Second Weekend Trip!!!

Sorry it's been a while since I blogged! The week has been pretty busy and, as I've previously mentioned, has FLOWN by. I'm already onto my second weekend trip to Cork before I get the chance to tell you about Glendalough! So let me share a bit about that!

We left early Saturday morning to head to the Sugarloaf Mountains. There was crazy weather, we're talking rain and INSANE wind. When we got to the Mountains, we were given the option of staying in the bus or climbing the mountain. There were two points, a flat land about halfway up the mountain and the actual peak! There were honestly points where I had to talk myself up and convince myself to KEEP CLIMBING. The wind was blowing from all directions and I could hardly breathe. I finally made it up to the flat land and thought I was done at that point. But then I saw that others were continuing up the mountain. I took a deep breath and knew that if I didn't make it to the top, I would regret it. I am really trying to live with a "no regrets' mantra while I'm here and hoping to carry that with me when I return home. So I knew that I had to make it to the top. And I'm so happy that I did! The weather was actually much better at the top of the mountain, not to mention it had some BEAUTIFUL views. We were only able to sit at the top for a short while before we were on our way to the Wicklow Mountains! Here are some pictures from the Sugarloaf Mountains!

Wicklow and Glendalough were beautiful! Glendalough is an early Christian monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by none other than St. Kevin. You did good, Dad ;]. It is located within Wicklow Mountains National Park. We had a short time to visit Glendalough before we were off to discover what more the Wicklow Mountains had to offer. 

Most of our group followed one trail, but Ellie, myself, our friend Sarah, and our new friend Helen decided to take a different route. It was gorgeous. It's so crazy to see something so huge and so beautiful and realize that it's completely natural. Makes you think about how large our world really is. When you're surrounded by something like that, all of the trivial problems seem to vanish. All you can focus on is the beauty right in front of you. This is why I love taking walks down Wisconsin Avenue to the lakefront. I could honestly sit there all day. In this day and age, it's amazing how much we forget about something so simple as that. Don't get me wrong, technology is wonderful. It allows me to write this blog and talk to my loved ones who are so far away. It gives me the chance to document everything I see here through picture taking. It is wonderful, but at the same time I feel that it prevents us from seeing the beauty right in front of us. I am a teenager (but only for two more weeks!) and so I know that we are all obsessed with our phones (in my case, an ipod touch) but I really want to make a conscious effort to put all devices aside and be present in each moment. Okay, cue soapbox removal. In any case, here are some pictures from Wicklow

 I was this close to the little sheep! 

 These little guys were best buds!

 Not too shabby for a bed view, huh Dad?

Unfortunately, we ran out of time to see Powerscourt Gardens. I was really disappointed. But I'm pretty positive that you can reach them through the Dublin Bus System, so I will have to make a trip out there before I leave. It's so crazy, today I reached my one month mark here in Dublin. I honestly cannot believe that! One month down, three to go. How insane is that? I feel as though this is just the beginning, yet I'm already a quarter of the way through of my time here. W E I R D. If the next three months are anything like this past month, I know I am in for the best moments of my life. Slainte to that! 

The past week has been a good one! This past Sunday I went for a 2.5 hour walk around campus and the surrounding neighborhoods with my friend Dani. It was a lot of fun and really nice to get out of the area that I was used to. My favorite part was probably when a little girl was trying to catch up to her mom walking ahead. She yelled "STOP IN THE NAME OF THE QUEEN". I couldn't help but laugh and think about all of the funny things that the children I nanny during the summer say. I miss them SO much and I can't wait for another fun summer with all of them when I get back! Tuesday, Dani and I tried Pilates, but the class was huge and our instructors microphone wasn't working, so it was pretty difficult to understand her. In any case, we tried it and I'm happy. Wednesday, the international students were given the opportunity to see the UCD musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, for free! Didn't have to ask me twice, of course. It was really well done and well performed from start to finish. From the set, the lighting, and the cast, I really enjoyed it. Definitely made me sentimental about all the theatre productions I did in high school. Those were the days! Who knows, maybe one day I will get back on stage. Tonight we were invited to another free event, wine, finger food, and a french film (Paris, I Love You). I had a really nice time! 

And so here I am back in my cute little room and procrastinating packing for CORK! I am headed off for another fun filled three day trip to Cork, Kilkenny, Blarney, Cobh, and much more! I'm going to steal this from my roommate, Ellie, because it's just too good. "Off to Cork for 

the weekend to get my Valentine's Day kiss  aka the 

Blarney Stone" hahah this is too perfect! 

All joking aside, I really hope everyone has a wonderful 

Valentine's Day! I know it's really easy to be bitter about not having a significant other by your side, but I choose to see the good. I know that I am loved, and that I love in return. I have so many wonderful people in my life and that is more than I could ask for. This time last year, I went to see Safe Haven with my friend India and came back to my dorm to find out that my Mom left me an adorable little valentine's day gift bag. It truly made my day. Though it makes me sad that she can't do that this year, I know that I have so much to look forward to this weekend, so there is no time to think about the negative! So regardless of whether or not you have someone to go out to dinner with and kiss goodnight tomorrow, know that YOU ARE LOVED.

Okay, I am off to pack for Cork and get some good sleep! I leave you with a beautiful video that my friend, Ashley, shared with me. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIXoYHYEnkg

Happy Valentine's Day!

PS: Sorry about the weird spacing and highlighting at the end, I don't know how to fix it :/

Just a Little Update!

This week has zipped by once again and I realized that I've been here for 26 days. 26 DAYS out of 126. I'm already 1/5 of the way done with this amazing adventure. That is totally insane to me. The concept of time, like I've indicated on my other posts, is so crazy to me. I feel like I've known some of these people my whole life, and we haven't even been here for a month! Holy craziness. 

So, going along with my carpe diem philosophy this week, I booked TWO more trips. My spring break is officially booked! Here's what my next few months look like:

Feb. 8th: Glendalough/Wicklow Mountains/Powerscourt side note: When my family travelled to Ireland in 2005 with our good family friends, The Heegs, we were unable to make it to Powerscourt. We got totally lost and couldn't to find one another on the road. We made it to the gates, but did not get to go inside. So I will proudly represent our little family tomorrow :]. A journey 9 years in the making.
Feb. 14th-16th: CORK. To be honest, I have no idea what we are doing in Cork, but I've heard nothing but wonderful things about it. I'm thinking we are going to kiss the Blarney Stone (my second time - wahoooo!!!) but other than that, I'm not sure. Stay tuned.
Feb 28th- Mar. 4th: EMILY IS COMING TO VISIT. She is one of my best friends from high school and is currently studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. I can't wait! I'm so happy someone from home can celebrate my 20th birthday with me (20?! How weird is that? I feel old)! I already have a list of fun things we can do here in Dublin.
Mar. 6th-11th: Belgium and Amsterdam! To kick off our Spring Break, I am heading off with my friend, Brittany and her roommates. It will be amazing.
Mar. 13th-16th: It's my turn to visit Emily and my good friend Kate! I will be Spain-bound! I will definitely need to brush up on my Espanol.
Mar. 18th-23rd: My roommate, Ellie, and I are going to Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz, and Prague. We have a very strategic itinerary that is currently in the making. It's going to be a blast!
April 4th-6th: Weekend trip to Kerry! Again, not sure of the entire agenda, but we will be going to the Ring of Kerry! 
April 18th-21st: ROMA with Emily! We are celebrating Easter weekend in Vatican city, and hope to attend mass Pope Francis (how cool would that be?!).

And that's what I have booked for now! If anyone has any suggestions please let me know! I'm still looking! I definitely need to go to Galway, not only for my own personal interest, but if I didn't I'm pretty sure my sister, Colleen would kill me (she studied abroad there last spring). I also want to go to Kilkenny and possibly Derry! As for International travels, I am hitting A LOT of the places I wanted to go. If time (and money) allows, I would love to go to Portugal and Germany. I would also love love LOVE to be able to go back to London and Paris, but since I was a lucky child, and I've been to both those places before, I'm not sure I can swing it :/ womp womp. Only time will tell! Depending on my exam schedule, I hope to book a few more trips before I leave on May 19th. However, the exam schedule doesn't come out until March or April (ugh), so I can't book anything between May 6th and 17th yet. But, if it just so happens that I only make it to the above places, I would still be travelling and experiencing more than I ever thought possible!

I am one blessed lady! Not only because of the opportunities I get to have here, but because of my family, friends, and supporters who are here for me every day. I can't tell you how much the quick messages, snapchats, facebook wall posts, and skype sessions mean to me. I'm so happy to see how well everyone is doing back in the 414. Although I miss it more than anything, I will be back before I know it and I will be missing this place (have I mentioned how fast the time is flying?). So please keep it up! 

Some more things that have been going on this week: 

1. I'm still sick! Ugh, I guess I underestimated the power of this bad boy. I totally thought I was 100% better and as of yesterday morning, I am on a bit of a downward spiral in terms of health. I woke up Thursday morning with an awful headache, one that lasted all day and prevented me from falling asleep for hours and hours last night. I woke up this morning for my class with a slightly smaller head throb, but the sucker is still there! What a stinker. However, my mom just messaged me saying my sweet Nana wasn't feeling great. So please feel better Nana! I love you more than words can express!

2. I miss babies! Hahah that sounds a little weird so let me explain: Last semester, I probably spent just as much time with little ones than I did with adults or those my own age. Between working at the Marquette Daycare center, babysitting a few times a month, tutoring kindergarteners, and doing my first round of student observations, I was often with kids. When I tell people I want to teach the younger grades, I often get the response: Wow I have no idea how you could do that, I can't stand kids. But I honestly couldn't imagine pursuing any other career path. So, coming from that to here with absolutely no interaction with little ones has been sad! Maybe I will look into babysitting jobs around here to get my baby fix. So if you know anyone in Dublin looking for a part time babysitter, please give them my name :]. 

3. My walls are empty! I went into Ellie's room the other day, and her walls are FULL of pictures. Since pictures are probably some of my most precious belongings, I may need to make a stop at the photo hut next time I am out. The room could definitely use a little something special.

Well, that's all for now! I will try to update you guys by the end of weekend and show you my trip to Wicklow and Powerscourt! I think I am off to try to take a nap. Wish me luck for a peaceful sleep! 

Much love!

The Belles of Belfast City

My first trip of many to come was incredible. We had such an amazing time and were able to see so much. We left later than expected on friday morning because of miscommunications between our group leaders, so we were on the road about 45 minutes later than what was planned. We stopped for lunch and went to a small museum that I wish I knew the name of but I was honestly so tired at that point. We were prompted about the political differences in Belfast, which was definitely good to know. I had no idea how much we were actually going to learn during our stay. 

When we arrived in our hostel, we had a short time to put our things away before heading back into the city. My room consisted of 16 people! It was a lot of fun. I truly loved everyone involved in the trip. Such a fun, adventurous, and friendly group of people that will always hold a special place in my heart. Our first night in Belfast, we were able to walk around and explore the city. We walked through their HUGE shopping center called The Victorian. They have this amazing dome at the top of the mall that we were able to climb to the top. We also walked by the city hall building which is honestly the most beautiful building I have ever seen. I was obsessed, I took way too many pictures of it. 

 The view from the top!

eeeek I'm obsessed!

After walking around for a few hours, we returned to the hostel to get ready for our first night out, another pub crawl (my favorite activity ;])! It was so fun meeting the locals and having such interesting discussions about the politics of Belfast. We were able to hear the perspectives of both Nationalists, who believe the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland should be one nation, and Unionists, who believe things should remain the way they are. 

Roomie love!

We woke up early Saturday morning and a few of us walked around for a bit before we left to go on our Black Taxi Tour, where you drive all around Belfast and learn about the history of disagreement, inequality, hardship, and pain that this city has endured. You hear about awful tragedies like people being placed in camps or a huge wall that literally splits the city in two and you think it had to have occurred at least 70 years ago. But these incidents occurred in the 1970s and remain in existence today. Such a different world from Milwaukee. 

After the tour, we were dropped off at the Titanic Museum. We went inside and were told we had time to go grab a quick lunch before going on the tour. Since it was almost 3 in the afternoon, Ellie, our Swiss friend Juliet, and I thought we could walk across the way and grab something to eat. Well, our service was extremely slow and we ended up staying in the restaurant for about 2 hours. I jokingly said out loud "watch us come back to the museum and it will be closed". I guess I'm psychic because that's exactly what happened. Unfortunately, the museum does not give refunds, but the manager we spoke to could not have been nicer and said that we are welcome to come back at another date. So, we're heading back next sunday for a day trip! Definitely a good excuse to visit this city again :]. We were able to see a replica of the original staircase into the ballroom of the ship and snap a few pictures. It was a bit of a bummer, but we are excited to come back! That night, we went to a big club which was a lot of fun! Another great night with great people. 

We were up bright and early Sunday morning to head out to The Rope Bridge, Dunluce Castle, and Giant's Causeway. It took about an hour and a half for us to drive up there by bus. I wish I could find the proper words to describe the beauty I experienced throughout the day. The Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge is located along the North Antrim Coast. There is a long footpath where you walk along and high above the coast to reach the bridge. The bridge is made entirely of rope with wooden panels on the bottom. It's a quick cross between two large pieces of land. The actual crossing was pretty scary, but I could not stop looking at the gorgeous landscape surrounding me. I can honestly say I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. I countlessly caught myself dropping my jaw at the lush green, beautiful rock formations, and the deep blue water. I could not have taken enough pictures in the world to truly capture its beauty. Everyone deserves to see something that spectacular in his/her lifetime. It is an indescribable feeling. Every so often I would walk ahead or slag behind the group to just take it all in and be 100% present in that moment. I am forever thankful to have had the opportunity to witness that natural treasure.

 The Rope Bridge!

Can you tell I was slightly terrified?

We took longer than expected at the Rope Bridge (can you blame us?) so we only had a few minutes at Dunluce Castle, built in the 13th century. It was beautifully preserved and amazing to be in the presence of something so historic. There is an entrance fee to actually walk inside of the castle, so we only walked up to the gate overlooking it. It was amazing. Many people wiped out because of the muddy grass and slightly steep decline. I waddled my way down to the gate and took some more pictures. Pretty quickly we were back on the bus headed to Giant's Causeway.

Giant's Causeway is another place that I wish I could find appropriate words to describe it. We were told to walk up along the high coast before taking steps down to the rock formations and actual shore. It was such an experience of pure bliss. Normally, my fear of heights comes into effect, but all I wanted to do was to go out as far as I could. Definitely When we reached the rock formations, I climbed to the highest place in which I was allowed and took a few minutes to soak in what I saw. Unfortunately my camera battery had died at that point (I took over 300 pictures this weekend!) so I only have a few pictures from my grainy ipod camera. However, I know the image will stick out in my mind forever. Before we knew it, we had to return to our bus for the 3 hour journey back to UCD. I didn't want the weekend to end. There are certain things where you can always recall exactly how you felt at that moment, no matter how many years pass by. I have no doubt in my mind that I will hold this in my heart as long as I am alive. 

Sometimes you just have to take a selfie.



I can't believe I have already been here for three weeks. In some ways, I feel like I've known my close friends for a lifetime, but in other ways I am amazed at the way time has flown here. Coming abroad, you have no idea what to expect and you can truly only take a breath and hope that everything works out for the best. Three weeks into my amazing adventure and my expectations have exceeded beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I think about my parents who are planning a trip to Ireland in 2016, the year their baby (me) graduates from college to celebrate their hard work of putting four children through higher education or my friends who plan on studying abroad here in Dublin next year, and I couldn't be happier for them to get to experience this. It brings such a smile to my face. I can't thank anyone involved in getting me here enough. It's crazy to me that I almost decided not to apply to this program. I am so blessed! 


After this perfect weekend I could not be more excited for my future national trips to (drumroll, please) Glendalough, Cork, and Kerry as well as my international trips to Madrid, Rome, Warsaw, Krakow, and Prague. THAT'S RIGHT, I am officially booked for all of the above! I was feeling very inspired this morning after an amazing weekend and decided to get down to business. There are always a million reasons to say no to something, but one great reason to say yes. So, that is exactly what I'm doing! So much for which to be thankful!

 If that weren't enough, after a rainy and cold day in Dublin, Abby and I got to witness a gorgeous sunset on our walk home from the grocery store today. 



It feels so amazing to finally know I am meant to be here. LOTS of love!