Blisters, Rain, and Nostalgia

            First thing I see when we begin to fly into Ireland is green. Everywhere. You know how they say that Ireland is green? And you know how you never quite believe it? Believe it. As I looked down upon Ireland, I was struck by how much green was around. I looked upon fields of green with tiny sheep and houses spotting the land, amazed that I was able to catch a glimpse of a building that looked like a small castle, though it may have been just a stone built building. Either way, it was beautiful. As I arrived in the airport my excitement grew. On the plane ride there we encountered a man from Dublin whom I immediately took a liking to, inspiring hope in what the people of Ireland might be like.

            Once we got through the usual airport routine and jumped on a bus into the city center, V and I knew that our adventure had officially begun. It was exactly what I had pictured. The buildings were stone, the sky was cloudy, and the grass was unlike a green I had ever seen. Beautiful!

            As we jumped off the bus onto the Trinity campus, the amount of luggage we were carrying began to weigh in. Never had I had to struggle with my luggage so much as I did on the day we arrived…be assured, I will never, ever pack that much again. Due to the struggle, the exhaustion, and the cold weather that was quickly turning into warm sun, it began to hit me that I was on a completely different continent. Though the city was beautiful, Trinity being one of the most beautiful sights that we had encountered thus far, I couldn’t focus on this. All I could think of was how tired I was and how much I wanted a warm shower and a place to call home; and Dublin, I realized, was not my home. As these realizations set in, though I was still falling in love with everything around me, I couldn’t help but think about what I had left behind: a loving home, loving friends, sun, the familiar. And all I wanted was to be back in that familiarity.

            Once V and I got over the shock of being where we were, regained a bit of our stamina, and began to accept this as our new lifestyle, exploration began. With the help of a nice information guy (I shall elaborate soon), a kind girl who lived in V’s complex, and the willingness of locals to point us in the right direction, we began to establish our bearings of the city and what it was like. We familiarized ourselves with nearby stores, pubs, restaurants, and the like. We got down to business quickly, getting V what she needed to feel at home, and taking care of essentials with the international office.

            The first couple of days went pretty much the same: errands in the morning, food, walking for endless miles (blisters grew quickly on my feet thanks to my shoes and boots), find something to do at night, be it with A, the girl we met, or with random people we met at the pub. Not having established plans, though very different, was kind of nice. We never knew what would happen that night and were always excited to meet new people. This excitement though did not take us away from missing home, and still doesn’t. Nostalgia is hard to pass over when you have such close friends at home, but friendly people, lively music, and beautiful towns have made it easier.

            Which brings me to the highlights thus far. J I am cheating a little because I did send an email to many that said many of the same things, but I found it worth a post. So here it goes:

            First, to complain a little, the process of getting a cell phone is quite a pain here. There are only four phone companies in the entirety of Ireland, meaning that they charge ridiculous rates, and finding a good phone isn’t worth paying the 100 plus euro for. I have never had a phone as simpleas the one I got here and its beginning to driving me crazy. I realize that I sound spoiled, but I can now appreciate the convenience of my phone and phone plans back home. Haha. Everything is so much more expensive here!

            As for the events, there have been a few funny ones throughout the week. While I was in Dublin there wasn’t a night in which V and I weren’t entertained. :P

            Although I do miss home a lot, V and I are managing to have a lot of fun during the day. WE have kept ourselves busy, enjoying the beauty that is Dublin, Cork, and Ireland in general. The locals are all great. Everyone so far has been so friendly! Ane have even made friends with a few people, including the information booth guy, who seems to like us (that is, if inquiring about which pubs we may be in is considered a form of liking us). A has been another sweet person. She even brought tea and teacups over to V’s in order to make her place seem more homey and welcome us both in. She is so generous and willing to take time out of her day to help us. The first day she toured us a bit around Dublin and then sat and talked to us at V’s place for a while. And the second she showed us a place to eat and introduced us to one of her friends. We had a pleasant time talking and getting to know these two girls. They are both so sweet and welcoming, making it easier to adjust to the people and the city of Dublin. In Cork, adjusting has been good thus far because my roommates are easy to get along with. It’s so great knowing that there are people so willing to help and try and make us feel at home (it restores my faith in humanity).

                 It is not just these few individuals that have been this friendly and welcoming though, at the airport, whenever we looked even remotely confused it seemed like there was always someone coming up to us and asking us whether we needed help or needed a way to get somewhere. We were directed to the bus system in a matter of five minutes from leaving the airport by a kind official (a bus driver I believe) and then helped with getting our luggage onto the bus by another kind man. Once we were on the bus and headed to Dublin there was not a lack of nice people. One woman even joked with us about how “dreadful,” as she put it, our driver was. Another young man helped us get our luggage off when it looked like we were struggling; as you can imagine, we had a lot with us (never again will I pack this much!) Once on campus we were offered help by two more young men, an older man even helping me drag my larger suitcase through the Trinity entrance. Anyway, not to drag this on, all I can say is that everyone so far is helpful and friendly. This includes store tellers, Trinity employees, and strangers in general.

                It has not all been easy though. There has been some trouble with adjusting, natural since it is only our first few days. I am having a better time of it than V, but it still isn’t all easy and fairytale like. I am just trying to enjoy each day as it comes though. Today was a bit harder for me than the previous because I realized that things are not exactly like home. Even a cell phone plan here is so much more complicated. It made me wish I was home where mom and dad figure it all out for me. Not knowing whether or not I making the right choice or spending my money on the right things is frustrating, and not being able to pick up a phone and ask my mom and dad whether they think I making the right choices is also frustrating. Among other frustrations comes the communication part. I hate not being able to just text whoever I want and not worry that charges will be put on my phone or their phone. And not talking to my friends at home to let them know that I am okay is insanity to me. Ah! All in all though, I know that the next ten months will fly by and this makes adjusting that much easier. I am looking forward to meeting new people and making connections with them as well. The hope of new friends is what has kept me from being too sad. Being with V is also a comfort; I hope it isn’t too hard to leave her next Tuesday.

                Aside from anxieties and worries though, and in hopes of making you laugh, I cannot say that these past few days have not been uneventful.

                One night V and I were hungry (neither of us is yet on a good eating schedule, but we are adjusting slowly) at about 10 or so at night so we decided to go to a nearby pub and get something to eat.  We didn’t really know where to go so we just headed to the one pub A had said was popular with the students of Trinity, but when we arrived there seemed to be a lot of older people just standing around having drinks with their buddies, making us feel out of place and scared us off. After we walked out of that pub, determined to be braver at the next pub we walked into, unbeknownst to us, we encountered a crowd of very loud Irish guys running down the street singing at the top of their lungs (I know, just like a movie right?). They saw V and I standing at a street corner waiting for a street light to change and quickly surrounded us, even giving us kisses on the cheek as they celebrated their “football win.” They invited us to go celebrate with them at a local pub, even giving us the honor of choosing the pub we wanted to go to. :P When  V and I looked a bit uneasy though, they swept us off our feet (literally) and carried us a bit down the street. As all this was happening (in the rain) all I could think was “oh God, please don’t drop me!” We ended up walking with them for a bit, making quick and easy conversation. They thought we were crazy for leaving California, each believing that California is nothing but beaches, sun, and bling. (Oh, if only they knew, haha.) Eventually we did part ways though. V and I knew that they were too drunk to actually go with, but never-the-less, it was quite the experience.  We are living for those experiences everyday, taking it a step at a time.

            The next night was a fun night for the two of us. After having spent an entire two days trying to get errands done, it seems that we have finally made a dent in our list (at least on V’s end, my end is yet to be nearly this done…haha). We got an electrical converter today and (woohoo!) didn’t blow up our phones and computers plugging them in. In celebration of this and finishing errand, and in hopes of meeting more people of course, V and I decided to go to the campus pub, called “The Pav,” and buy our first beers! Thankfully we were able to buy half pints, which as you well know, in both V and my case is a good thing. So, for 2.30 Euro we sat down with our half pint of Guinness and just took in the atmosphere. It was so nice to just sit and watch the activity around us as we sipped our Guinness and talked (yes, it is much better tasting here! It is SOOO much less bitter!).  At one end of the table we were sitting at there was a group of loud guys and girls watching a football game, cheering quite loudly. Judging by the amount of beer spread out on the table, I would say that many were quickly on their way to drunkenness (I have never seen that many cans of beer on a table at once). Next to us there was a group of four guys that we ended up talking to for a bit (V doing most of the talking). We got to talking to them because after we finished out drinks neither of us was sure what to do with our glasses, so V braved it and asked one of the guys nearest to us. They turned out to be really friendly and talkative. The one who ended up talking to us the most gave us a ton of lowdown about Dublin and Ireland in general. It was so pleasant to listen to him talk and be so friendly. Once again, we have experienced the kindness of strangers, feeling welcomed.

            And then came the EAP orientation weekend, in which we met the rest of the EAP students. With them we explored the infamous Temple Bar area, took a ghost tour, which was so much fun. I had to help the tour guide and as he was telling a story about grave robbers (while I held a flashlight as a spotlight) he lifted open what looked like a grave, in which I immediately looked down to encounter a horrific mask that looked like a corpse head, causing me to scream and make a fool of myself in front of the tour group. As touristy as all this was, the fact that we were around people in our same situation (the EAP students I mean) made being far away from home easier to think about. Having 50 plus people going through the same thing helps put my situation into perspective, helping me realize that it will be a fun year, full of adventure, spontaneity, and ultimately, hopefully, a group of friends that we may never have met otherwise.

                So, as I sit here about to finish my essay to you all, I just want to assure you that I am doing well. I can’t promise that I won’t be sad sometimes, but as of right now everything seems to be okay. Random things will continue to happen, such as things like my last night in Dublin in which V and I went out with two Italians who were staying in her apartment building. Haha. When we came back from our EAP orientation this weekend, to our surprise, we came upon a note that had been slipped under her hall door asking us whether we would let them buy us a beer. Of course, V and I said yes. We went out and had a great time; despite the language barrier, it was easy to hang out with them. We had a lot of laughs and enjoyed good music in a great little (or not, three floors; though, in Dublin, everything seems to be built up, not sideways.)

            I only hope that it continues to be this way for the rest of my stay in Ireland. I have finally arrived in Cork and have established myself in my place. The city is beautiful and charming. It’s only my second day here, so I’ve been exploring and figuring out where things are. The camous and city are both beautiful. :D

            So, to end, I miss everyone at home very much and only hate that I can’t easily keep in touch. I’d kill to be able to pick up my phone and just text people! Ah! On a good note though, at least this will teach me to be less dependent on my phone. Haha.

            And as for my blog posts, I promise they will be more interesting and less repeated when I get into shorter day by day accounts.