So, Now What?

I know it's been a while since I wrote about all the religious stuff, let alone anything. 
But this post is not so much about religious experience as it is a realization for the 
"real world." 


I want to remind myself what I felt like 4 years ago in my 18-year old self, standing on a stage feeling the proudest I've ever felt, up until that point. Wearing the gown, suffering through a 3 hour ceremony with my 600 fellow graduates, I knew without any doubt that I was so ready for my life at Ithaca College. My "College Career" was about to begin. Scratch that, my "life" was about to begin. 


so where was I at 18?- leaving everything behind me- about to embark on something totally strange. I had to completely start over. New friends. Not coming home after school or work to be with my family. Managing a totally new routine. And above everything else, really discovering who I was, what I was made of and what the hell I was going to do with my future. 


The first word that comes to mind is CHALLENGE. I wanted it. I wanted to see where and who I was on the other side. I wanted to maintain the same relationships with my friends back home, and learn to trust the new friends I was making in a dorm. I wanted to stay in a relationship with someone who I had shared similar experiences with. I didn't want to lose my roots. 


Well what happened? Those roots? they forced me to grow up! Thank God. 


I realized the importance of separating myself from those who were holding me back, those whose ambitions were not on the same page as mine. Cutting ties, as they say. But not in a bad way-my friends were just people who made different choices about their futures at 18. And I learned to accept that that's okay. It's okay to have different ambitions because how boring would this planet be if we all made the same choices?


I made connections with people who made a new home for themselves in Ithaca, NY. People who left home so that they could grow up too even if it was difficult to leave. 


I have never felt more reassured in the relationships I've made here. I have gained greater understanding about the pain others sometimes feel about change and not wanting to be a part of the inevitable transitions life brings.


I have learned that I cannot EVER change people, I can only motivate myself to live to my fullest potential and to always be encouraging to anyone struggling in their life. 


Honesty. What else is there to say? Why be anything other than honest? Why hide how I really feel about someone or something? There is so much to gain from the truth.


I have opened myself up to lifestyles totally different from my own. I have forced myself to accept the differences in others and learned to appreciate talents different than mine.


I have realized the importance of an individual. Humans share so much in life, but each person has their own interpretation of an experience and how they learn or adapt to a situation. 


I have gained patience-well it's better than before. I may not be described as a "patient person" per se, but I am learning to calmly approach a conflict or, a stupid person. Just take deep breaths.


Work. I have really forced myself to work. Work at my grades, to just finish that last paragraph 20 minutes before the 30 page research paper is due. Work to earn my own money so I could be independent and in charge of my social life and learn how to budget. Work at relationships. Work so others had confidence in my abilities to do each task well. Work, so at the end of the day I feel accomplished. And now, I know what I am capable of and I will never be or do any less than that.


Fun. Yes, seriously, who remembers the time they studied in a library over the time they went out for someone's birthday and the crazy adventure that ensued? not me. I will always make time to have these experiences. These are the stories for grandchildren. These are the stories that really made me. 


My Friends. The friends I've made at Ithaca College are now, My Family. I couldn't be more blessed. These are the 3am stories that tied us together. Knowing I was never alone. Seeing the best in someone and being able to stick it through when we were at our worst. What an incredible experience to be able to enter a new place at 18 worried about what people thought and then emerge on the other side with a hugely extended Family. 


My Family-the ones I share genes with.. I have learned to EMBRACE every.single.moment I have with them. I have never felt closer. Even with distance, and the inability to see each other every day, I know that no matter what mistakes I make they will always lift me up. Even though my brothers and I argue or disagree or live our lives totally differently I appreciate all their crazy talents and ability to ALWAYS make me laugh. I know that we are so different, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I would do anything for them and I cannot wait to see what they will become. 


I learned what the importance of roots actually means. The only way you lose them, is if you don't grow. 


So this past May, instead of walking across a stage, I sat in a chair.  I did wear a gown, and I did suffer through an unbearably hot ceremony with my fellow graduates. But, that's not the point. The point is, I had yet another proud moment sitting in a field surrounded by people who were embarking on the same scary unknown. We are all in it together. 


Now, I am at a similar point I was just 4 years ago. I am about to start over. I am going to build a new life in a new place as a better person than I was at 18. 


I am so ready for the CHALLENGE. I am fearless. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish my goals. I am no longer apprehensive as to whether or not people will "like" me. I am who I am. I am proud. I am strong. I am ambitious. I will try to always learn from my mistakes. I will accept people for the way they are. I will trust in the relationships I've made for support and go with confidence out into this so called "real world."

Christmas Mass

So as much as my Catholic experience has frustrated me it has also brought me some sort of enlightenment to the world and myself.
In any case, my favorite Catholic celebration is Christmas. More specifically, the Christmas Eve Vigil. 


My family and I enjoy some Chinese cuisine for Christmas Eve dinner and then we head to the midnight mass.


I love the lights and Christmas trees and poinsettias decorating the alter. The Nativity set up in the lobby. The warm smiles and feelings of goodness and togetherness. Despite all the institutional problems created by men (yes, we all know women have no influential leadership positions in the church), this mass always seems to ground me. I feel closer to my family and closer to God. The birth of Christ is a symbol of a new beginning and a stepping off point to do better and to be a better person. 


In this religious quest for answers, for understanding and for acceptance, my roots help me to appreciate all that I've learned and all that I want to gain.


Let's go 2012!

Quakers, but not the oats

So about a month ago Mary and I decided to grace the Quaker Meeting House with our presence. And, yes, now I'm blogging.


Our roommate works there so we drove over with her early on a sunday morning-yay for being productive college students!


The building was actually a house. It was very simple, as was to be expected.  It was different to not see any Christmas decor or lights or poinsettia plants. Everyone wore name tags accompanied by large smiling faces. 
We tried to keep in mind that this was a Quaker Meeting of Friends with an Ithacan twist.


The room itself had wooden chairs facing each other, white paint, and big windows and a small area for children to sit. The small pamphlet we received described the "service" as having no real structure and more of a "waiting for the spirit to move" whomever wishes to speak.  
After about 30 minutes the children, which I was impressed by their lack of ADD and no talking because no one was talking, all decided to leave to go upstairs to wait for their parents. 
After about 15 minutes of staring and people watching I decided to go with it. I closed my eyes and started thinking, well more listening. I was trying to listen to my thoughts and see if anyone out there was trying to tell me something. Even if the "spirit moved me" I was definitely not opening my mouth. However, after my thoughtful and prayerful meditation, someone started speaking. She talked about "crossing the line" in terms of  a football metaphor. She talked about learning and knowing boundaries and the difficulties when we are faced with those types of tough decisions. It was very insightful. 


Then, all of a sudden, everyone wanted to say something. Some, had no relation to what the first woman had said; even though that was slightly annoying it was really cool to hear various biblical interpretations and life stories of others (Go Anthropology!)


At the very end of the "service" Mary and I introduced ourselves and said how we had never been before and how much we enjoyed the experience-and there were those big smiling faces nodding and saying "Welcome!" all at once. 
So afterwards, I desperately wanted coffee, but that had to wait. We were offered stew, which smelled fabulous, but we politely declined and headed to Wegmans for our groceries instead.


One thing I have learned over the past two experiences is to always accept food. Food is a huge part of the human experience because it incorporates language, bonding, culture, history and tradition. You truly learn about others and more importantly about yourself. I will continue my religious quest in the new year!

Ithaca For a While

So when I left you last I was in a foreign country doing foreign things and experiencing foreign culture. Now, in my final semester here at Ithaca, my roommate Mary and I have proposed a little experiment, or rather, dared ourselves to step outside our little comfort bubble of college life. 


SO. we are on a mission, every Sunday, or weekend, to experience a new religion or church service. We wanted to  learn about something foreign to us and then compare it to what we were brought up on, other places around the globe we've experienced, and of course realize that it's ITHACA, which has its own exceptional little way of life. 


First off a little background on myself, I was brought up Roman Catholic, going to Catholic school, learning the catechism and saying all the prayers. However, I was young, and just "going with the flow" Did I really understand what all this meant? No of course not. But now my spectrum of understanding is increasing and I am excited to share how all  of this has affected my thought process. Also, I am currently learning about Islam, in a class, and so I will try and tie that in at some points.


Lately, and lately being the last few years, I have grown frustrated with certain doctrines in the church, and a lack of explanation in terms of LOGIC. I realize the importance of faith, but so far in all my travels, I have met few who have been able to explain it to me. So now my quest begins.


To get started:
-what are the rituals involved with each service, why?
-how is the priest, reverend, or pastor? what are they like?
-the congregation-what are their reactions, mood, vibe?
-how do I feel about the experience?
-what questions do I have now?
-keeping the most open of minds, ready for all the experience has to offer.
This is what I will be keeping in mind and thinking about.
Also, it's important to realize that my own previous convictions will affect how I think and absorb the ideas and truths presented. 


So today, We started things off nice and traditional and went to St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church, downtown.
The services began around 8 am and went until about lunch time- we showed up at 10-which is totally normal and not rude.
 The priest was no where to be seen. He was located behind an ornately decorated wall with paintings of saints inlaid with gold. Very orthodox. He was singing and saying prayers while the rest of us stood, unable to see him, only to hear him (reference to God?). 


Throughout the service more people wandered in, some with head coverings, but everyone was well-dressed. The second part of the ceremony was similar to a Catholic mass in that we said the readings, gospel and Our Father, but all the prayers were slightly different and there was lots of incense. There were many more long prayers which were sung. and people could leave whenever they wanted. more importantly, the service was LONG. 
Unfortunately, the priest was not very engaging with his congregation, despite how small it was. 
So, overall I wasn't really feelin' it. The priest could not pronounce some of the words in the readings, interrupted the choir a few times and seemed bored. Even though a good portion of the mass I could not understand because, well I don't speak Greek, I decided to read some of the readings out of the little hymnal. The stories somehow took on a new light when I read them in such a focused atmosphere.
The people were very reverend and in tune with the mass, even if the priest himself was not impressive. 
According to Mary, the church was less ornate than many of the churches she grew up going to-but I didn't know any different. When I was in Italy, I learned about the type of art and how when the church split the eastern orthodox art in churches didn't change the way it had in Italy.  The art and decor inside the church really reminded me of that.
 The message was the same, love God, praise God, fear God, thank God.


So then Mary and I got to talkin,' what does it really mean to LOVE GOD. I mean, I feel love for my family and friends but LOVE for someone or something I've never met before is strange. How do I feel it? How do I know if I've felt it? I can thank God, but it's like thanking someone for holding the door. I am good to my neighbor, but how does that show I LOVE GOD? This is an interesting concept that is challenging me. love is undefined but everyone can feel it. How do you know if you love God or feel love for any God? 



Do/can we ever really know God? 


Anyway, I'll leave you with that. Some future prospects include: the Synagogue, Baptist church, Presbyterian church, the Quaker meeting house, and maybe the Jehovahs (we keep joking about how scary that will be) but any and all ideas are welcome.  

Albania, Greece, Romania-and final thoughts

May 23-June7

My two weeks at Butrint (the archaeological site) and staying in the Livia (the family-run hotel that became my home) have been an experience I’ll never forget. Every day I woke up to the choice of eggs or corn flakes (but only if the cook was in could I have corn flakes…) the hills and beaches were beautiful and so was my trek up to class to the top of the castle. We had lecture every morning discussing skeletal remains, protocol, the politics of archaeology, some information about the surrounding towns and politics of Albania. 

Stories:

A team from Notre Dame was excavating an area of the site and they had unearthed some graves.  I had the opportunity to excavate one of these remains, which happened to be a child.  I was digging in the sun all day slowly uncovering the skeleton of a medieval child.  Seeing the process from the beginning-digging and removal to cleaning and analysis- was a great experience to have.  I was so happy I could see every part of the process.

The Notre Dame team was eclectic. We invited them over to the Livia for drinks one night and that was an experience in itself.  I did however get to practice some of my Italian skills with some of the professors.

The next night we met them at Mango, the local night club and a place with many hilarious stories and awkward moments.  Just picture a bunch of guys who spend most of their time in a classroom or dirt pit trying to “bust a move.” Yep.

OH. How ‘bout the time we were attacked by gypsy children?! I have never been afraid of a child before until now.  There were 3 of us walking along the boardwalk thing stopping at the small souvenir shops, when suddenly 3 raggedy little girls came dancing up alongside us smiling and singing and asking “one euro, one euro, please please…” we pretended to not understand and so they responded by rubbing our arms, we simultaneously snatched our purses up and gently tried pushing them away-but that only made it worse.  One of the girls started crazily laughing, I don’t know how to describe it but it was like an insanity laugh.  As she did this one of the other girls had a knife and was holding it near my friend-either to cut her bag strap or threaten her-we don’t know-but we just walked faster, pushed harder and started saying goodbye over and over again. They were eventually distracted by an older couple walking by.

We went to the beach twice and the first time we got stormed out the second time however I was able to swim out to some of the small islands right off the coast.  We kayaked, ate, drank, and put loads of sun-block on. I’m pretty sure I was the palest person on the beach that day.  Our little beach day was so much fun.  I had such a great time with everyone in the group just hanging out and laughing about everything. 

We visited a little place called the Blue Eye, a beautiful little spring in the middle of the dusty hills and falling concrete buildings.  The water was blue and clear and so refreshing-we filled about 8-10 bottles of water to bring back to the hotel- and one of my roommates actually jumped into the freezing, crystal clear pool.  It then proceeded to downpour as we hurriedly took a group shot and ran back to the cars.

Gjirakaster:

This was a medieval town we visited that was planned by the Italians; I weirdly noticed right away that it reminded me of Italy.  The most important part of this day was that I ate my best meal here from the entire trip.  We had an array of cheeses, salads, grilled veggies, lamb burger patties (AMAZING), fried rice-cakes things and so much more- I stuffed myself.  Anyway in the morning when we arrived we stopped for cappuccinos with our tours guide and then proceeded to trek up the steep path to castle/fortress, which was HUGE.  It was used in WWII as a fortress as well and actually there was a fighter plane that landed in the field/courtyard on the roof of the castle.  In the afternoon we explored the tiny town and shopped at the local artisan shops, ending with ice cream at a local place.

The small nearby towns, although dilapidated, each had their own charm; Samhili with its beautiful beaches and old dirt road to find the beach; Saranda with its long boardwalk type thing along the shore and all the small shops.  Even taking the rickety old bus to get into town was an adventure.  At one point the bus driver stopped the bus in the middle of the road, turned it off, jumped up and ran away from the bus while the rest of sat there and wondered what was happening.  We shouldn’t have worried because within 3 minutes he was back again to start the bus without another word.

Our dinners were an event every night followed by drinks on the balcony or in the courtyard out in front of the hotel.  The Livia was such a beautiful little haven and oasis in the craziness of surrounding small towns falling apart from lack of infrastructure or a government that cares.  We made friends with the staff and a few locals even playing a drinking game trying to communicate over the universal language of a few brews.

There were so many great experiences in Albania and I think it’s important for people to know what the country is really like instead of through a movie that scares people into believing false assumptions.  So in light of that let me explain my final thoughts of Albania.

Albania-once again, another place I strangely want to return to- a diamond in the rough, one of the roughest places.  So many beautiful things I’ve seen, beaches, ruins, countryside, people- so many rickety and broken down things that need fixin’-ruins, countryside, people, infrastructure, political structure, occupational structure, garbage disposal structure.  That seems like long list, well because it is a long list.  Despite that most of these “structures” were lacking and the help seems far off, Albania is incredibly beautiful and the people were some the nicest and welcoming I’ve ever met.  There is a lot of hope for this country to get back on its feet after recovering from so many years of communism.

I will miss my early morning breakfasts with my class listening to sparrows chirp at one another from their nest in the corner of our outdoor dining room.  Our group got along so well jokin’ and making fun of each other- it’s like we’ve always known each other.  When I think about it and look back over the last semester I can’t believe the amount of amazing and different people I’ve met.  All the stories I have and the experiences I’ve gained have handed me a little more life experience than when I left the states. As I keep saying so many doors keep opening for me, a sort of Alice in Wonderland labyrinth.  Onto Corfu, a trek across the Ionian Sea by ferry in the hot sun with a cool breeze in my hair.

June 6-8

Corfu

Absolutely beautiful, so different from Albania even in the simplest thing-like the port or color of the island.  Another place I accidently spent too much money in-but it was worth it in the end.  I ate great Greek food, drank new kinds of beer, met more interesting people, learned more about the people who came along in the trip, listened to traditional music and spent tons of money I wish I had.

ATHENS:

We literally spent 5 hours in Athens.  We got to the airport took a train to the center of town (1 hour) then frantically and crazily sprinted up the Acropolis stairs, took pictures and ran back to jump on the train and make our connection flight to Romania.  I will definitely be returning to Greece one day.  I only saw one thing. Haha.

Tomorrow we begin the final leg of our journey to Bucharest Romania. Paleopathologies and Dracula await.

June 8-14

Romania

More insanity in an airport with a big group, but anyway, Bucharest, the capital of Romania-- So as we were driving into the center of town we saw the old communist leaders’ palace buildings lining the street.  The layout of the city reminded me slightly of Milan, but Milan was much cleaner.  Also in Bucharest there were wild, scary stray dogs everywhere-except for the one that walked us to class one day.  We visited a few museums here (like every city) but I have never been to a museum where each worker collectively hated everything in existence. We got the dirtiest looks and the harshest glares and the most unnecessary attitude.  They even wanted us to pay for pictures and to enforce that there were guards at every corner.  Not one smile, not one thank-you, not even a hello or have a nice day.  These people really hated their jobs.  In any case, many in the group had other rude experiences by other Romanians-nothing sticks out in my mind, except the amount of gypsies (I have no idea what the PC word would be, so I hope this does not offend).  They beg at every corner with no shame.  It’s so sad to see but it’s the reality. They can be vicious too, I saw one woman throw a glass bottle into a public street without a second thought.

Anyway, for class we studied in the Rhiner institute-an absolutely incredible place filled ceiling to floor with skeletal remains for us to study.  The people who ran the institute were so welcoming and encouraging to us students.  It’s really great to meet new professors across an ocean, speaking a different language, who have no idea who you are but want the best for you and have the highest hopes for students.  That alone is really supportive and wonderful to hear.

TRANSYLVANIA

We visited Bran castle-aka Dracula.  That was…interesting.  Surprisingly enough the castle had barely any mention of Vlad the Impaler, Dracula, or Bram Stoker (not even a reference of TWILIGHT?!) the castle itself was beautiful with great views of the small town below, but the crowds were insane and the Japanese tourists even crazier. They pushed and shoved people like they weren’t actually people taking up space or waiting in line-no apology, no excuse me, just completely rude- well we got over that as soon as we hiked up a hill to our lunch which overlooked the entire valley-absolutely beautiful.  The waiters were friendly the restaurant was cool but the food was ok-similar to Disney-you pay for the experience.

Overall, a let-down because I guess I had such high expectations for an intimidating dark fortress nestled in the hillside of the infamous Transylvania-I can equate it to Pisa in Italy-a huge build-up and then the leaning tower isn’t even that tall…

Anyway, following that we visited the beautiful medieval town of Brasov-built by the Germans and Saxons.  I indulged on sweet streusel and pretzels.  My roommates and I bought wine, cheese and salami for a cheap dinner that-since I am literally completely out of cash.  I do with we could have spent a little more time here because it had so much character.

I think I can say that Bucharest, as a city (not the classes I had there) is a place that I am ok with not returning to, nothing overall horrible but nothing overall endearing like Siena and Butrint (Albania). 

Fieldwork Program:

This whole program was wonderful I learned so much and enhanced skills I already had.  I met new and exciting people that I truly hope I will one day meet again.  All my professors were very helpful and encouraging throughout the entire process.  These countries were so different from the normal list on vacation spots.  I was able to integrate myself into a little daily life routine, independent of tourism.  I encourage everyone to do travel programs through your school-It’s such a great experience to travel as a student.

So that was my crazy travel semester-I LOVED IT. I am looking forward to American cheeseburgers, convenience stores, and movies! One last semester at school and then I’ll be off again- who knows where I’ll be next… thanks for reading! :]

IRISH ADVENTURES! (finally..)

some of this may run over from my woohoo in italia blog-but, I don't care I just wrote what I wrote. so here is my 10 days in Ireland:

The last few weeks leading to the end of my incredible semester in Italy have become a sort of blurred memory.  I’m stuffing the last few things in my bags and trying to process my final moments.  I didn’t want to forget a single moment, I wanted to hold it all close and let every emotion wash over me so I could really take in my whole experience, but 4:30 in the morning was not the time. I met Paola at the apartment door, jacket zipped, bags in hand, and her eyes were glossed over as she pulled me in close for a great big Italian Mamma embrace. I’ll never forget the look in her eyes as I said goodbye to possibly one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. This was really it.  I walked out the door with her waving to me from the balcony and the sun beginning to peak over the horizon. The car picked a few of us up to take us to Rome airport and as we slowly drove by a sign with a red line through the word “Toscana” I realized that this really was the end of my semester in Italy.  It’s funny how through all the tearful goodbyes, glasses of wine and last meals all it took was a simple sign telling me I was leaving.

Later that day I arrived in new terminal in Dublin airport greeted by my Aunt Carmel and my cousin Meareade.  It was such a relief to be with family for a while.  I think that really helped with transitioning from a crazy semester.  She made me a huge Irish Breakfast at 4:30 in the afternoon followed by many mugs of tea until I eventually passed out around 10:00. I mentioned to my Aunt Carmel how it didn’t feel like I hadn’t been here in 5 years but instead it had only been a couple of weeks since I last them all.  Everyone is taller and graduating college and taking tests it was a surprise to see everyone so grown up.  The next morning I saw my best friend for the first time in months; she was the very last one to walk through the arrival gate, of course. Big hugs and wide smiles ensued.  Rachel was then treated to the same large Irish Breakfast followed by giant mugs of tea and a nap before we headed out to explore Dublin with my cousin Dermot as our guide.  We explored Temple Bar and Stephen’s Green, had hot chocolate, watched a street performer limbo under a flame, visited Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells. Later that night we went out to a few pubs and discos with Dermot and Pauline (I was so happy I got to see her! I was worried she would busy with school). We had a great time hangin’ around and then ordering pizza and fries to satisfy our starvation after dancing for 5 hours.

The next day we slept late and had another big breakfast followed by exploration of the windy Howth, a small village/town/place just outside of Dublin.  We walked along the cliffs, with the wind whipping our hair around as if in a crazy dance, and saw the dark ocean crashing against the rocky cliffs of the green Dublin Coast. We reached the village at the bottom of the cliffs and walked along the pier while leaning against a strong wall of wind, our jackets billowing like parachutes.  After all the hard work it took to walk into such a wind, we ordered some “chips” and headed home on the bus in time for dinner.  After yet another delicious meal of potatoes and other unimportant components, Rachel and I left for my Granny and Grandad’s house.

Granny & Grandad’s:

Granny and Grandad were so excited to see me, as was I. I told them stories of Italy and visiting my uncle Peter in the Azores while we sipped tea and ate brown bread.  I showed Rachel around the old house and eventually to the big room where we slept for the next few days.  Monday we went around Mountmellick in the little stores and around the small shops. The next day my Aunt Therese took us for a walk in Emo Park with Granny and Rachel was able to see the old estate grounds.  In the days we spent with my grandparents, we chatted and talked about their past together and how they met each other.  They told us stories of my aunts and uncles growing up in Mountmellick.  Rachel also went out into the garden with my granddad and he taught her things about how he grows the potatoes and black currant plants.  We planned our little excursion to Galway for the next day. 

GALWAY:

We arrived to a rainy but humid Galway searching for food and a place to stay.  We prioritized and ordered some food in a little café. We asked one of the waiters for his opinion on where to stay and we ended up in a great (CLEAN) little hostel only paying 5 euro.  We proceeded to explore the city and all the little shops in the pouring rain.  We stopped in to see the cathedral and walked around by the university buildings taking a break for some coffee and Cadburys.  Shop Street was full of life despite the rain. We ate dinner at a great little burger place and then went searching for a good pub with suggestions from my cousin.  The pub we ended up going to first was full of tourists and locals so we ordered some cider and ended up talking to these 2 old guys for about 2.5 hours with some traditional Irish band playing in the front corner of the room.   They had us cracking up with all their stories and jokes.  We left the bar searching for a younger crowd and found this place with 4 actual bars inside the place filled with students and another live band.  We ordered drinks and were once again approached by probably the only old guys in the place.  What strange luck. We met some other exchange students and travelers as well. Anyway, as we left the bar to head back to the hostel, the street looked like a zombie town--as in drunken people/students stumbling home and barely standing-breaking bottles and making weird zombie-like noises.  It was hilarious.  Great night for sure.

The next day we woke up early and met the other girls staying in our room-they had just finished their semester studying in Northern Ireland. We left for breakfast with some beautiful sunshine as a change of pace- we had full Irish breakfasts with a pot of tea each at a great little bakery on Shop Street Then we caught the bus to Salthill.  Rachel and I walked along the pier and found this little hidden beach with people wind surfing and kayaking. Too bad we forgot our wetsuits.

On our way back we stopped at a little café for some apple tart and a giant bowl of yogurt parfait. We caught the train back and Therese picked us up and we had dinner at Granny’s house.

The next day we spent with Gillian-FINALLY! It’s been forever!- she took us shopping and we had some lunch –just catching up with each other.  Then we explored some creepy castle that looked like it should have been in a Vampire movie-Charleville Castle I think..  anyway then we went to another more modern castle that was turned into a bed and breakfast with a pub in the basement. We came back to her house and I was able to catch up with the rest of her family and exchange pictures.  Bernadette (Gillian’s mom) made us the most delicious lasagna, Rachel and I both had 2 servings.  :]

The next day we went hiking through the Sleve Mountains near Mountmellick and had sandwiches along the water, again another lovely day spent hiking.  We arrived back at my Granny’s and then my Aunt Jacinta picked us up to spend the night at her house. 

TRIM:

Well rain once again, this time cold.  We went into Trim and up into the castle exploring the grounds and then enjoyed some hearty soup at the Trim Café. Later that night, we went to my Aunt Mary’s house and met up with the boys.  Rachel and I went out to meet my cousin Cathal and Neil to watch the end of the rugby game and have a few beers.  Cathal took us out later to one of his friends engagement parties in Dublin and we had a great time meeting his friends and telling our stories.

Enniskerry:

The next day, after a long night, Rachel and I filled our stomachs with porridge and tea and headed out for a hike with my Aunt Mary.  We went around the estate grounds on the border to Waterford, drove along the tops of the mountains/hills where turf was taken to heat the houses-now it is forbidden to take anything from these natural landscapes.  We hiked down the mountain into the valley where an old miner’s village used to be-incredibly beautiful even though we had patches of rain here and there. We then enjoyed some sandwiches and drinks at a little organic café just at the bottom of the mountain.  We headed home for a huge meal with my cousins and uncle, with an amazing dessert to follow, aka my aunt’s famous cheesecakes-I have missed it so much.  The boys had us laughing with their antics and jokes- I don’t know how my aunt does it with all those boys-the Healion gift of patience is a mystery to me.  The rest of the night was spent packing and unwinding from such a great day filled with food adventure and plenty of laughs.

I just hope it’s not another 6 years before I see any of my cousins and family in Ireland I had such an incredible time and it honestly felt like I hadn’t left for more than a few months.  I know Rachel really enjoyed herself and I hope she was able to take a lot from this experience of meeting the other side of my family.  This is a trip her and I will have to once again in the near future, you know, when we get rich and all that.

In any case this update is a bit delayed and pictures will follow once I have a decent internet connection. 

RE-DO

I realized the last post was difficult to read, so I'm re-posting it with new font


Yesterday we spent the entire day on a hot sweaty bus for 8 hours driving down the coast and through the mountainside of Albania. we stopped at a little restaurant for lunch in the middle of nowhere where we ate all kinds of things like vertebrae, brains, and some kind of mash of organs.  the salad was good though. 

oh I forgot to describe our night in Tirana, the capital- during the day we wandered around the streets in and out of a few museums looking at all the really cool artifacts and buying the freshest fruit  Oh and were bombarded by little boys trying to sell us 1 euro gum. Later that night we had dinner at a little outdoor cafe place where we all ate some form of a crepe and drank very cheap beer. Afterward we ended up at a bar at the very top floor of this hotel building thumping with house techno music- EVERYONE in the club turned to look at us, every single person. So we ordered drinks, waited an obscene amount of time and then proceeded to dance like crazyheads on the floor-which happened to be some kind of bouncy thing so we were flying in the air- SO FUN. THEN all this old American rock and roll and ACDC started playing and everyone was headbanging and playing air guitar-I wonder why. then we were invited to participate in the traditional dance-basically holding hands and hopping around in a circle-really really cool. anyway we were drenched in sweat and made our way back to the hotel laughing about how crazy all the dancing was.

So anyway after the sweaty bus ride we were greeted by friendly hotel staff, and a GIGANTIC DINNER. SO GOOD. SO MUCH FOOD.  This hotel is much nicer and absolutely beautiful, we overlook an inlet from the ionian sea with hills and tiny houses.  There are castles all over and it is so warm!! however I think my count for bug bites is around 35-38.

Today we explored the national park literally right next door filled with roman, greek and byzantine ruins.  we climbed castle walls and saw a necropolis. I will post pics asap but there is unfortunately no internet. in any case I will continue later with more details of my anthropological adventures but this is it for now :]