Cheers from Cork, Ireland!

You know when something so good is happening you cannot even believe it? So good that it may get cancelled or something may come up? That is this trip to Ireland. I cannot believe that this trip has finally happened! I have been talking, thinking and planning this trip and application process for almost a year now. It is crazy to me that this has actually happened. Studying abroad in Ireland with my two best friends, Holly and Hannah is a dream come true.

I left for Cork, Ireland on Thursday January 2nd to study abroad here for five months. It has been a little bit of a whirlwind (this almost was that "something"). A few days before I was leaving for Ireland, a HUGE blizzard was predicted to hit Boston and New York. Of course this would happen to me. The day I am supposed to make it to New York for a group flight to Ireland with 62 other Quinnipiac Students.

After flying from Boston to JFK checking two forty five pound bags and carrying a backpacking backpack, claiming the bags again at JFK, crossing some streets in Queens to take the AirTram and then finally making it to the terminal at JFK to check the bags again, we went through security again. This time Uncle Barry wasn't there keeping Holly and me company. We FINALLY made it to the gate. Then we wait for four hours until our plane to Shannon, Ireland takes off. Whenever I see other people "backpacking" they look so cool, put together and organized. I however was none of the above.

After a not so smooth flight to Shannon, we land at 6:30 on Friday morning Ireland time. Needless to say the two customs officers were not happy to see 62 students who need passports stamped and approved for almost six months. After getting my hundred pounds worth of luggage we walk outside and it is dark, cold, and raining. Then the two-hour bus ride was not heated. WELCOME TO IRELAND!

We all fell asleep on the buses, after about an hour and a half of driving I wake up to see the sun rising over the beautiful green hills of Ireland- now this was the Welcome I was waiting for. It was perfect.

After meeting our "house mother," Mary, we quickly go into the buildings to find that we share an apartment with three other people, have a communal kitchen, TV, single bedrooms and our own bedrooms. Better than my RA accommodations!

After a quick drop off of our luggage to our bedrooms we walked a tired twenty minutes in perfect sunshine to the main campus of University College Cork. The campus is Hogwarts (I don't even like Harry Potter), but UCC is picture perfect. Then it started hailing golf balls. WELCOME TO CORK!

After our late breakfast we had the afternoon off to shop and collect a few things. On our 20 minute walk to a shopping center the worst weather I have ever in my life experienced- it was dark out, there were hurricane winds, sharp rain, and it was FREEZING. I guess it can't be sunny and rainless in Ireland for too long!

Holly, Hannah and I eventually made it home bags in tote and SOAKED. This called for us purchasing our first bottle of wine. The store clerk asked me if I was over 18, I said yes, he handed me the four euro bottle, perfect to go with our box of pasta and jarred sauce (don't tell mom! It's the abroad on a budget!)

After what seems like the longest day ever all we wanted to do was shower- to find out that the showers need to be "boosted" which means that one must prepare in advance oh about two hours or so for the water heater in the apartment to heat enough water to shower- I still don't understand how it works. Ask me in a few days about it- maybe I will know then.

On Saturday we had the most perfect weather! It was sunny, not a cloud in the sky and no rain in sight! We had our first venture into the City Centre, which is about a thirty- minute walk or so from our dorms. Once we get into Cork we are given a scavenger hunt to find certain things. We explored the city, the shops and all the fun areas of Cork. Since Ireland is a Catholic country all of the Christmas decorations are still up and it looks beautiful! There is so much to do in Cork from local shops, to well-known shops that we see on Newbury Street, to fun coffee shops and awesome pubs. I will never get bored of this place. I already feel home here.

Saturday night was our first pub crawl, ordered our first pint (Murphy's Red- Guinness is a no no in Cork!) and ventured to five local pubs.

Sunday, we went back into Cork City to go grocery shopping and have a coffee (no coffee pot for us!) Grocery shopping was interesting… I miss my kitchen at home- Mom always has everything! Needless to say five American girls grocery shopping in Ireland is a sight to see. How does Mom always remember everything?!

Miss you all! Love,

Al

PS. I promise to keep up with this more and make sure to look at all the pictures I posted in the pictures tab!