Ireland Adventure

I am a person that craves adventure, new experiences, and challenges. My trip to Ireland had all three. A 14 day trip around Ireland and Northern Ireland was exactly what my post- grad school heart needed and traveling with two life long friends (Katie and Val) made the experience even more special.

We started in Dublin and with a combination of enthusiasm and extreme jet lag, Val and I hit the city. A day of wandering and coffee was just what we needed to get comfortable in the city. My first reaction of Dublin was that it is an incredibly livable city. I love that you can walk everywhere and that a pint of Guinness in a pub with live music is the only way to finish the day. Day two brought more travel buddies and a trip to Catherine McAuley's house on Bagget Street. All my fellow Mercy girls understand the significance of that visit. It was a humbling reminder of how the actions of one person can truly have a global impact. The rest of the day was spent exploring Dublin and, my favorite, shopping! Beautiful parks, streets bustling with people, and the sound of the delightful Irish accent were some favorites of the day.

While we were in Dublin I had two favorite tourist stops- the Guinness factory and the Dublin Castle. The Guinness factory was an awesome learning experience- yes, I said learning! You are shown the details of how the beer is produced, told where the ingredients are gathered, taught how to pour a pint (119 seconds to the perfect pint) and told how to properly drink your pint. The drinking part took some practice for me. The tour guide actually stopped me and told me that I can't sip my Guinness and instead I have to gulp it like a man! So funny! Have no fear- I practiced throughout the rest of the trip and can say with certainty that I have it down! Then you get an awesome view of the city from the skyline bar. The Dublin Castle was the first castle of many that we visited throughout Ireland (and will soon be my new home). It was beautiful and hearing about the history of the country was interesting. Although, I think I can speak for my travel buddies when I say that, the ladies room was our favorite. Apparently, back in the day, women had to be asked to dance by a man or they were not allowed to leave this room during the dinner parties. While the room was exceptionally beautiful, the girls and I all agreed that we wait for no man! Let the dancing begin with or without them!

After our days in Dublin, we hired a car and drove north. The first stop of many was Newgrange (I cannot spell that!). It is an ancient tomb- the understanding of architecture and astrology that ancient people had always astounds me and this was no exception. The tomb was built to line up with the sunrise and annual eclipse, so that the light shines directly into the center of the open chamber. Very cool stuff! Then we traveled on to Northern Ireland where we stayed with the most adorable Irish couple in Bellfast. They were so hospitable and greeted us with a homemade dinner that would have satisfied a king. After that we spent an hour trying to find the pub that we wanted, only to end up in the oldest pub in Northern Ireland. This was such a fun night full of live music, coaster battles with a German and Frenchman, silly flirtations with the locals, and free pints most of the night. The next day in Bellfast we toured the City Hall and learned about some of he political unrest that has occurred in Northern Ireland. Then we walked to where the Titanic was built and launched. After a coffee, we tried to navigate the perpetually winding streets to no avail. This is the one city that I could never manage navigate- I'm so disappointed in myself! ha ha!

The next day we headed farther North toward London Derry. This was an AWESOME day that can only truly be appreciated with pictures. Favorites- driving on the "wrong" side of the road, seeing my ancestor's castle, crossing the rope bridge over cliffs and water, and seeing Giant's Causeway which was the sight of volcanic eruption that left beautiful stone formations. Our night in London Derry was so rowdy! The locals there were a blast and that's really all that can be said- oh and just for my travel buddies: "I dropped ketchup"! The fun of the night was followed , somewhat harshly, by the tour of the post-war city. The realization of how much the area had been impact by violence instigated by religious differences was astounding. The fact that it was taking place within my lifetime was powerful. We had the opportunity to see murals that have been painted throughout the city to commemorate the war and the destruction it caused. There is finally peace within the region but it is still fairly unstable with car bombs and rebel attacks that still occur.

We left London Derry and drove to Galloway- a place that I sincerely wish we could have spent more time. This is where we heard Wo Japen- a band that mixes traditional Irish music with Spanish influence. It is what I am currently listening to and would be happy to share with you, as it is delightful. Galloway is just how you would imagine it to be. I quaint college town that invites youth, shopping, and a casual attitude on life. My kind of place! This is where we were joined by our sixth and final travel buddy from Italy.

On our journey from Galloway to Cork we visited the beach town of Dingle where we ate the best ice cream ever. Cute town but I'm sure it would be more fun in the summer! This was a lovely driving day. We got to stop at the famous Cliffs of Moher. A picture is need to understand just how beautiful these are!

A few final favorites- Kissing the Blarney Stone. This stone is at the top of Blarney Castle and you actually have to hang upside down with your head outside the castle about 6 stories off the ground to kiss it. I wanted adventure and that for sure made the list! Other then that, the castle has beautiful grounds to explore.

Getting to know my new friends- Mandy and Alessandro. These are two rad people! We bonded over drinks, cards, cookie dough, and amazing Italian food that they were kind enough to prepare for us.

Seeing all the incredible variety of terrain within the country. There are beautiful mountains, ocean views, cliffs, forests, streams, and more that just make you stand in awe and wonder.

Overall, I feel blessed to have had this experience and hope you have enjoyed hearing about it.

Missing you...

So, I've been traveling these really beautiful places like New Zealand, Cairns, and Whitsundays but I keep thinking about life and friends from home. I'm trying all this new crazy stuff (and yes there will be pictures as soon as I get home) but no one special is here to share it with me. I'm sitting looking at pictures of friends and fun times that I'm missing out on and feeling like everybody has forgotten me. I certainly miss you all a lot! I constantly think about what it's going to be like to step back on American soil and see all of you again! I have under 90 days left and I plan on making the most of it but that won't stop me from being excited to come home. I just hope that you guys don't forget me because I'm so far away. It makes me sad to think about all the jokes and fun spring break stuff that I know nothing about. Anytime you feel like e-mailing me please do because it will make me smile and probably tear up but in a good way. I just can't wait to laugh with you all again. So, long story short, I'm loving it but I miss you!

The Great Ocean Road

Okay everyone this weekend was massively amazing so you’re going to get a novel. We left Saturday morning around 8am for the Great Ocean Road. Nathan drove Amy, Amy, Lisa, and I and all our camping crap- the car was FULL! We drove down to Halls Gap and the Granpians which is a mountain range. First thing we did was go to the McKenzie falls. It was so pretty. We sat by the water fall and ate lunch. Then we went exploring and found this little area with a smaller waterfall and a little pool. It was down away from the designated tourist area so it was really pretty and secluded. We just hung out there for awhile- It was a really hot day so we weren’t in any hurry to climb up the hundreds of stairs to get back to the car! I was exploring and wanted to get closer to this one waterfall so I jumped across the rocks where the water was running. Well, I didn’t realize how slick it was going to be and almost fell in! It was pretty funny cause someone had just told my nature instinct- to which I replied I had none. Classic Laurie! So we after climbing on rocks to out hearts content we went back to the car and drove to the campsite. We set up the tent without too much drama which was good. Then we got ice cream. I actually got a milk shake which was really more like chocolate milk- what I actually wanted was a thick shake-who knew! On the way back from the ice cream we saw the biggest spider!! Apparently it’s harmless but holy crap was it big!! Then we decided to go for a hike and actually ended up climbing a mountain. It was about 3.5K vertical and my ass was feeling every step of it!! The top was beautiful but my fear of heights definitely kicked in and I couldn’t even take pictures of it so you’ll have to look at others tagged of me for that one! On the walk we saw a wallabies, lizards, and kangaroos (one with a joey that chased Amy and Lisa). My friend Tyson showed up after the hike. We BBQ that night only to have kangaroos try to come eat it but no worries we ate it first! The next morning we woke up super early and hiked up a different mountain to watch the sunrise. It was only 3K this time and was more rocks to climb then it was vertical. The sunrise was amazing but it was so high up that all my pictures look like I’m hanging on for dear life or freaking out away from the railing. It was a really great experience though. Probably one of the coolest things I’ve done in my life. We climbed around for awhile and then went down to pack up camp. Part of the day was spent driving to the next place but we stopped in Wornabul for some fish and chips. Then we played in this little park with a maze and a big glider swing thing that I can’t really describe but it was fun!! Then we went to the beach. The water was freezing cold but the beach was HOT! I got to play in the sand and Tyson, Amy, and I built a sand castle. We drove to Port Cambell that night and set up camp there. We walked to the beach for a bit to watch the sun set and then came back for more BBQ (Aussie favorite). We went back to the beach that night see the stars. It was so beautiful there I almost feel asleep on the beach. It was pretty cool though cause we got to see a crane lift a boat out of the water at night. The next morning we woke up and headed to more of Great Ocean Road (the good part). First we saw the 12 apostles which are twelve big rocks the were named that to attract tourists. The thing is that like six of them have fallen over because they’re made from soft rock and not formed in a stable way. It was really beautiful. We also saw this cool arch. Then we hit Apollo Bay which is where we had lunch. Basically the rest of the road was along the ocean. It was the prettiest road trip I could imagine and I’ve been on some sweet as road trips (p.s. “sweet as” or “cool as” or “ sick as” is very in here). The boys surprised us with a stop at a waterfall. I can’t remember the name of it right now but it was really great. The girls climbed up the rocks to the falls but it was super slick so we couldn’t really play very much. It was still sweet as. That pretty much finished up the day except for a drive home. The funniest thing is that I got burnt on my left shoulder as a passenger ant at home that happens when I driving!! Good fun, good friends, and, as always, nice accents! Love you!

Geelong weekend

This weekend was a lot of fun. It started out a little dodgy but turned out great. Friday we spent shopping around Ballarat. First we ended up on a never ending bus ride that took us out to the edge of Ballarat before taking us to within a block of where we started. We could have walked to our destination faster then the bus got us there but we were lazy. As Grandma always said haste makes waste, but it was actually kinda nice to see all of the city I guess. First we went to the train station and bought our bus passes for the next day’s trip to Geelong. Then we shopped around Ballarat. I got Starbucks but it was absolutely not the same (good but different) and it cost me $5 for a tall. Then we went grocery shopping but I forgot that I would have to ride the bus back and bought way to much. I’m sure people were laughing at me as I lugged my bugs of groceries across town, onto the bus, and across campus. Then Friday night we just chilled. We got up early early to walk 1K to the bus stop by 6:40. As we walked up to the stop the bus drove passed (it was an oh shit moment-haha). So we trucked back up the hill to our rooms only to catch the next train several hours later at like 11:30. Once we got there Mez (my friend) picked us up and we went to the beach. We stopped and got fish and chips and were fitted for wet suits and then went to the beach. The fish was flake or shark and was tasty. Once lunch was over we got suited up to catch some waves. Getting into the wet suit was a production in itself! Those things are not easy to get into! We spent hours boogie boarding in two foot waves. We thought about attempting surfing but there’s still so much time left in the trip for that. Later we walked along the beach and I found some shells. We also saw little clams growing on the rocks. It was so beautiful there. When you walk up to the beach there is a big crest (hill) that blocks your view. There’s this dramatic reveal as you get up the hill of just the bluest water you’ve ever seen and as the waves break it’s such a crisp white. There really isn’t anything like it. You can see forever and the water meets the sky in the most beautiful contrast of blues. It was a really great day. We grabbed gelato on our way home and then got dinner ready. It was a yummy salad and kangaroo. It was delicious. The day ended with games at Mez and Chris’s house with another American girl we’ve met from Purdue. It was really fun. Sunday we headed home only to be surprised with a last minute invite to go with Nathan to Hanging Rock National Park. We hiked to the top of the rocks and had a great view. Overall, a really great weekend. Now back to class tomorrow but that’s okay cause I only have three days of classes with four days off. Next weekend Tyson and Nathan are taking us camping on Great Ocean Road. Should be a blast.

Missing you!

It probably won’t surprise anyone to hear that I’m getting a little homesick. It’s been just over two weeks since I left home and now the newness is starting to wear off. I can start to see how long of a time four months really is. I miss stupid things like walking into the Alpha Chi house. I miss Maddie’s random you tube videos that make me laugh and playing with Natalie‘s hair. I miss practically living in Gentry and Ellie’s room. I miss all of your hugs and support and just the general happiness I feel when I‘m around al of you. You don’t realize until you’re far away how much of a family we are. It’s so weird to start redefining myself without my friends as apart of it. None of this is ever to say I don’t like it here because that’s not the case. I love the people I live with and the others I’ve met. I’m actually starting to maybe see a glimpse of the journey God is taking me on and not that I could ever understand it but it’s something to take comfort in. It’s just the things from home like pillows and a fluffy towel that you don’t realize are so good. Some of our new friends have actually loaned us blankets and hotties (hot water bottles that warm you up at night so we can be more comfortable. He also gave us copies of his Cd which is pretty good. I’ll bring it home for you all. They are so giving, it blows my mind how quickly they accepted us into their lives here. People should be more accepting in the US, it would make it a happier place to live I think.
In other news we’ve purchased our tickets to New Zealand. From there we’re going to travel Southern New Zealand. Then we’re going to Cairnes (pronounced cans) and the Great Barrier Reef. After that we are going to drive (yes drive) down the cost to see all of the pretty beaches and surfer paradise. That’s going to be so so great. Anyway, I love you all a lot a lot and hope I hear from you soon. Hugs and kisses!

Melbourne

So, we spontaneously took a trip to Melbourne this weekend. We (Amy, Amy, Lisa, and I) packed and left in about an hour and that was all the thought we put into it. We walked into town, hopped on a train and off we went! It was an adventure to say the least. We got to the city at night and were starving. So we walked two miles to our hostile which was in the middle of China town. It was funny because it was on top of a pub. It was dirty and gross and because we booked it so late they had to split us up into separate rooms. I was fortunate and had a room of four and the three others I was living with weren’t bad. One guy was from Ireland and I never really talked to the other two. Lisa had it the worst. She was supposed to be in a room for three. She walked in and there were two guys- one in undies and the other butt naked sleeping! Needless to say she was not about to stay in that room by herself so she bunked with Amy and Amy who were in a room of ten. It smelled so bad!!! Anyway, Friday we woke up and headed to the Queen Victoria market. That was really cool. It’s the biggest market I’ve ever seen. There are just rows and rows of anything you could imagine. Food, chocolates, fruit, souvenirs, clothes, and tons of other stuff. I bought some earrings and pillow cases for my new apartment next semester. We spent most of the day there. Then we headed back to the hostile and on the way got some yummy gelato. Then we walked to the Realto tower which a very tall building you can go to the top of and see all of Melbourne. We wanted to go up at night so we walked to the river and hung out until it got a little darker. The top of the tower was so cool! You could see the beach and mountains and skyscrapers and the river all at once. It was really pretty. Then we walked back and ate dinner. Since we were in China town we thought Chinese food. Well, that was a bust because it ended up being the most uneatable food I’ve ever encountered!! It looked like intestine on a plate! After dinner we crashed! Luckily we were all able to get into the same room but with two other guys. That was a little better. Then Saturday we woke up and went to the Fitzroy gardens. They were so pretty! It was like being in paradise, the perfect day! After the gardens we headed to the beach. It was pretty cold so we just walked. We ate luch at this adorable café. It was delicious. I ordered a sandwich with pumpkin, lettuce, goat cheese, and pesto. None of the food is actually the same as what we are used to though. Everything has a different flavor. On the beach I found some cool shells then we walked around luna beach. Then we hopped back on a train home. Tomorrow we are going to church we some new friends and then headed to the wildlife park with other international students. After that we are going to cook dinner for the Austrians. I’ll keep you posted. I miss and love you all!

February 20, 2008

I had a really great day today. I’ve met some great people so far. I finally got a bank account and then later this week I’m getting a mobile (that’s what they call it). It gets better and better each day. It was really hard at first to get used to everything and even thought they speak English it’s not the same at all!! Everyone is really great though. This weekend we’re going into Geelong and staying with some new friends that I met through Christian Union here. They’re going to teach us to surf and boogie board. I’m getting pretty thrifty which is cool. We take buses into town when we can’t get a lift from friends. We’re also taking a bus into Geelong this weekend. Oh, I tried kangaroo which tastes a little like steak, emu which tastes like cheap steak, and crocodile which is like chicken. They’re all pretty good. Barbeques are all the rage here. I’ve eaten more sausages then I ever want to EVER again! You all know how I am about hot dogs so it’s been an adjustment- haha! Today we have the afternoon off and then tonight I’m going on a café crawl and am so excited. I thought the Pub Crawl sounded a bit too intense for me since it runs from 4:30 in the afternoon until three in the morning! Oh, and by the way they are actually pre-drinking for the café crawl! It makes me laugh cause when I’m sober I’m crazy and they’re chill and then it’s so opposite when they drink. Well, that’s all for now except I miss you all a lot.