Our rocky rockin' ferry ride. Cold and wet, but spent with the best of people.

The best investment of the trip so far: Stylin' waterproof tourist pants.

Looking down from the cliffs into the ocean, breathtaking.

Dublin and The Aran Islands

Well it’s been a busy week for me here. Headed out to the Aran Islands, which began quite miserably with a rough and busy ferry ride. Our hostel (much like everywhere else in Ireland) lacked warmth and it was rainy and cold. We walked out Dun Aonghasa though and never in my life have I felt so small. It was like standing on the edge of the world, you lay on your stomach and you scoot to the edge and feel the air and water splashing up from the waves of the ocean smashing against the cliffs. The locals as always are very kind and excited to share on the history of the island so be sure if your ever out there to ask around for it. Also waterproof pants is going to cost you around 10 euro but believe you me- it is going to be your greatest investment of your Ireland time.

We also spent some time in Dublin- that was an excellent little lesson in navigation for the group, which trust me is much harder than it looks. We went to Kilmainham Geol which was very sobering- learning and physically being at the place which sparked this uprising for an entire country. I learned about Constance Markievicz who is now my soul sister- if you have never heard of her I really recommend you look her up as soon as you can. She was basically a woman of great intellect that showed the boys how it was done and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. We also wandered around Christ Church which is where the show the Tudors was filmed partly, I of course didn’t learn of this till after so I will definitely be returning to nerd out more after the program is over.

If you are considering studying in Ireland...

If you’re thinking about studying in Ireland:

Understand that the drinking culture is really closely intertwined with their history. There’s really amazing historic pubs all across Ireland- You might even have a class in the Kingshead pub in Galway! (Rumored to be where the man who decapitated Charles I lived after Charles’s death.) In other words keep an open mind and live the history!

Your group will become very close very fast – Remember freshman year living in the dorms when even if you had absolutely nothing in common with the person across the hallway, you still walk to class together every single day. Yeah, it’s a lot like that. Together these are the people who are going to make this trip – you will be together for so many firsts and there will be plenty of sleepovers, snacking, and late night ocean walks shared.

Speaking of late night ocean walks – you live near the ocean, and it is so amazing.

If you want my advice do a family (cottage) dinner together every night and split the grocery bill. You’re going to save money, plus it’s a pretty cozy kitchen so there isn’t much cabinet space for everyone to buy a dozen eggs. PLUS: you get the added benefit of learning the basics of cooking from one another and get in some serious bonding time.

The walk to Spiddal is only as bad as you make it. I’m sure this isn’t the first blog post you’ve read that has mentioned it- get a group of friends, play music, talk, and huff it- really you’ll be fine.

Also for those of you who are considering this trip and are differently abled you might find it hard to book hostels, go into pubs, go down to the beach, etc. Ireland I have noticed is not very handicap accessible; but I never want to discourage anyone from this amazing trip though.

Last but not least – this isn’t easy (well for some it might be) you’re going to be homesick, you’re going to miss Qdoba queso and gyro’s and your typical coffee order at Barista’s – BUT it’s worth it, you find the good queso at Thi Giblin in Spiddal, really cute tea and sandwiches in Cork, and Kebab’s on Shop Street in Galway and best yet is that you’re enjoying it all from Ireland.

Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin (Home sweet home or more directly translated as there's no home like my home)

ALSO: Cool fact- in Irish (Gaelic) they don't have a word for owning anything- you can say something is with you but you cannot say you own anything.. #deep

The Locals

Spiddal has been described to me as mostly a summer location where people from the bustling cities in Ireland head down during June-August to enjoy a quiet warm seaside country escape. The locals however stick around the rain, wind, and flooding of the fall, winter, and spring months. Think of your typical rural Nebraska town then add some funny accents and better beer and you basically have Spiddal. The locals are best described and hardworking and quick witted. They’ll show you where the post office is but have a bit of a laugh at you for having to ask- so bring a thicker skin (both to fair the light hearted banter and cold Atlantic winds). They are especially interested in the ideas of branding, “ponies” (horses), and the amount of land/guns you own. Top asked questions of this trip so far:

1.       American?

2.       Where’s Nebraska?

3.       Are you voting for this Trump fellow?

Fair warning to those who are heading this direction soon, READ UP ON CURRENT EVENTS- I like to consider myself well read on politics and the happenings of the states, trust me Irish people know more and they will ask you about it and you will feel like an idiot not being able to hold your own in those conversations.

Overall I consider my interactions with a man named Shamus as the prime example of the locals: He was an older man who asked me the top three questions which got us talking. He asked about land and then about cattle, talked about how he was born in the same spot he watches TV at, he drinks 3 pints of Guinness every night “for good health”, loves his Irish soap operas, smokes like a chimmey, and before he left I bought him two fingers of Jamieson and he patted my head and offered to take me salmon fishing when the waters warm up. Like I said funny accents and better beer- but still with an aftertaste of Nebraska life.

My amazing roommates enjoying our first ever supper in Ireland- Squash Soup! So glad I got stuck with these amazing women!

Trash

I'm in tears walking through security at the Omaha airport after one long and heartbreaking goodbye and all of these TSA agents are looking at me with indifference and annoyance written all over there face, I get on the plane eventually make my way to Newark then finally to Shannon (Ireland), the entirety of my trip being in this surreal state, almost dreamlike; "Is this actually happening?" "No way is this happening." "Oh my god what am I doing???" etc. Finally we land, we shuffle onto a bus, and we drive an hour or so to get to our chilly little cottages that almost feel like home. Now, let me fast forward a bit- it's our first chance walking into Spiddal which according to Emily's fitbit is 1.9 miles away, on this "sidewalk" (footpath) we're walking along and suddenly I see trash on the side of the road. It's shiny, looks like the lid off of some tin can, it had been there awhile, there was some moss growing over it from the rain, the best way to describe it is literally just garbage. My group's ahead of me huffing it to town and I slow a bit and look at this piece of trash, and I realize I have no clue where this piece of trash is from. There's nothing in my own knowledge to compare it too, it's completely commonplace item. This piece of tin is so commonplace in fact that someone just threw it out the window, because there's probably thousands exactly like it- and here I am baffled by this piece of litter in the road. Then it hits me, almost all at once- This is the first time I'm seeing something/learning something new- not learning in a text book, life lesson sense- but learning as in an almost infantile sense of what something is (a cow goes moo, a stove is hot, etc). I'm in someplace completely new, totally different, and I don't know the half of it. I don't even understand what the hell this piece of litter is. I resign to move past it, keep up with the group and explore town. This small piece of trash though- it brought to the pit of my stomach this sense of undertaking (and trust me that makes about as much sense to me as it does you). Something is happening, I don't know what, but I'm sure I will find out in time.