Everybody Raise A Glass!

On Thursday night, Claire and Ellie's friend, Brian (who goes to UCD) came over. He was a really nice guy and We all went out to the Clubhouse (the campus pub) since we weren't in the mood to pay for a bus ride. It was a lot of fun! We met a ton of people and I found ANOTHER crazy connection: I met a girl named Dani, who is from Seattle and went to summer camp with one my best friends from Marquette, Claire, and her sister, Jill. I am honestly amazed at how small this world is, but it continues to reaffirm why I am here. I ran into a few of the Marquette students, so it was fun to actually meet people from back home. I hope to see more of them in the future! Here's a few pictures from the pub!

Yesterday was pretty uneventful until about 4:30 in the afternoon. We had to get some people in here to sort out some electrical issues, our bathroom lights weren't working and our water heater wasn't working. Hopefully it's resolved now but time will tell. I woke up at NOON, which has never happened to me in my life. Still adjusting to the time difference and I can't fathom that I actually need to wake up at around 8 in the morning for my classes starting Monday. Why can't all of the weeks be like this one? Abby and I went to one of the cafes on campus because we were given a 5 euro voucher at orientation. It is in the building that all my classes are located, so I definitely will be acquainted with it by the end of the semester. The good news is that, despite how big the campus is, the building is about a five minute walk from our apartment. I think I'm beginning to find my way around, but there's plenty more to learn. There are a bunch of maps around campus with the little "You are here" sticker, so that's been super helpful. When we got back, we were off to Centra, a little store on campus that sells your typical necessities. I had to buy some laundry detergent, pens, and garbage bags (fun stuff). We wanted to buy a bus pass, but all of them were sold out. I guess all of the students here had my same thought. But, I did buy a leap card at the store today, which is basically a card where you can load money on instead of always having change.

When we got back from the store, Ellie, Claire, and I got ready for an open top bus tour. It was definitely fun to see all the sights, but I was kind of bummed because I didn't get very many clear pictures. With the darkness of the night and the constant moving, my shots didn't turn out so well. Oh well, there will be many more opportunities! We eventually got off the bus in the city to join 250 of our closest friends at a pub crawl thrown by an organization through the school. We had about an hour to walk around the temple bar area and managed to snap a few scenic pics.

The pub crawl was a blast! We went to four pubs and ended the night at the same pub as we began, only up a level and it became more of a dance/ nightclub. I LOVED the live music, friendly people that we met, and of course the different beverages I tried :]. Each pub had a different vibe, but overall, all were enjoyable and great memories. I would love to spend more time exploring in that area. We decided that we wanted to go back to the city tomorrow (today now) and explore some more because our free time is about to run out :/. Not sure what the official plan is, because its been raining and chilly all day, but I guarantee we will have a good time, whatever we do.  Here are some pictures from last night!

 Hahah, I just thought this was funny!

 Gotta make sure the Guiness Logo is nice and centered

 All four roomies, yayyy!!!

I haven't been too homesick, but every once in a while I wish that I could be in both places, at Marquette in downtown Milwaukee, and here in Dublin. More than anything, I wish you all could experience this with me. Everyone deserves the chance to get out of our comfort zone and explore the world, and if you haven't yet, promise me that you one day will! There's so much more to life than we know, and we owe it to ourselves to experience that. I found this while I was searching for some inspiration before I left Brookfield. It gave me so much hope and comfort. It is SO true. 

In the past, I let fear get in the way of a lot of experiences that I could have had. That dance I could have gone to with my friends, seeking help from a loved one because I was too ashamed to admit that I needed it, an event at Marquette that I was too self-conscious to attend by myself. This year (no, not 2014, but my sophomore year of college) I have really tried to push myself to get out of my bubble and into the world! It has done me so much good and I feel that I have really matured and grown. Its okay if you're not included in everything and its okay if you do things on your own. It doesn't make you any less of a great person, but rather, it helps you grow into a successful individual. 

Okay, that's my schpeel. Hope I've inspired some folks in the same way that life has inspired me. OH! By the way, my address is:

Kaitlin Gleason

Belgrove House 09, Apartment 1, Room 2

University College Dublin

Belfield

Dublin 4

Just in case anyone would be interested in sending me anything, I would love it! And I would absolutely reply. I just bought a few postcards from the store today so those of you who want one, please let me know if you haven't yet! Well, that is all I got for now! We are off to explore the city, where I will hopefully have some better luck with pictures (update, just got back from the city and I will post about that tomorrow because now I'm too tired :] sorry). Again, thank you for all the support! 

You guys are the best!