so much to catch up on!

I'm going to start this post, telling about all of the past 2 weeks adventures! I might get cut off and have to go to class and if so I'll write more later!

Where I last left off was the Friday (July 9th) we headed to Galway/Connemara. Our whole group went, by bus, or coach as the Irish say. Galway is on the west coast of Ireland, so the complete opposite side. It took us only about 3 hours to cross the country! Can you imagine? It would take days to cross the US! We stopped in Galway for a few hours. It is a very charming town, really laid back and artsy. Tons of street performers, musicians, mimes and such. Lots of really cute shops with jewelery, souvenirs and clothes. Then we headed into the Irish countryside. We stopped in a teeny town with just a few shops and pubs. The town was right on the fjord of Ireland. Beautiful! Then we headed to our hostel which was literally in the middle of no where! It was GORGEOUS. Right on an ocean inlet, in the rolling, green, lush hills. There were sheep all around and it almost felt like camping. A bunch of us went on a hike that evening up through the fields and hills. It was pouring rain, misty, and so amazing. I really felt like I was in quintessential Ireland! The whole group hung around the hostel that night, playing games and talking with each other and our professors. So much fun.

Saturday July 10th: Woke up in the most amazing little hostel in the Connemara region of west Ireland. I walked out of our room and honestly caught my breath at how gorgeous my surroundings were. We jumped on our coach bright and early and headed over to see Kylemore Abbey and the gardens. Kylemore was originally a large summer home (mansion/castle) built for a wealthy family in the mid 1800s. It changed owners many times until the Catholic church came to own it in the early 1900s. It was, until 2010, a boarding school for girls. It's last students ever just left recently. It was so grand and gorgeous. Overlooking a lake and built up in the forest. It also has a beautiful area of gardens which are very ornate and lovely. Down a path, Kylemore also has a small church and cemetery which the residents used. The church was small but absolutely amazing. I think it was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been inside. Our whole group was in the church, absolutely silent. It was the most serene and surreal moment. All of us in there, so quiet, reverent, some crying, some praying, some just observing. I felt the most extreme connection to all of those I was with. I had a very poignant time thinking about my beautiful Uncle Larry and how close he would have felt to this place. I felt a huge connection to him at that church. Amazing. After Kylemore Abbey, we headed to a National Park where most of the group hiked around the bog and hill-lands around us. Again, rainy and misty and so very Irish. We stopped in some small towns on the way back to eat and explore. Then we all tucked into our little hostel that night for merriment and laughter.

Sunday July 11th: Woke up early and got on the bus to head back to Dublin. We stopped in Galway for a few hours. My friend Matt and I went a little off the beaten path and ate lunch at a greasy American diner. It was so funny and out of place and great. Then we drove back to Dublin and everyone went home to their host families for a while. Sunday night we all headed out to a great pub in Dun Laoghaire to watch the final World Cup match! I was cheering for Spain! There were about 20 Americans, plus some of the students host siblings from Mexico, Belgium, and Germany. We all had a very loud and rockus time. Half of us routed for Spain and half for Holland. It was such a close match and I was so ecstatic when Spain won! It was great to be in Europe during the World Cup! Everyone gets so much more into it here! There are a ton of Spanish students (mostly middle and high school aged) staying in Ireland right now. My host sister Ancarna is one of them. She is 14 (15 in September). Apparently the reason there are so many Spanish students is that the Irish accent is the closest to the American accent and so therefore easiest to understand and learn to speak with? Or so I've heard! After the final match there were many students on the streets and buses with Spanish flags cheering and singing! It made me so happy!

I have to run now to my early Irish literature class but I'll write more in a few hours! Loves! -J