What in the World Are You Doing in Oslo on a Monday? in February?

The above question was asked too many times on my journey to Oslo, Norway. When simply stating the fact that my friend and I were there for holiday, everyone responded with a laugh and a "seriously? no really, what work do you do?". When responding that a roundtrip ticket was only 10 euro, they still did not understand why we wanted to come to a place where the temperature was -13 celsius and full of snow. When we started our journey off in Ireland, I was starting to think the same things..



When my friend Kellie and I were sitting on the train from Maynooth to Dublin, I was wanting to turn around and just stay in Maynooth and forget about Oslo. I was apprehensive that we were literally going to be flying to the final frontier. I pictured us landing in a mound of snow with no one in the vicinity. Norway during the winter did not sound like the best plan or as if anyone would be in Norway to meet. When we finally made it on the plane, I was freaking out even more picturing myself as an explorer going to Antarctica, thinking we were going to be in complete isolation in Norway. I was also nervous that no one was going to speak English and we were going to be completely stuck with a written language which gives absolutely no hint as to what it might mean. I really wish someone would have told me to forget these worries and just experience the world because Norway was not what I had pictured...



From the air, I looked down and was able to see a large city near our airport which was about 2 hours from Oslo. I was caught off guard that there would be such a large area outside of Oslo, I had pictured the tundra beyond the capital's city limits. Surely the airport was snowpacked and there was snow up to the wings on the side of the runway, but it was incredible nonetheless. Kellie and I eventually got bus tickets after attempting to read signs in Norwegian which gave absolutely no indication as to what they might be for, but we made it on the bus and got to Oslo almost two hours later. Although with RyanAir you have to generally spend a bit of time on a bus to reach your actual destination and I generally find it aggravating, with Norway I did not care. It was dark by the time we arrived, but the snow and rock walls along the side on the 2 lane highway were magnificent and the forest that lined it as well were enchanting. Although I did feel as though I were in near isolation and saw moose crossing signs, I could not help but love it all. Eventually we made it to the Oslo bus terminal and at first, we had no idea where we were going. Only armed with the address, we bought a map and asked a lady in a convenience store how to get to our hostel. Thankfully, everyone we stopped for directions spoke English and quite well also! Even though we were a bit lost, Norway was changing all of my previous notions of its environment and people. we eventually made it to where we needed to be and after some difficulty learning that we need to press a button to open the door and how to work the elevator, we checked in and set up in our room with a bunk bed, heater, flat screen tv, sink, and the warmest duvets ever. It was about 10pm when we got there and starving, we attempted to find any open place to get something to eat. After finding a Burger King, we decided to walk around a bit and figure out what was near us. The streets of Oslo felt quite safe despite the frigid temperatures, we walked down the main shopping street and located a park which was near the Grand Hotel and the Palace. Just as we were about to turn back and head in for the night, we heard loud music and decided to see what was going on. We found Andy's Pub and went in to see what the music was and it turned out to be the best decision we made. Inside, there was a piano with a man playing it along with a keyboard on top, all the while also singing. Easton, as his name was, was playing classics from Michael Jackson to Billy Joel. He was amazing and provided great entertainment for all. We then started talking with the group who had been gathered at the stools around the piano. We met a few Norwegians, a German, and some Swedes. It was interesting to meet all of these people and get their perspectives on everything. Although we were the youngest ones by possibly fifteen years, we had a great time and joined in on the chants for the Norwegian team as they were competing on the tvs in the pub for the Olympics. Norwegians LOVE the Winter Olympics and I guess with a country piled with snow most of the year, they have a right to. Every four years they get show off their glory and what their ideal conditions for downhill skiing, cross country, etc. can create. You would have thought it was a football game the way everyone screamed and watched intently. The one thing I learned about Norway after this night is how friendly the people are here, they are genuinely the happiest group of people on the face of the Earth. Why? I have no idea, they live in essentially Arctic conditions most of the year and their country is fairly isolated. However, you can walk up to any one of them and strike up a conversation at whim and it is certainly refreshing coming from the States where everyone is so focused on tasks at hand and work that it is no wonder we are perceived as rude and uptight society. If I had one favorite part of Norway that would keep me going back again and again and again, it was certainly the people as I would keep discovering on my journey. After probably one of the greatest nights I have had thus far, Kellie and I made it back to our hostel.



The next day, we woke up and tried to figure out what Oslo had to offer. We were not quite sure what there was to do, but along the way we figured it out. Due to the frigid conditions, we ruled out a significant walk to the sculpture park across town with its famous pillar, but I guess that only gives me an excuse to make it back someday. So we got some lunch and then again walked down the famous shopping street which would be comparable to Dublin's Grafton Street with its pedestrian only road. We began to notice in Oslo that they like repetition. On the same street we saw two McDonald's, two Burger Kings, and two of the same 3 shops...I'm still not quite sure what to think, but either they don't like change or must all eat and wear the same things in Norway. We then wandered back to the same park we had seen the night before and walked past the Grand Hotel where Obama had stayed for the Noble Peace Prize and then we went into the park. There was an ice skating rink with loads of kids doing twirls and skating around like naturals. Kellie and I wanted to try it out, but there was only one problem, we were not Norwegian. Apparently it is code in Norway for everyone to have their own pair of skates and to walk around freely with a pair of skis propped up on your shoulder while shopping. Although we didn't pack our ice skates, we went on the ice anyways and shuffled around in our boots and still had a fun time nonetheless. We then kept walking to the palace, past the National Theatre, and went to the harbor. Oslo is bordered by a fjord, but since there was too much ice the boat tour we were thinking about was closed for the day. Right along the harbor though is the Noble Peace Prize Center. There was a exhibit inside dedicated to Obama after his winning this year. We then walked along and noticed a fortress that was set up on a hill above the harbor so we tried to see that, but being the off-season they were doing construction and we could not get in. Then we walked around a bit more and with the cold, we decided to go back to our hostel to warm up and take a nap.



When we woke up, it was later in the day and we were ready for our adventure of the trip. Since last year about this time, Kellie and I had wanted to go to the Ice Hotel in Sweden. The Ice Hotel is made completely of ice and you have to sleep in reindeer skins and thermal sleeping bags while wearing hats, gloves, and special long underwear. Well, we weren't in Sweden and we were already cold enough so we settled for a creation made by those who construct the Ice Hotel, the Ice Bar. After eating at a small place that seemed to be frequented by the locals, we made our way to our destination we had spotted in the RyanAir magazine on the way over. After shielding our eyes from the gift shop, we went in and paid our entry fee to get in and then we were escorted to an area full of thermal parkas with hoods and connected gloves. We looked like eskimos, but we were too excited to care what we looked like. There are many necessary precautions taken to make sure that the bar does not melt so you cannot take pictures with the flash on, hot drinks must be placed in special cups and on special mats. Also all of the other drinks are in cups made of ice. Kellie and I were the only ones in there and we were just so excite that we had partially completed our goal of making it to the Ice Hotel that we just took pictures like crazy and had a great time..alone. After our forty-five minutes were up and we were frozen, we left and made our way back to Andy's to hear the piano player from the night before, play another round. After recognizing us as soon as he walked in, Chicago as we were known, he started up after some protest from the Norwegians as downhill skiing was on. Again we had another great night and ran in to a few of the people we had met the night before. It was another fun night filled with great company and music! Certainly made up of the friendliest people on Earth and some of the greatest music.





The next day we were due to leave, but until later that evening so we had to trudge around Oslo with our heavy backpacks, but we made the most of the day and did some shopping and joined in on more Olympic watching. Eventually we had to make it to the bus station to catch our 2 hour ride back to the airport, but I was quite sad to Oslo. I never thought it would have as great of an impact on me as it did. Although we did not know what to see or what there was to do and only went for a 10 euro round trip, we had a great time and made loads of memories. My favorite part of Oslo? As I mentioned before, the kind-hearted people who were not actually Vikings and could not speak English as I had pictured, but rather welcoming and extremely helpful.

One day, I'll be back Oslo..

Rockstars and the Third Darkest Place in Ireland

As I sit here in my room in Maynooth, I just cannot believe what a little over a week I have had since I last wrote. Everyday over here constantly has something new to offer and I am trying to absorb everything that is thrown my way. When I last posted, I had arrived back from a trip to Belfast..

The next day being a Thursday, I went to my usual lectures then I went to dinner at my relative’s home. I was picked up by my cousin Luke who I have gotten to know and he drove me south of Dublin to his cousin’s home Phyllis and her husband Liam’s home. There I was met with warm welcomes from Phyllis, Liam, May-Luke’s sister, and three of her grandchildren. I enjoyed some traditional Irish fare and got to know more relatives and looked at pictures from a family reunion, where I looked about three, with Phyllis and Liam’s daughter Leigh. We also watched a video about a mock wedding, which was made for purchase so the proceeds could go towards cancer. It was great a time and interesting to see even more relatives in the video who live on the West Coast in Co. Mayo. Luke then drove me home and I was able to quickly run and meet up with some friends at the Roost.



Friday then came and could not wait for it to come. Luke’s son Des had graciously been able to get three tickets to the Meteor Ireland Music Awards so I invited my two friends Kellie and Bridget to go. We made our way there on the train and when we arrived at the venue, we stood in line waiting with other fans for a half-hour. Eventually we were let in and everyone ran to get a spot as close to the stage as they could. We were about 7-8 rows back and had a great view of the performance stage. On the other side of the floor was the stage where the awards were given out and there were sets of seats on either side where the nominees and other fans sat. It was an amazing time as we heard various bands such as Florence + the Machine, Paolo Nutini, Temper Trap, Bell X1, The Coronas, Westlife, etc. Colin Farrell was also there to present an award, along with my personal favorite Adam Clayton from U2!! My friends and I had such a great time and were so grateful for the amazing opportunity. However, to avoid the rush out of there, we left a few minutes early and made our way back so we could get some sleep before our trip the next day.






On Saturday morning, we had a trip with Saint Mary’s to Cahir Castle, the Rock of Cashel, and the Dunmore Caves. We had an early start at 8:30 and were taken about 2.5 hours to Cahir where we spent a short time at Cahir Castle, which was fairly interesting and used greatly as a defensive castle. We then went and had some lunch, which are generally great and my favorite part of the SMC trips. We then loaded back on the buses and headed to the Rock of Cashel. Perched upon a hill, the ancient cathedral is magnificent. Once, the best choir of eight men resided there and the position was highly distinguished. The Cathedral is not completely in ruins and still has much of its structure left making it one of my favorites spots to see along our tours so far. Apparently up on the hill of the Rock of Cashel, looking out over the fields, Johnny Cash was inspired to write “40 Shades of Green”. Again, everyone hopped on the buses and we were off to our last stop of Dunmore Caves. Although I loved the Rock of Cashel, the Dunmore Caves were probably my favorite part of the trip. When I was told we were going to a cave, I was expecting a small hole in the ground with maybe a few stairs to descend down into it, but boy was I wrong. The caves had been used by earlier people, to defend themselves against the Vikings. Although the caves would have been interesting to live in, they did not serve the purpose of the people and eventually thousands were killed by the Vikings. There were about 700 steps, which took you down into the caves. They were absolutely incredible to walk around in. There were different passages and chambers which all had served different purposes. At one point, we had climbed up and around in the caves that we were back near the surface and also saw a rock and mineral formation which if you really squinted looked like the Irish Tri-Color flag at the bottom, a hand in the middle clutching a Guinness above—at least, that’s what the Irish like to think. Then our tour guide turned off all of the lights in the cave and we were able to experience what he said was the third darkest place in Ireland….I personally did not know that people went throughout the country looking for the darkest places, but interesting nonetheless. Thoroughly exhausted from a long day, we headed back to Maynooth and I just watched a movie with a friend to finish the day.









I had a relaxing Sunday to follow simply going to church, trying a new café in town (while also trying the horrid black pudding), laundry, and packing for my adventure to Oslo, Norway!

The Belle of Belfast City

If I knew what sort of day this Ash Wednesday would turn out to be..I don't know how I would have prepared.

After finally digesting all of the pancakes I consumed from Pancake Tuesday, I woke up early this morning to make my way to south campus for my theology lecture at 9. From there my friends and I raced to the local church to attend mass, which had I known was also the school mass, I would have chosen a different time. No matter, I crammed in the back of the church with the rest of the patrons as it was beyond standing room only. There really wasn't room to stand, but more like be squashed by those around you. Eventually I made my way through the chaos and disorderly function of lines to receive my ashes. Then on the way back to my apartment from mass, I was met by a friend who asked if I wanted to go to Belfast for free to see the Maynooth gaelic football team play. Are you joking?! I was dying to go to Belfast and it being free, there was no way to say no. My Lenten promise was to do all I could to enhance my time here and certainly such an event would kick Lent off with a rousing start. So with the bus leaving within 10 minutes, my other friend Audrey and I raced to our apartments to get food and whatever else we needed and then ran back down. We boarded the bus soon after and were off to..another country.



Since I began studying up on Northern Ireland, I have always been fascinated with all that has occurred there and have wanted to see Belfast and Derry firsthand. The most interesting thing I found while taking this adventure was how the idea of anti-Britain had surged with my generation in Ireland. As we took a stop just over the border, all of the Irish were making comments of how you knew you were in the North and on British soil because they kept their cities so dirty and unattractive. I must agree because of what I saw of Belfast and another small city, Newry, they were not the most attractive places compared to Dublin or even Maynooth. They were also appalled when we were driving through Belfast that someone had hung a Union Jack outside their window. It was interesting to see that even though they had not lived during the significant years of the Troubles, the feelings were still fresh and greatly alive. From the little I saw of Belfast, the Troubles seemed to have left great imprints as there was a large sign on top of building which read, "Free Sean Kelly Now" who had been involved with the IRA. I hope to go back to Belfast and see even more of what remains..



However, I was not there to learn about Irish history, I was there to see a proper Gaelic Football match. Not really knowing what to expect, all 14 supporters who came on the journey got off the bus at the University of Ulster and went to the pitch were a surprising number of people were watching the match. Gaelic Football seems to be a combination of all sports..a bit of soccer, football, basketball, and rubgy all in one. One can dribble the ball down the field but you have to kick it up to yourself every few steps and then to score there is a field goal like structure which if you kick or throw the ball through, you get one point. However, beneath the field goal is also a soccer goal with a goalie and if the ball goes is scored in there, it is worth three points. Without a scoreboard, it was difficult to know where NUIM was winning or not, but eventually with a few minutes left we figured out that we were ahead and NUIM ended up winning the game! They had not been predicted to win by anyone in the country, but I guess a little American luck was all they needed. Apparently they were playing in a tournament and were in the quarterfinals so now they move on to the semifinals. It ended up being a lot of fun and was great to root on a team again, I think I might like watching Gaelic Football better than, Notre Dame Football..



After the game, all 14 of us loaded onto the bus and since everyone else on the bus knew someone on the team and there were so few of us, we were invited to have dinner with the team. So unsure of exactly where we were going, our "legend" bus driver, DJ on the side, Nole, sped through Belfast trying to follow the team's bus. Eventually we found where they had gone and there was a pub they had rented out for the team and was ready for us with soup and a nice filling meal. It was great to get a free meal and to meet some new people from the bus and the team. We then headed back to Maynooth and I was ready for a nap, when I woke up a giant sing-a-long session had broken out among the Irish of traditional songs, mainly that were about supporting the Irish army against the British, as well as others, and then they moved on to Disney classics and current popular songs. Then our bus driver blared the radio..I am pretty sure I lost my hearing after this trip with Nole, but it was great craic as we had a great dance party. If one could bottle the euphoria I felt, it would be the cure-all of the world. I cannot imagine leaving anytime soon.




It was a great day and one I will certainly not forget for years to come.

the one country that might have my name on a keychain...doesn't.

Here I am in my third week and already I feel at home here. Despite the roundabout, slow pace way that the Irish do things, I am starting to get used to their system. As of Sunday, I have officially been in Europe for a month and for me that is unfathomable. I cannot believe that already, so much time has passed. From now on, I am also determined not to let another day pass where I don't learn or discover something new. The past few weeks have been filled with getting adjusted and running from place to place to get things set up and filled out, but now I feel like things are settled and I am ready to simply be. Be Irish that is.

Last week I officially finished my visa process and am now able to stay until June. Probably being the biggest task I had here to finish, it was not as awful as everyone made it out to be. With various forms and necessities in hand, I went to the Garda (Police) station with my friend Audrey and after being met by a smug man, he directed to us a line of people. Nearly a half-hour later, I was pulled into the immigration room where I handed over all of my various documents and had my fingerprints taken...which was probably the most interesting part. Then after a little difficulty with the credit card and a call to the NUIM International Office, the coordinator came down to pay the fee for which my card would not come through to do. I again realized that great amount of hospitality they have in Ireland and was grateful for this woman coming to pay for my visa fee, although I did pay her back. Now I have a plastic card with my picture which ensures I can stay for through June and can now leave the country to travel. The visa being the highlight and relief of my week, not much else happened as I just tried to tie loose strings and set up my Irish bank account.




This past weekend, however, was the first SMC trip. Leaving at 9 am, two buses made their way to Newgrange. Newgrange is this what they call "passage burial tomb," they are not quite sure what it was exactly used for...either a tomb or a house of worship of some sort. It is actually older than the pyramids so that was something that was incredibly interesting. We were able to go in small groups into the actual tomb which had an extremely passage leading into the center. Although nothing spectacular in the middle, the ceiling with the vaulted stones was amazing and the famous 3 knot symbol was on one of the walls. From Newgrange, we went to lunch just in the local town and it was certainly a nice treat. Not being an expert chef, my meals are nothing extraordinary and usually consist of lunch meat and the toppings for a sandwich, but not at this meal. I was able to enjoy some roast beef, cabbage, more vegetables, and potatoes, desert, and tea. It was wonderful and left me incredibly full, but satisfied. Then we went to an abbey in ruins..it was beautiful nonetheless and provided for several pictures in archways and what not. We then ventured to a nearby cemetery to see a high cross and from there went to the Hill of Tara. The Hill of Tara is basically several mounds and ditches built long ago, although I am not quite sure for what purpose. There is one mound with a long, tall stone on which one has to literally jump and pull themselves onto and when the sit on it, if it roars, they are apparently the King of Ireland. Unfortunately with my long coat and purse hindering my jump, I did not pull myself to a sitting position on the stone...more of a koala hold around the stone as I slid down. Thus, I have not proven OR disproven that I may be the King/Queen of Ireland. From there, we made our way back to Maynooth where I collapsed in exhaustion and sickness from being in the cold all day.





The last two days have mainly been spent catching up with American tv and movies since I haven't been feeling well. But today is what Ireland calls Pancake Tuesday, American's Fat Tuesday, so I have plans to eat pancakes for both lunch and dinner and I am not too upset about since I miss pancakes back home a lot. This week I am going to attempt to do my laundry and hopefully get everything for my Irish bank account...it all should be interesting.

Happy Pancake Tuesday!

Dear Time, Please slow down!

So I realize I have about a week and half to catch you up on..and it's quite the task I must admit. I won't take you through all the details, but certainly the highlights.

Lectures began last Monday and when I first walked into my first class, I had to step back a moment and say Wow. At Saint Mary's, I am used to being in a room with usually about 20 or so other girls with the professor knowing our names by the end of the week. Here, I walked into a huge lecture hall with hundreds of other students, even some who looked about sixty--the "mature" students. It was completely different, but also it will be a nice break from the magnifying glass that can be held over you at Saint Mary's. Luckily, I made it through that first class of Irish Studies and then was able to make it to my second which is held on the gorgeous South Campus in this room where everyone sits on long benches and write on long desks. It is just like being in an old film. This class, which may be one of my favorites--Ireland since the 1800s, is about the history of Ireland to the present and goes through everything that fascinates me such as the Troubles and the Easter Rising so I'm fair excited for that class to progress. I also experienced the nightlife in Maynooth by going to the free night at this place called Mantra, it was fun and I ended up meeting up with my flatmates!



The next day I started sociology class which I can tell I might not end up liking, but I will have to give it time. We also have a class on Tuesdays for SMC with our program director over here so that's a good time to catch up with all of the girls. Then I watched Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives even though they are a bit behind the States. On Wednesday I was finally able to register for classes and be an actual student at NUIM. I received my student ID where I look one of the Boondock Saints, it's lovely. I also began my Victorian English class and my Theology class, both of which are held on the South Campus. Victorian English seems as though it's going to be awful, but Theology is all about the Just War Theory and reminds me a lot of the Peace Studies class I took at Notre Dame, so I'm pretty excited for that lecture.

On Thursday I had my Theology and Victorian lectures again...class times are not set up here like they are back home. For one class it meets Wednesday at9 and then Thursday at noon and then sometimes the same class might in one place on Tuesday, but the other day it will meet across campus. Needless to say it doesn't exactly make sense, but it is simply another way to do things and so far it has worked out for me. I also experienced the infamous Thursday night at the Roost, which was fairly exciting. Once Friday came, I was extremely exhausted from trying to get things done and figure everything out--after times had been confused for my Irish studies lecture, we were let out early and my friend Jackie and I headed in to Dublin for the night. We did some shopping on Grafton Street and my friend Niamh, who had stayed with my family this past summer, were able to meet up. She was able to show Jackie and I her favorite shops and then we headed towards Temple Bar and had a nice dinner, catching up. We then walked around the Temple Bar area and down O'Connell St. After leaving Niamh, Jackie and I went to the train station to catch our train back to Maynooth and with only a few minutes to catch it, we sprinted back to the platform and barely made our train. Once we got back, we were tired and had an early day so we went to bed.



The next morning four of my friends and I headed to Bray for the day. Bray is a beautiful seaside town just south of Dublin in northern Co. Wicklow. We had some lunch in the town and then headed out to the beach. When we first left Maynooth it was a gray and cold day and I was nervous about being cold and miserable along the coast, but as soon as we left lunch the day had turned around. I walked out into the street and the sun was glaring in my eyes. As annoying as it was, it was beautiful. The fact that Ireland does have the four seasons in one day can be annoying, but it generally turns out to be a wonderful ideal which constantly surprises me. As soon as we reached the beach and started running to the water's edge, for some reason I was overcome with emotion and tearing up. Dear Lord! I thought, I am insane and a sap. But genuinely, I am constantly caught in moments where I forget and then remember that I am in Ireland. I just so happened to be caught up in one of those moments as I looked to my left and saw a gigantic hill full of lush green pastures and to my left an old Irish couple walking along. So once I got over my outrageous moment, we walked along for awhile and came upon a group of rocks which we climbed and began to have our very own America's Next Top Model photoshoot. After spending nearly an hour on the rocks, we decided we wanted to try and climb the top of the hill which had a large cross at the top. Well...after about 45 minutes of walking along cliffs..we realized we weren't going up at all and we were on the wrong path to go to the top. The path was completely muddy and along the way we reached a giant area of mud that was nearly impossible to cross. So Jackie and I were debating as how to cross the mud when a man and his son came up behind us. Hopping on his father's back, the son was carried across the mud. The man then promptly turned around and asked the two of us if we wanted him to also give us a ride across. When in Ireland. The man turned around and I jumped onto his back. Making it safely across the way, I quickly became aware that this was one of those great moments of Irish hospitality and I didn't hate it. After only wandering a few more feet, I realized the time and had to literally run part of the way back so I could make a train back to Dublin and then to Maynooth for dinner with my relatives. Turning back on the path, I dived back through the mud and then across the town of Bray to the train station and climbing on a train, which I hoped would stop at my stop and not be an express. Luckily for me, I did make my stop in Dublin and was able to catch a train to Maynooth. Unfortunately, I was also joined by thousands of rugby fans who were let out of the Ireland/Italy match of the 6 Nations at Croke Park just as I was making my way back, which also so happens to be right by the train line. Thankfully being the stop before, I was able to get a seat.








As soon as I made it back to my apartment, I was picked up by one of my relatives Luke, who took me straight down the road from NUIM to Kilcock where his son Kevin lives. There I had another wonderful dinner with Luke, his 3 sons, their wives, and children. It was great to play with their kids and to have a homecooked meal. I thoroughly enjoyed another night with them and after loads of food, wine, and fun, it turned out to be midnight and after a long day, I was ready for bed. The next day I slept in and was able to get things sorted and cleaned around my room. I later went to mass at the local church and then had dinner with my friend Kellie which was enjoyable to spend some time with her and then we planned a trip to Oslo, Norway which we are taking in less than two weeks and I am greatly excited since it was originally only 10 euro roundtrip until handling fess came into place...

But that was the end of last week...

Taking the McGee name back to its rightful owner...

Finally after a wonderful, but exhausting stint around Europe, we made it back to Ireland. The three of us were glad to be back and to get settled into life here. We made it back on a Tuesday, but the rest of the SMC girls also coming for the second semester weren’t arriving until the next morning so we had time to recooperate. Reassuring our families that we had made it back alive and picking up “messages” from the “shop”, we had a fairly lazy day waiting in great anticipation for everyone else to arrive so we weren’t so lonely.

The next day held the three of us in great excitement as we staked out in Bridget’s kitchen waiting for the bus full of SMC girls to pull up and finally bring some more excitement to the ghost town campus. As soon as the bus arrived we ran to greet everyone and once everyone had moved in and somewhat unpacked, all the girls went to a lunch provided for by SMC at a restaurant in Maynooth that was shut down for us. It was unbelievable how good it felt to finally have a real meal. Stuffed on garlic bread, chicken, and desert, I was excited to hang out with all the girls, but jetlag hindered my excitement as everyone passed out and went to bed. So Audrey, Bridget, and I spent another night hanging out together, nothing we hadn’t become accustomed to over the last two weeks.





The next morning brought about the beginning of orientation and a great amount of boredom. We were given our e-mails and ID numbers to access the internet and were given a great amount of information about registration. After securing the signatures of different department heads, I had had just about enough of orientation. Later that day, some of the SMC girls decided to have a pasta dinner so nine of us headed to our friend Kelly’s flat for a night of good company and food. It was nice to finally have everyone there and to all be in Ireland after talking about it for so long! Completely exhausted from the day, we headed to bed before another day of orientation.





At orientation on Friday, we were given a tour of the campus. Our tour guides had spent their fair share of time at NUIM, making the quote “never leave college” count. Maybe better comedians than students, they took us around the North campus first where they pointed out all of the seventies style modular buildings that all seem to look just about the same, making it hard to distinguish where exactly you need to go. Then we took the footbridge over to the South campus, which may be one of the most beautiful campuses on earth. I know Notre Dame is beautiful and has a lot of charm, but trust me when I say that in a beauty contest, NUIM would win. Sharing space with St. Patrick’s College, the South campus is where I have my Theology, history, and one of my English classes. South is where the library is and just beyond there is an incredible church, which is only used for mass seven times a year and is full of grandeur. The ceiling hold paintings of all the Irish saints…maybe St. Keelin is up there!...and the walls are lined with crests of various parishes in Ireland. Everything was immaculate, outside behind the church is a garden with a pond that was constructed in honor of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Ireland and it is made to resemble the Garden of Eden. Through the hallways of the building connected to the Church are several portraits of past bishops, which make up large frames hung at an angle on the walls. Then we were taken to the staff cafeteria, which inspired the Great Hall in Harry Potter. I really felt like I was going to school at Hogwarts as I passed through the building. As we exited the main doors of the building we wound up in a large square, which was bordered on the other side by another building where my two of my classes are held. The building is covered in ivy, Georgian architecture, and an indescribable seafoam-esque blue/green roof. Apparently Maynooth was used for exterior shots of a film based at Trinity College in Dublin, but the director found Maynooth to be prettier. Legend has it that if you walk down the center of the square staring at the clock on the building ahead, you will fail your exams—our tour guides were able to prove the legend true. The buildings are all made of stone and have massive amounts of charm even put against a dull gray sky. After our tour, we learned of the Sports and Societies that were offered and highly interested in the Surf Club and no experience required, I’m hoping to break out in the surf world. Tired from the events of the day, I went back to my flat and napped a bit before the party the International Society was throwing that night at the local favorite pub, the Roost. However, after arriving late and missing the free food, the International party was not as exciting as I had previously anticipated.






Saturday morning brought great excitement for me because a group of girls and I were headed to Dublin for the day. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to explore Ireland and to see Dublin. I was greatly excited for the trip and could not wait to arrive. We took the train from Maynooth to Connolly Station in Dublin, which takes 40 minutes and were ready to hit the town. We started by wandering across the Liffey and finding ourselves to Trinity College. I really did not know how to prepare myself for taking in all of these sites that I had dreamed of seeing for so long. Trinity was beautiful and full of architecture. It was so strange to think that people actually went to school here, I thought it was more of a museum than a higher institution of learning. However, seeing groups of college students walking around as if things were normal was an indication that it was in fact not a museum. We walked around the grounds for a bit and came across a rugby pitch where an intimidating team stood standing. Another American studying at Maynooth who joined us for the day, Johnny, walked right up to the guys and asked if a few of us could have our picture with them. Needless to say I certainly wanted in, so feeling a bit like I was in Invictus, I got my picture with this rugby team from Belfast who were taking on Trinity and even learned how to pass the ball. Then we were without a map, but came across Grafton Street. Grafton is chalk-full of shops and is a pedestrian-only street so it’s nice not to constantly move out of the way for cars. There were several musicians lining the street along with artists and human statues. I was hoping to see Glen Hansard in a corner singing just like Once, but sadly he was not there. At the other end of Grafton St., is St. Stephen’s Green, which is a beautiful park with a large pond area and large lawns, comparable to New York’s Central Park. From St. Stephen’s Green we tried to find Dublin Castle, but somehow got lost and came to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Although the overpriced charge stopped us from going in, the building from the outside was enough to take in. Along the way to trying to find the Castle again, we saw Christchurch just down the street. Once we were completely lost and starving from walking all day, we found a pub where we could get good food and for some a pint. The Pale allowed us some time to realize that we were in fact in Ireland and that it was not a joke. I am still constantly overcome with moments when I forget that I am here. When Galway Girl and a song from Waking Ned Devine came on, it all hit me and I was swept away in emotion as I looked around and finally realized that this was it. I am finally on the adventure I had been waiting for forever to come, but still cannot grasp that it is real. Once the Guinness was gone and the stew consumed, we made our way back to Maynooth so that we could make it for mass. Mass was held at the local church, St. Mary’s, right across from campus which is a traditional Irish church built of stone. My favorite part of the half-hour mass was watching the young Irish boys and how they were scolded and guided by their mothers throughout the mass. It was quite interesting to see how important faith is for the Irish and how much it is apart of their lives. After mass, I came back and made some dinner and then tried to catch up with the world back home. Then I went to my friend’s flat to watch Boondock Saints with her and my two other friends. Completely exhausted and ready to pass out, I headed to bed after a wonderful day.







Sundays in Maynooth are fairly uneventful. The Irish students all go home for the weekends, so they are not around and being a small town, Maynooth does not have a great amount of activities to offer. Thus, I spent most of my day cleaning, running to the shop for some “messages” (errands), and then getting ready for dinner with the relatives. Meeting my fourth or fifth cousin, Des, outside the Roost, I felt like I had known him for years although I may have only met him once when I was quite young. He and his father, Luke, live quite close to me with only a short drive down the highway to their town of Lucan. For the evening I went to dinner at Des’ house where I met his wife, Anna and then his brother Kevin, Kevin’s wife Erin, and their three daughters. They were the most welcoming people I have ever met, I instantly felt apart of their home and close family. We had a great dinner and as I learned about their lives in Ireland, they also learned about the huge Grant family they had back in Chicago. It was a great exchange of bringing back memories and learning more about each other. We even managed to skype with my grandparents and a few aunts, uncles, and cousins back in Chicago. It was a great time and their hospitality astounded me as I was continuously reminded that I was not in a stranger’s home. After I was dropped of by Kevin and his wife, who live just 5 minutes from my door to theirs, I was grateful for the evening and the people who literally surround me on both sides in Maynooth. Their advice and offer to even bail me out of the Garda station if I found myself in any trouble has certainly been appreciated.

However, the next day I started lectures…

Dear Florence, Give Back My Heart...

So the next morning we made our way to Termini Station in Rome and mastered the ticket booths to get our tickets to Florence. I think I was most excited to go to Florence because it was the one city on our European tour that I had not visited before. Before we knew it, the train was leaving the station and was gliding through some of the most beautiful landscape in the world. We were deep within the Tuscan countryside..and let me tell you it sure beats driving home to Peoria through the Illinois countryside. The views were magnificent, they were everything I had wanted to see after watching Under the Tuscan Sun--completely breathtaking. I was actually quite annoyed with all of the Italians on the train who were just going about their lives as if they were not rolling through what looked like a painting. Is it possible to become immune to such beauty? Well that's an argument for another day..



When we made it to Florence, I could already to tell this city was going to be something special. The traffic was not as frustrating as Rome and the people seemed friendlier and less bothered by the Americans, particularly me, hogging the sidewalk with huge traveling backpacks. After navigating the streets of Firenze, we made after a bit of a detour to our hostel, Leonardo House. Here we dropped our bags off and got ready to go back out into Florence to see what all the hype was about. It was a beautiful day and we even figured it was warm enough to leave our heavy coats at the hostel and to just go out in sweaters..we would later reap the consequences. Turning right out of the hostel door and literally a two minute walk, we were at the Duomo. It was BEAUTIFUL. I fell in love right then and there with Florence. We never actually went into the church due to being cheap, but it was enough to take in from the outside. The one thing I was amazed at was the amount of American college students there, it was incredible..I felt like the had infiltrated the city or something.



From the Duomo we started just wandering down side streets and ended up finding the Palazzo Vecchio and seeing the copy of the David. It was great to see people gathered in the palazzo going about their daily lives in such a beautiful city. We then walked past the Uffizi Gallery and wound up by the river. SPECTACULAR. I cannot even get over the beauty of Florence and how jealous I am of all that live there. We wandered to the Ponte Vecchio, which is a bridge full of jewelery shops. In the middle of the bridge there is a statue that is surrounded by a small wrought iron fence and where several couples go to "lock their love" as there are hundreds of locks with two names all over the fence. I am not quite sure how such a tradition began, but all I can think is..lucky sorts. From the Ponte Vecchio, we explored the other side of the bridge and found Palazzo Pitti which is a large plaza which is also on a slant and where we decided to eat our dinner which probably totaled four euro and came from a small market across the street. Our orphan status was fairly set in stone at this point..and without coats, our dinner quickly grew unpleasant. So hurriedly, we made our way back to the hostel. However, we did not know what we were going to get into when we arrived back...





I must say that for my following story I was never actually in any grave danger, just fear but am completely fine.
So when we arrived back at our hostel we were a little wary. It was tucked away in this alley which seemed fine enough, but then there were two huge doors to get into the area where our room was, which was by itself and another room, sharing a bathroom. Our room also had a strong lingering scent, dim, and quite cold. After taking a nap and attempting to get warm, the three of us were awakened by loud male voices of probably Eastern European descent right outside our door. We were quite frightened and after watching Taken a few too many times, we may have been too cautious. After coming up with scenarios and thinking of how we could move the armoir that was significantly larger than the door and the three of us combined, we decided it was best to leave the dear Leonardo House and find new residence. After convincing an extremely frustrated Leonardo, himself a bit of a sketchy fellow, that we had an emergency and needed to return to Rome, he reimbursed one of night's stays. Thankfully enough we were also able to get in touch with America and my mom was able to book a hotel for us which was immensely appreciated. After finding our way to the hotel, even the streets, we felt so much safer. The orphans certainly got an upgrade when we saw the room we had waiting for us! That night, thinking we had had enough excitement for the day, we stayed in and watched a few hours of CNN, the only English channel.

The next morning, we were thrilled to have a free breakfast and we were excited to see the rest of Florence. Florence is famous for its leather market, so it was imperative that we find the world famous market. Within five minutes of walking into the market, we met a lovely man named Igor. Little did we know who Igor would lead us to... Apparently the leather that the vendors put out in their little huts is not their finest and is generally fake and of poor quality so we were taken down a side street to a small shop owned by the one and only, Massimo. Within a minute I knew this man was going to be one of the best salesman I would ever meet. A few minutes later, I was wearing a jacket he told was a pattern made for Gucci or Prada and since it was the winter and I was a student, he was willing to drop the price by 300 euro! WOW. how do you say no? Well..I didn't. After a few leather tests to make sure it was genuine and made in Italy, not a sweatshop in Indonesia, the three of us were outfitted by the man who also sold leather jackets to Lil' John. Orphans no longer, we hit Florence in style. We made our way to one of the most gorgeous spots in Florence, Piazzale Michelangelo. INCREDIBLE. It was essentially a plaza that looked out over the whole city of Florence...there were no words for how beautiful it was, my love for that city was sealed as soon as I turned around after the last step of the climb. Audrey, Bridget, and I sat on these steps for a bit just looking out over the city and thinking of how truly blessed we were. I would not take my time back there for anything. On the way back to the city center, we decided we would splurge on a real meal since we were all starving. I engulfed a whole pizza to myself and tiramisu for desert, we were also entertained by our waiter Matteo as we had the place to ourselves. We then wandered around Florence and I could not help but love everything about it, there was something that I wanted to get to know better about that place and still do. It was in Florence where my great interest in learning photography reemerged and I was greatly tempted to stay for awhile and enroll somewhere..anywhere to study photography. But we later ending up getting dinner and walking the city at night. Unlike Paris and Rome, we felt safe walking around Florence and did not feel as though we were going to be hasseled or mugged, it was a great feeling. We were all greatly reluctant to leave Florence, but the next morning came too soon..





We made our way back to Rome and by the time we made it back midday, we were all exhausted. We felt like we had been put through the ringer and all started to get sore throats and a large amount of congestion. Traveling had taken its toll. However, we still had a few days in Rome before we would go back to Ireland. We stopped back at the hostel where we had stayed before, the Beehive. Then we started to explore the city a little on our own, going to Piazza Navona and walking down various streets. Overtaken by exhaustion and illness, we headed back to the hostel and took naps as we rested for the night. Meeting up with SMC friends we walked to Campo di Fiori and simply watched the young Italians as they flooded the square and mingled. That in itself could have entertained me for hours..it was so fascinating to watch hundreds of them..I could not even imagine growing up and meeting in Campo for a night out, it certainly beats seeing a movie at Willow Knolls. A nutella crepe finished the night and we made it back to the Beehive for a much needed nights sleep.

The next day was certainly memorable. We woke up early and made our way to the Vatican for mass. We arrived early and were able to get good seats, it is absolutely incredible inside and the grandeur of the place is absolutely magnificent. As eight of us sat there in silence beforehand waiting for mass to start, a man with a Vatican badge approached my friend Lori and I, unsure of what exactly he was asking, we finally figured out that he wanted the two of us to take up the gifts. WHAT?! This man must have been insane..why did he want me to do this when I hadn't even showered that day, they really should warn you somehow. But in any event, the two of us were taken to the front row and given seats only after we practiced with Vatican officials on the proper way to bring up the gifts. Intimidation was an understatement. We had a man who guided us up there and we had to walk at his pace and had to learn the Italian for bow, so whenever he said that, we were to do it and to do it well--we were at the Vaticano after all. So once our practice was finished, we were escorted to the front row where we sat through the mass anxiously anticipating our worldwide giftbearing debut in the VATICAN. When the time came, the place started spinning and with all of the mosaics and marble, it was certainly hard to focus on what was going on. But Lori, an Italian couple, and I made it smoothly to the altar and were able to hand off the gifts without dropping them and without tripping. AMEN. I will certainly never forget such an experience and could only have been topped if the Pope himself had been the celebrant. Once I began to feel my legs again and was seeing straight, the group made our way outside and were blessed by the Pope as he came out his bedroom window. Once again, I was being swept off my feet by all that was happening to me! Looking back, it all seems like a dream! I felt as though I had already had a full day, but it was only a little before one. After getting some lunch we went back to the hostel to again get some sleep and try to recooperate. We also learned that in Italy one must weigh their own apples and print out a sticker to put on the bag, after each of us went through the line and were cursed at by a bitter Italian woman who was not sympathetic to our cultural differences, we learned our lesson.






The next day was our final day and we battled through our congestion and coughs to see the Colloseum and Roman Forum. They were both magnificent to see and to think at how old they were was endlessly fascinating. Despite a rainy day, we enjoyed ourselves and met up with a friend who took us to an unfrequented area by tourists, Trestevere where we visited one of the most endearing churches I have ever seen. Lined in mosaics and the sounds of chants in the background, I was amazed at the work and beauty of the place. After a short visit there, we went to grab a cappuccino at a cafe where all of the SMC girls go and let me say, it was one of the most heavenly things I have ever tasted. Back at the hostel we had dinner in its cafe where three chefs work on different days and prepare dishes where you set the price for whatever you want to spend, it's all based on karma. Every meal we had there was delicious and greatly satisfying. Overcome with a desire to sleep and an early start, we thankfully spent our last night in a hostel for awhile.




The next morning we run to the Termini Station and were finally off to start our semester in IRELAND...