Getting Settled

Hi Everyone!

Haven't updated the blog in a little while, so here's the latest updates of my adventures abroad.

Things are finally beginning to settle down and are beginning to become routine.

Here's some highlights from the past week or so:

-I registered with the Garda (police) here so I am officially, and legally, a temporary Irish citizen. I have a nice ID card with a very flattering picture, and got my passport officially stamped. Yay!!

-Amanda and I (my roommate and friend from Linfield) have taken up cooking as our new hobby! Since our fridge is so tiny here, we have to go to the store or market at least every other day, if not every day. With all our free time, we decided we should start honing our cooking skills. We've done pretty good so far, made some homemade macaroni and cheese (they don't have any boxed mac and cheese anywhere in Ireland!), fettucini, chicken, tomato-basil pasta, lots of variations of potatoes, etc. We're not half bad. Our other roommates are really enjoying our new hobby as well.

-We joined the mountaineering club!! Which means - we get to go on hikes every Sunday to incredible places that we wouldn't be able to see by ourselves. The mountaineering club has a bus, and we pay 8 Euro, and then get to take the bus to our destination, hike with tour guides, and then stop at the pub on the way home.
      Last Sunday, we went to The Burren - it was unbelievable. The Burren is one of the national parks of Ireland, known for it's rock deposits. The weather was cold, but sunny with no rain, and our hike was stunning! The mountaineering club is pretty serious, so we had to buy some hiking boots and waterproof pants. Although we're definitely not setting any new fashion trends here, the hike was great. I'll try to get some pictures up sometime soon of The Burren.

-I made my first official clothing purchase in Ireland from a little store on Shop Street (one of the main streets in downtown Galway). It was a wool sweater. I wore it today for the first time, and although I've been walking around vaguely smelling like a lamb, today is the first day I haven't been cold so I'd say it was a success, despite the sheep aroma.

-We're going to Dublin this weekend! We are taking the bus tomorrow morning early (I don't have class Friday) and then staying in a hostel for the night, and coming back late Saturday night. Should be exciting!

-Otherwise, I'm enjoying the local markets and streets, the doughnut man who has a stand on the street, the live traditional music that can be found anywhere and everywhere, the people, the pubs, my classes, and the slower pace of life in Galway. I spend most of my time going to class, walking, wandering aimlessly (or at least it feels aimless) exploring the town, and reading. Next week, I will start volunteering at a local homework club in an elementary school, so I am anxious and excited to begin!

I'm getting more accustomed to the accents everyday, and I can almost understand everything most people say if they don't talk super fast. I'm enjoying the food, but I am missing some of the overprocessed American foods like refried beans, vinagrette salad dressing, and macaroni and cheese - all staples of my college diet last semester.

Hope everyone is doing well. Miss you all!