Getting settled in Ireland : )

Hello all!  I had been sending my "Ireland Updates" through facebook and it was a pain, as you can only send to a certain amount of people in each message and you can't add images as nicely as you can on here.   Anyway,  I have been in Ireland since the 15th of January and each day I fall more and more in love with this amazing country. 

As many of you know, I had about 4 days in Dublin, then I arrived and the University of Limerick, and I most recently did my home-stay.  I stayed with the McCarthy family.  Sean and Breda McCarthy have 4 children, Breda is an artist, and Sean does farm work.  Their eldest, Ciara, was away for the weekend, but Sean (14), Aaron (8), and Shannon (6) were great craic (no worries! Craic in Ireland means "fun").  We played with the animals, they taught me some Irish sports (Gaelic football & Hurling), and we went as a family to this Donkey Sanctuary (where rescued donkeys are taken, you can feed them and pet them...it was such a cute place).  

Campus life is so much different than in the U.S.  Not that campus isn't lively at good old Western Michigan University but most students belong to clubs (I plan to join the 'windsurfing', 'music', and 'International' clubs) and all partying and activities go on during the week.  Almost all of the Irish students go home on the weekends.  Speaking of Irish students...I have 5 Irish roommates!  Aaron is great...very fun and he has an equally as fun girlfriend named Aoife (pronounced Ieffa), Nile is a bit shy but such a nice guy, Fergus (we call him Goose) is also a very nice guy, Katie is so sweet and always has a big smile on her face, and Ivonne is always ready for a night out!  I seem to get along with them great thus far.   


I registered with the Irish Police (GUARD) and am ready to travel.  Some of the girls and I have planned a trip to Galway this weekend.   Bigger trips will be planned as I go...as the Irish would say..."No set time.  It will happen when it happens...were in Ireland...on our own time!" 


I have really enjoyed the friendly people and laid-back atmosphere Ireland provides.  Not that I didn't enjoy my life in Kalamazoo...but I have found "time" to be a very valuable thing.   Something I will not be taking advantage of from here on.  My life is certainly changing...only for the better I hope.  All I know now is that I am having the time of my life and there is so much more I want to do before my time is out.  I can hear Robbie more than ever and he is telling me this is where I should be for now.  The Irish are real jokesters (very sarcastic), always "taking the piss" as they would say (means teasing) and I only with Robbie was here to crack jokes with them...he would fit right in.  I know he is living through me and I can't wait to visit the 'Cliffs of Moher'; where we can both see an incredible view from what our earth has to offer .  


Anyway, will keep everyone updated through here.  Thanks for reading.  Love and miss you all and the only thing that would make this experience even better, is if I could enjoy it with all the ones I love so much!   For now...enjoy the pictures. 


XOXOXOXO  "No worries...it'll be grand!"