The Luck of the Irish…

I don’t know whether it is because we were traveling to the land of the lucky or because there is luck in our blood but it paid us a visit this weekend! When I decided to study in Italy this summer never in my wildest dreams did I think I would go to Dublin for the weekend. To visit the land where my father’s family is from, the land that I take such great pride in being from was an experience every step of the way.

Mason, Brian, Kelsey, and I woke up bright and early on Friday morning to start a journey that would hold a place in our hearts for the rest of our lives. The close calls started from the get go. When we arrived at the airport we walked straight up to the line and immediately got our passports checked. We continued onto what we thought was the next process, another check of our passports. The only problem: the line. This is what we had originally expected and we thought we got off Scott free. Our gate was about to close in 30 minutes and we still faced this long passport line and security. The line was moving at a pretty close rate but we only had 10 minutes to get to our gate so we had to pull the can we cut because our flight is about to leave line! I went first because I was going to probably take the longest at security due to my computer and layers of clothes. When I got up to the lady she said that we had already had our passports checked and we just needed to go to security, seriously! We ran through security pretty smoothly and then took off to our gate. With minutes to spare we arrived to a long line of people waiting for the shuttle to our flight. We did a ton of rushing to wait around for a half hour. Unfortunately once we got on the plane we were split up. Luckily, I got a window seat and sat next to an adorable couple that were in the middle of their 2 month long vacation of Europe.

When we reached Dublin there was a different presence in the air. People genuinely smiled at you and seemed to be in a great mood. The hostel that we stayed at provided a shuttle every two hours from the airport. When looking for the shuttle the description was a green Paddywagon and let me tell you there was no mistaking this shuttle. It was a large Kelly green shuttle bus with large letters saying PADDYWAGON. Doesn’t every tourist enjoy the feeling of looking like nothing but a tourist.

Once we hit the hostel there was no stopping us. For the next two and a half days we had places to see and people to meet. We arrived at our hostel no problem. We had to take the Paddywagon once again because our reservation were for an apartment that was separate from the hostel. We arrived and got to the floor except we had no idea which number it was so we were stuck trying every door with both keys. It was not nearly as bad as I made it sound. We looked around, dropped our bags, and we were off.

We had our map in hand and were off to the Guiness Brewery. It was a great walk with gorgeous scenery and plenty of photo stops. I have to say when walking up to the Guiness Brewery it felt a lot like walking up to the Anheiserdjfalkjfkadjkfaljfklaj Busch Brewery. It was a self guided tour that we were able to sample the beer and at the end was a spot where we were taught exactly the right procedure of pouring the beer. We all received certificates for perfect pint pourers. On the 7^th floor of the brewery there is a bar known as the Gravity Bar. The walls of this bar were made of glass so everywhere we looked it was Ireland. The sight was breathe taking.

The night just got better and better. Finding a place to eat became tricky because we wanted live music and the waits were pretty long. Plus we were all getting a tad bit cranky because none of us had much to eat at this point. We thankfully stumbled upon a restaurant called The Storehouse which felt like a place out of a movie. It was crowded and in the corner was a guitarist just jamming away. We hovered around a table until they left and collected chairs for all of us. It was tight but it was perfect. We sat there for a while and just took in every minute of the atmosphere. There were songs we knew and songs that were new but for us it didn’t matter.

After the Storehouse we took a stroll around the Temple Bar area to to cruise the area. We could not decide what to do until the same girl approached us several times and changed. I mean her offer was unresistable, free shots. We thought what could it hurt and this decision would impact our entire Ireland journey.

The club was called Madonna’s. It just happened to be located right under the incredible place where we had dinner. However, the difference in atmosphere was to the extreme. It was an 80′s disco club that reeked of mildew. We went to the bar to get our free shot and leave, but the story doesn’t stop there. You had to buy a drink to get the free shot. So we did. It was 10 euro for 2 drinks Kelsey and I went in together. Brian stepped up next to get a drink and it 10 euro for 1 drink. He decided to pass probably the best decision out of the group. So we felt for sure we were getting those free shots not. Mason, Kelsey and I stepped up to bat. We asked the bartender whose actions resembled Chris Farley. He spilled more alcohol and ice on the floor then we managed to put in a glass. When we asked about our shots we questioned us about if we really wanted them and of course we did since we were already here and bought are required drink. We were getting ready to pick our shot out when we stopped us and said one moment. He came out with this bottle of rum that looked like he dug up from times closer to the Braveheart era. The bartender looked at us and asked if we were sure we still wanted it. Kelsey put here lips to it and put it directly down and Mason and I closed our eyes and just swallowed. As soon as we were done with our drinks we left.

We got out of there as fast as we could. Outside there was a band that was playing and the local homeless were dancing right along providing the tourist with quiet the show. We stood and watched and a decent amount of time. One of the women knew what she was doing. It made me wonder how did this become her life. You could tell she had training at some point in her life. Once that party died down we made our last stop. We arrived at the famous Temple Bar. This bar was so crowded but the music was well worth it. Groups of all ages were dancing together. This made the perfect ending to a great day.

We walked back to our hostel and just soaked in everything that had happened in that single day. We knew that we only had a short period of time in Ireland and we were determined to make the best of it.

First night in the Big City

Well I made it!!!! I am currently in Rome. Wow it is crazy to think. Unfortunately, from my Hilton hotel room it really doesn’t look much like Rome, but my final destination was for sure ROME. My intention was to stay awake for as long as possible to prevent the whole time difference issues, but after an eight hour nap I totally failed.

I took some random not great pictures in my hotel room since it was like 2 am and I had a ton of energy, go figure. The night was not the smoothest. At about 3am  a man came knocking at my door and yelling in what I assume was Italian. I obviously ignored him and put a chair under my door just to be on the safe side.

Tomorrow morning is check-in. Wish me luck!

Trying new things…

About a month ago I went camping. Now I know some of you are thinking okay it’s just camping, but for me it was something new. I was determined to make it an exciting weekend. This weekend was going to be great for me. This weekend was going to change how the guy looks at me and have him realize that he wants to change his mind.

Camping for some people is a summer tradition. I think you can take it as far as saying it is an American tradition. Once the spring gets here campers start pulling out their equipment and making sure everything is up to par. Not for this girl! I don’t really think that living in the outdoors is anything comparable to a vacation. But that was all about to change during this camping extravaganza.

Again for you avid campers this was a beginners step into camping. We stayed in cabins that had electricity and running water, but before you start laughing please remember baby steps. So many new experiences happened over this short weekend and I would not change it for anything. Most importantly I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

The week prior to this trip was a little more stressful than I would have preferred it to be. A guy I was seeing had called things off a couple weeks previous, unfortunately I had already put in to get the time off for this particular weekend because we had planned on going camping with a group of his friends. Well I did not want to pick up shifts on a weekend I already had the time off for.

That is when my best friend stepped in. She did everything in her power to get the time off so that we could spend the weekend doing anything we could find. It was just a couple days before the weekend was going to be here and she was not getting the time off she wanted. The same day that my best friend said she didn’t think it was going to work out was the same day I received a text that I didn’t expect.

The boy had changed his mind. I could not believe the text I was reading that night. After careful consideration I decided that sure why shouldn’t I go camping with him? What was going to go wrong? We can go as friends. That famous friends after a relationship phase. I honestly didn’t know what to expect this weekend. But deep down I was convinced that this was the weekend to show him that we do belong together and we can make things work.

Friday morning, I crammed in a lunch with my brother and a quick stop at Wal-mart. Those two errands of course set me behind schedule, something usually does. So on my way to the boy’s house I called to let him know that I was running behind. When I arrived at his house he was waiting outside talking to his mom. Once we packed his car with my stuff we were quickly on our way. I was so nervous because this was the first time that I was meeting some of his friends and I didn’t want them waiting on me. On our way to pick up some last minute things is when he confessed that he told me to be there a half hour earlier than we had to be at his friends house. At this moment, I felt that things were going to be great this weekend and our relationship will change by the time we are on our way home.

The drive to the cabin was a lot of fun we talked, sang and just hung out like old times. When we arrived at the cabins we got a quick tour of his friends’ property where we had planned on spending all of Saturday shooting(which is crazy to me) and four-wheeling. We quickly got settled in. We first went fishing which is something that I am well adjusted to. I have been fishing with my family since I was a little girl.

Here was another sign that things were going to turn out just fine. This boy took care of me. He knew that this was my first camping trip and he packed for two. I was informed to bring plenty of layers because it was going to be cold, so that is exactly what I did. The boy had brought me my own set of hunting gear. I was warm, waterproof, and camo from my neck to my toes. Obviously, anyone that knew me would never in a million years had recognized me.

Friday night was your typical camping night from what I could tell. We hung out, grilled our dinner, and took a late night stroll on the four-wheelers. It was an incredible sight and something that was so refreshing to enjoy. When we got back from the drive the group played games and sat by the bonfire. I went off with some friends and we got something to eat at the other cabin. When we arrived it wasn’t the happiest welcome. The boy and I hit a bump in the road. We got into an argument because I went off. It took some time until we cooled down, and we carried on for the rest of the night.

Saturday morning the whole group had breakfast together and the majority of us went to the property to go shooting. This weekend I had my first and final meet with any guns. I shot a rifle and a handgun and both incidents were not the greatest, including coming within inches of shooting my own foot. We spent all day at the property shooting and riding the four-wheelers. Eventually people would leave and do their own thing.

Every now and again I would go off and take a walk. I mean this was the first time I got to really encounter mother nature in her natural habitat. When I would go off I wouldn’t make it far because a friend would come and pick me up and take me for a ride on the four-wheeler. It was his property that we were on and he was showing me the trails that him and his brother were working on. At some points I was scared for my live but I knew he won’t let anything happen to me. Since I had met him, in odd ways I felt comfortable with him.

Once again Saturday night we grilled out and played games. It got much rowdier on Saturday. The party got a little more intense and the boy and I saw less of each other that night.

Sunday morning we ate as a group again and people started leaving shortly after breakfast. At this point, the boy and I had taken steps further back. As we were packing/cleaning I felt helpless because I didn’t know where I could be of use.

The ride back wasn’t bad a lot more chill than the ride up because we were exhausted. Once we got back to his house was the first awkward feeling of the whole weekend. Leaving him. I knew that when I left things were not going to change. I knew the minute I was going to away was the last time I was going to see him. I was so confused we had such a great weekend together why couldn’t he see that was what our lives could be like? Why couldn’t he see what I saw? Why couldn’t he see the mistake he was making?

When he had called things off between us it was hard. It was hard because I knew what I was losing and I wasn’t prepared for that. Going on this long weekend with him made it harder not because I didn’t realize I going to miss him, of course I knew that and I was prepared that I was going to miss him more. What I wasn’t prepared for was missing the relationships that I had built with his friends. Not only the friends I made over this weekend, but the ones I knew during our relationship. His friends welcomed me into a world that was extremely different from my world for so many reasons. In many ways, the boy and I were opposite and his friends and I were different. Rarely, did I feel like I was the new girl to the group. I felt the girls treated me like one of their own and I was very grateful for that.

Yesterday, I left home for two months to study in Italy. Even though I miss the boy, I realize that I am thankfully that he made the decision he did. Yesterday was hard but having to say good-bye to him would have made it that much harder. I have no idea where this trip will take me or the doors that it will open up, but it is just another step on my path.

I think a lot about what it means to find yourself. I have spent many hours, days, and months trying to do just that, find myself. I felt like I have made a conscious effort to do my best on finding exactly who I am and what I am meant to do. But I think that through all my experiences those are what make me who I am. I am constantly changing and adapting to new decisions that I make everyday. I think people make a bigger deal about finding yourself than it really is, the more important thing is to be true to yourself. Make decisions that you are proud of. Have no regrets in your life because they will only hold you back. If you don’t like something you did realize it, don’t spend time focusing on it and learn from it. Dreaming is important but what is more important is working towards any dream…

THE BIG 25

On January 27 2011 I turned 25….  I had been dreading this day for a very very VERY long time. Everyone I knew always said that when you turn 21 everything goes downhill from there. I never believed it until I had my 22 birthday.  People would say that at least when you turn 25 your car insurance goes down, i don’t mind paying if I can keep my youth.

If you would have asked me 10 years ago, “Where do you see your self in 10 years?” Never would I have said still in school, just moved back in with my parents (temporary because I will be studying in Rome this summer) and still wondering what I am going to do when I graduate. When I entered school the first time, I  thought it would take me 4 maybe 5 years to complete my degree and I would graduate with my teaching degree.  I was planning on teaching somewhere close by because I would obviously start thinking about  planning a family.

But that is not my life, and I wouldn’t change it for the world even though some days I think I might.  25 is a big milestone and I think I am handling it just fine. It has totally had its ups and downs but any age does.  At the beginning of the year I told myself I was not going to be a Debbie Downer about turning 25 and it is working out perfectly.  I vowed that this summer was going to be the best summer of my life and it will be.  I have saved to take the summer off of work. While I am not working I plan on studying in Rome for 5 weeks and traveling through Europe on the weekends. When I get back home I plan on taking a road trip up the east coast.

25 you creeped up on me way too fast , but that doesn’t scare me.  I will handle you with grace. Bring it