It was a fun day and a great way to end another week of adventures in Ireland.
I realize in moments and days like these what a blessing it is to be here.  Not only am I learning a lot from another culture, but I am learning about myself and ways that I function best.  This time as I explore a bit of the world on my own is something that will shape and influence the rest of my life.

kissing the Blarney Stone

St. Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral

St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral

Scotland the Brave!

The goal is to share enough about Scotland without writing a million pages.  I could not have happier with out decision to go and spend a week.  The girls and I were blessed to have the Wehmeyer family, who is living in Scotland for a few years, open their home to us.  I had not realized how much I missed living in a home until we were settled into the flat at the Wehmeyer's house.  Not only did we have plenty of space, but we had a living room to sit in which was wonderful.  It was also nice to have a mom around to cook occasionally and to take us places and give us advice on what to do and see.
We were able to take our time seeing the city.  We slept in a little the first day and still had time to go to the museum, get tea at the Elephant House (where JK Rowling would sit and drink tea while working on Harry Potter), explore a bit of the city, and get a bite to eat.  The next day was devoted to Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile.  The castle is enormous and I'm not sure that I have ever been more cold in my life!  Tuesday was the day of castles.  Kate took us out all day and we saw two castles and a palace.  We started off at Dune Castle which was used in the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, then we went to Stirling Castle which was huge like Edinburgh Castle, but more restored on the inside.  Kate also took us to Linlithgow Palace.  The palace was in ruins, but it is one of my favorite places that we went.  We also took a day to tour the Highlands of Scotland.  We got to see many beautiful lakes and mountains.  We traveled all the way to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle.  After exploring the castle we took an hour long boat ride on Loch Ness and got to search for Nessy between snowstorms.
We ended our trip with a full day on Friday.  After attending Good Friday service at Old St. Paul's in Edinburgh we hiked up to the to of Arthur's Seat which was a steady uphill hike most of the was and almost rock climbing at the top.  All of the work was worth it though because the view from the top was unbelievable!  We got to watch the sun set while we hiked down.  After dinner Megan and I went back into town for a ghost tour through the town and in the underground of Edinburgh.
The first week of Easter was amazing.  So much was done and so many beautiful things were seen!  More exploring to come during the second week of Easter break, but I will save that for a later post!  

Luck of the Irish

I'm not sure I will ever experience a St. Patrick's day that could top Sunday.  First off...St. Patrick's Day in Ireland is a big deal.  Even on a Sunday when the city is pretty much shut down for the majority of the day, the place was hoppin'.
I started my day off with church, which is fitting because it is the Feast day of St. Patrick.  I even got to sing what has become one of my favorite hymns...St. Patrick's Breastplate, or I bind unto myself today.  I learned a little about the real St. Patrick and then decided to head back to the flat to meet up with everyone else.
After changing into my green attire we all headed out to watch the parade.  The parade was lovely with lots of Irish dancing, what I'm assuming is the Irish version of bagpipes (which are Scottish by the way), and tons and tons of people.  After the parade we ventured toward the City Center to hear the open-air concert during which I decided that I could live in that moment and never leave.  The moment quickly passed though and we headed to the pub to toast to the day!
Overall it was a great day to spend with the wonderful people that I've met since I've been here.  We had great craic and I realized how luck I am to have such a great group of friends!
Now its time to get ahead on some work this week so that I don't have to worry about anything over Easter break.  Cheers

She is the Belle of Belfast City

This weekend in Belfast, Northern Ireland was both eye-opening and comforting.  We were lucky enough to spend time with two families that were extremely welcoming.
Maria and her mom, Michelle, hosted us at her house and made sure that we were well taken care of.  Michelle  cooked us our first fry on Saturday morning taking into consideration the fact that we were American and not used to such a heavy meal.  When we came back to the house that night she had dinner for us as well.  We really ate like kings...roast beef, roasted potatoes, creamed potatoes, steamed veggies, Yorkshire pudding, and gravy.  I was so full afterwards, but I couldn't help but eat as much as I could because it was so good!
We also got to spend time with JP's family.  Friday night they welcomed us into their house and talked with us well into the night.  My eyes were opened to how real and ongoing the discrimination against Catholics in Northern Ireland is.  We learned a bit about history, shared a little bit about ourselves, and even got to hear some embarrassing stories.  We were also invited back for Sunday dinner because that is a big deal here.  JPs mom made us chicken, ham, sweet chili potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, cabbage, and gravy with chocolate cake for dessert.  Luckily we literally climbed up and down a mountain before dinner, so we could handle it.
On top of getting some well-needed family time we also got to see lots of Belfast which is still a vivid picture of segregation.  We toured the entirety of the city on a bus, but the windows weren't conducive to picture taking.  We saw murals, peace walls, and many flags.  We toured Crumlin Road Goal (Jail) and saw St. Anne's Cathedral with the largest Celtic cross in Northern Ireland.  Our adventure side took hold when we climbed up Cave Hill and down through the Devil's Whirlpool to Belfast Castle.
There was so much fun to be had.  I am very grateful to have wonderful friends (Maria and JP) that welcomed us into their homes and planned and made sure we were taken care of all weekend.  I am so very blessed!

"By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show" -Samuel Johnson

Last weekend I went on my first big outing...off the Island.  They say traveling in Europe is easy once you're here...and compared to traveling from the States that may be true, but traveling to London from Londonderry was not the easiest thing that I've done.
After several buses, taxis, and a plane, we made it to our hostel in Victoria, London at about 2:00 in the afternoon.  After a brief nap we decided to venture out into the city.  We decided, after a treat, to walk first to Buckingham Palace.  The palace is enormous and beautiful!  I saw the famous guards out front, though you can't get as close to them as I once thought that you could.  We took pictures outside the gate and around the statue and fountain in front of the gate, and noticed that the flag was flying which meant that Queen Elizabeth was home.  Then we walked, through the darkness of early evening to Big Ben and the London Eye which were both beautiful in the falling snow at night.  Feeling accomplished enough with our day we headed to dinner and then to bed to rest up for Saturday.
Saturday was packed full of adventure and overwhelming...it is hard for me to even remember what all we got to do on Saturday.  We went to platform 9 3/4 and lived out our Harry Potter dreams and walked all over the rest of the city.  By the time we made it back to the hostel at the end of the day we calculated that we walked over 6 miles.  Needless to say we slept soundly before our adventure on Sunday.
With so many things to see and do it is hard to put them all into a post that isn't too long to read.  For the most part I can say that everything we saw was amazing and I would gladly go back to London!  Now that I'm actually back from a weekend in Belfast I will try to post about that soon so that I can also post about St. Patrick's Day which is this weekend.  I'm excited to share all of my adventures, I just hope I can keep better track of my posts than I have for the past few weeks.  Remember to check Facebook for pictures!

STUDY Abroad

I guess since I am technically here to study I should talk a bit about the classes.  Though I didn't expect things to be very different from the States, I was wrong.  I am only taking three classes here, as opposed to the five I was taking back home, but these three classes transfer as five credit hours each, so I am taking 15 hours.  My expectation is that these classes would require more work because they hold more credit, but the opposite is true.  There is very little coursework to do here.  I am taking 2 final level psychology classes (Peace and Conflict Psychology and Health Psychology) and a middle year history class (The Irishman at War with an added emphasis on the religious aspects of those wars).  Each class consists of one essay and one exam (or another essay).  I may have one added presentation for each class, but that is it!  No sweat.  I am ahead working on my coursework and I still feel like I haven't done much of anything.  The trick, however, comes with the classes themselves.  I am lucky enough to only have class 2 days a week (Thursday and Friday).  This leaves me plenty of time to travel and explore, but t also makes for long days seeing as I have to sit in each class for 3 hours.  Thursdays consist of a 2 hour lecture on Peace and Conflict, an hour break, then an hour seminar for Peace and Conflict, then another hour break and a 2 hour history lecture on war where names are thrown around that make no sense (especially since everyone seems to have the same last name!) then an hour break followed by an hour of seminar where the previous week is reviewed in a more concrete details.  It makes for a long day and a conscientious lengthening of my attention span, but if that is the price I pay for getting to be in Ireland, then it is worth it!

A little of everything all at once...

Though I should probably talk about school things since that is the technical reason for being here, it is so much more fun to talk about the adventure side.  I will try to post about school later this week...maybe even from the library!
This weekend we went with the International Society to Giants Causeway, Bushmill's Distillary, and Dunluce Castle.  There were quite a few of us which was different from previous adventures, but we still had fun!  Giant's Causeway was amazing.  Millions of rocks, towering cliffs, and bone-chilling ocean all meet in one place to paint a spectacular picture.  I was amazed my the beauty created by a volcano (or a giant depending on what truth you choose to believe).  After not nearly enough time we ventured to Bushmill's Distillary to tour the amazingly old whisky distillery.  We walked through the factory and learned how whisky is made, then we got to sample some.  I can say that I am a fan of Bushmills Honey and water.  Now that I know how much of a process making whisky is I have a much better appreciation for the taste...may not be my drink of choice, but still quite delicious.  The last stop on our journey for the day was Dunluce Castle...the first real castle I've been to.  We didn't get to go inside, but we still got to explore the cliffs, caves, and hills around it.
I feel like I am on an adventure in a fairy tale land.  Everything is so beautiful and surreal.  I am loving every minute of meeting new people, experiencing new things, and discovering new places.  Now that I feel like I've seen a small bit of Northern Ireland I am ready to venture farther...London is calling.

Castlerock

What an adventure today has been.  We visited Castlerock, Northern Ireland today.  Castlerock is a small coastal town North of Derry.  It was about an hour on the bus, but it felt like we were traveling into a far-off land.  After spending two and a half weeks in Derry we have grown accustomed to the scenery and the initial things that made it seem foreign feel like home now.  Castlerock was a step into traditional, rural, Ireland.  With the typical Ireland haze we found the beach (weirdest thing to be on a beach in boots and a jacket) and traveled to come rocks, up a hill to a beautiful cliff overlooking the beach, and through the valley to temple and house ruins that made the worlds best playground.  The pictures will speak more for the adventure than any words I can say.  For now, I will leave it at that.  I will post pictures on Facebook tomorrow!

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin - Shakespeare

 The Foyle River is my backyard

 The Peace Bridge at night

I go to school here...in real life!

After a week and a half of being in the country I saw my first flying flag...

politics and flag-flying here is a big deal! 

Free Derry

By the Derry walls...I can't believe that the beautiful city

 behind me is where I actually live. I am so blessed!

Cannons sit along the Derry walls to protect the city.

St. Augustine's Church - Church of Ireland

I will be worshiping here at least once before I leave!

When all the noise is gone there is only God

All has been quite here lately.  The student village is like a ghost-town on the weekends because everyone goes home to work.  The relaxation of last weekend was welcomed though.  After a hectic first week it was nice that everything seemed to slow down a bit.  Megan, Stephanie, and I went exploring on Saturday and got to see Free Derry, the Bogside, and even explore Derry city centre and the lovely walls.  We explored all day and arrived back at the student village tired little puppies.

Sunday began with church at Christ Church which is a fairly large Church of Ireland, Protestant church.  The people were very welcoming and, though the service was slightly foreign I can see that becoming my home away from home.  The church was beautiful and the people were friendly and very welcoming.  I definitely look forward to going back.

It has been a quiet second week, lots of hanging out watching movies.  There have been a few runny noses and coughs, but we have become a little family and the local part of the family is taking quite good care of us.    I feel as if I've finally gotten into some semblance of a schedule where I'm actually getting a chance to have God time, work out, and even read.  I am going to be so spoiled with time when I do come home!

This weekend will hopefully bring with it more adventures.  We planned our weekends through March and there is a lot to be done!  Donegal and it's beautiful hill are calling this weekend, and I know that we will have an amazing time.  God is working in Ireland and it is amazing.  I am truly blessed to have this experience and I am thankful to God and the people who love and support me.  Hopefully I will remember/have time to post again before long!  Keep up with pictures on Facebook and I will try to post some of the best ones here as well!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Settling in has been quite interesting.  I didn't expect things to be as different here as it actually is.  I am having a lovely time and I absolutely love it here, though it is taking a bit to get accustomed to the differences.  Luckily, the way my classes are scheduled, there is a week for me to get used to the culture before I jump into classes.  Until that new adventure starts I figured I would update everyone on the good, the bad, and the ugly as I see it at this point.

The Good:
The people here are the best!  I can't say enough about how friendly and helpful they are and how much they are genuinely interested in hearing about America and teaching us about Irish culture.  I have not met a person yet who did not give me a warm welcome when they discovered I'm from the States.  They also are very gracious about slowing down what they say when I need them to so that I can understand.  The only time I'm getting confused at this point is when there are more than one or two conversations going on in the same room.   I've decided that I'm just going to try to fit as many of my friends in my suitcase when I leave to bring them home with me!

The Bad:
The weather here is very different from typical Georgia weather.  Though I've been told multiple times that this is mild Irish weather, I am having a hard time getting used to it.  It is always rainy, which makes adventuring and picture taking a bit difficult.  It is also ridiculously cold!  Especially when it's rainy, it feels like the cold is seeping into your bones and stealing your soul.  As much as I have been complaining about it this week I do feel like I am already getting used to it.  I am better about layering and it is just slowly feeling slightly less chilly.

The Ugly:
The ugly part actually also fits with the weather, which seems to be my biggest peeve at the moment.  I am having a terrible time doing anything with my hair which seems very petty, but it has looked a hot mess since I've been here!  There is so much humidity in the air that it has become a giant frizz ball!

When tomorrow comes I will have been in Derry for a full week.  In ways it feels like I've been here for a lifetime while it also feels like I've been here for a couple of days.  I am so glad that I have this opportunity to live and study here.  I am learning so much very quickly about myself as the days pass and I couldn't be happier where I am.  Today ended up being a beautiful day and I got to play in what was left of the sun without rain for a few hours.  Lots of pictures to look through and post, but the will be up as soon as I get a chance.  That is about all I have for now, I'm sure I will have plenty to say this weekend when I have 3 classes under my belt. Sending my love to all of you at home!

First Post from Northern Ireland!!!

After what seems like an eternity of travel I am here safely in Derry, Northern Ireland.  The country in beautiful and the people are very friendly.  Today was full with orientation, advising, and shopping for necessities such as toilet paper (which was not available in my room when I arrived last night).  Living in another country is a wonderful, but it does pose some challenges.  First off I have been almost run over thanks to my elementary education that taught me how to cross the street.  Cars drive on the opposite side of the road here which is important even when you are not driving if you don't want to be run over!  I also learned that I have no poker face.  People can tell instantly when I have no idea what they are saying.  One of the guys presenting today thought it was hilarious to point out the panic on my face as he could tell that he was speaking too fast for me to understand.  The accent will take a while to get used to, but I still feel like I could listen to everybody just talk for days!  It has been a busy few days and we are all still trying to work out how our technology works, so I will be taking pictures later this week to post, but get ready because this place is gorgeous!  Sending my love to all of you back home!

Almost there!!

I am just over half-way to my fundraising goal and I leave in 18 days!  I cannot wait to begin this journey.  There is still a lot to do before I am ready to leave.  Little things like making sure I have power adapters and someone to pick me up at the airport :)  I have faith that my financial situation will work out.  At this point my prayer is that God prepares my heart for this journey that I can fully experience this amazing opportunity.  Thank you for all of your support!