A day in the life.

It’s strange to me how quickly you pick up new patterns in life. After a month here on this beautiful green island things that once were astounding every time I saw them (like the ocean) are now simple everyday pleasures. I’m enjoying this slower pace much more than I expected too- not jumping from meeting to meeting, not dashing from job to job, charging into each deadline hoping I make it. Life is quite quiet here- in a very new and exciting way.

                A typical day consists of waking up around 8am, Marissa (a cottage mate of mine) and I are usually the first up; slowly by 9:30am though most of us are trickling out of our rooms rummaging for deodorant, makeup, coats, and breakfast. I grab my computer and a cup on my way out the door, because usually someone brings coffee, milk, and sugar to class. Classes aren’t necessarily hard here, I really enjoy them actually, but it has been three years since I had to stay seated and paying attention for more than 75 minutes; classes are around 4 hours and you get breaks but still it can be intense. After class most of us grab a blanket and a snack and find some room in front of the fire place for a nap. Sometimes we meander to Spiddal (about a 30 minute walk) - mostly for the queso at Thigh Giblin (which I absolutely recommend), or some a burger, fries, shake, and sprite at Supermacs (the Sprite is literally ALWAYS out of syrup fair warning). Sometimes though we call a taxi and head into Galway to roam around Shop Street (I suggest Taaffes, Kings Head, Quays, and Roughing Dubh- all good craic). Mostly though we nap.

                Weekends are built for travel though so take full advantage of your field trips and put some slight research into the towns/cities you’re going to so you have an idea on what to do with your days away from the group. Free weekends are good as well- on the Ryanair app for your phone you can put flying out of Shannon to Anywhere with a budget of 50 euro.

                The people though, that is what makes this simple little daily life so amazing. You sleep with them, you go out with them, you go to class with them, you travel with them, you share with them, you eat with them- literally you are with them all of the time, and that’s why they are such a principal aspect of daily life at the Park Lodge. You don’t expect it after all the Facebook stalking you do, and the somewhat awkward mandatory first meetings- but they do, they make this. Whether its homesickness and you need them to get you out of the cottage for some air and a look at the ocean, or midnight moon walks on rare cloudless nights, or surprise birthday parties, or just simply lounging around on the cottage floor in front of the fire place you grow with these people who you probably would have never met in your life had you not decided to take this leap. You find inside jokes, things you wish you never would have found out, things that absolutely annoy you, things they bring out in you that you never saw in yourself, you find this family with these people and it’s incredible. I wish I could find the words to describe the type of family you gain when you study abroad- truly this experience, my personal experience would have been completely different had it not been for them.