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!

Raising Money

I am 1/3 of the way to my fund-raising goal!  I am so blessed to have people to support me.  I know that Christmas is coming up, but I am hoping to have all of my money raised to pay my program fees in January.  Now that the semester is over I am excited to really focus on leaving for Ireland...
37 days until I leave!!!