This is the greatest experience of my entire life.
I'm already to the point that I'm tearing up thinking about leaving.
5 more days of true bliss, ready to enjoy every minute of it!!
Talk to you all later :)
All my love.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
It's like riding a bike
But not really.
Normally I'd be riding my trike around the hood or in grand old Verm, South Dakota but not this time.
We travelled across the Galway Bay to the Aran Islands just off the West coast of Ireland. The ferry was a short 45 minutes of a little rocking, but the view the entire way was worth it.
As we unloaded onto the island we were sent to pick out our bike. No joke. I found one small enough for me to climb aboard and took off down the road.
First thing, was up hill. But the views along the way were of Galway Bay, Connemara, Cliffs of Moher, and just out into the Atlantic Ocean. It was an opportunity that doesn't arise often.
Normally I'd be riding my trike around the hood or in grand old Verm, South Dakota but not this time.
We travelled across the Galway Bay to the Aran Islands just off the West coast of Ireland. The ferry was a short 45 minutes of a little rocking, but the view the entire way was worth it.
As we unloaded onto the island we were sent to pick out our bike. No joke. I found one small enough for me to climb aboard and took off down the road.
First thing, was up hill. But the views along the way were of Galway Bay, Connemara, Cliffs of Moher, and just out into the Atlantic Ocean. It was an opportunity that doesn't arise often.
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| A quick back dive 700m over the edge. |
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| Natural pool! There is water directly through there, Red Bull uses this in there promotional tactics. That would be beyond terrifying! |
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| 13 miles later #ChampStatus |
I couldn't have asked for better weather or a better crew to bike with.
This was surely one of the best things that I did while in Ireland.
Galway Arts Festival starts soon. I'm SO stoked.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Cliffs oh, Cliffs of Moher
Breath taking. Astounding. Incredible. Unnatural. Alluring. Bewitching. Charming. Dazzling. Angelic. Exquisite. Splendid. Ravishing. Magnificent. Graceful.
Beautiful.
The Cliffs are 214m high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O'Brien's Tower stands proudly on a headland of the majestic Cliffs. From the Cliffs one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as The Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the South. The Cliffs of Moher take their name from a ruined promontory fort “Mothar” which was demolished during the Napoleonic wars to make room for a signal tower.
All day I couldn't get over the true beauty the Cliffs had.
Beautiful.
The Cliffs are 214m high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O'Brien's Tower stands proudly on a headland of the majestic Cliffs. From the Cliffs one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as The Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the South. The Cliffs of Moher take their name from a ruined promontory fort “Mothar” which was demolished during the Napoleonic wars to make room for a signal tower.
All day I couldn't get over the true beauty the Cliffs had.
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| Reppin' |
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| She approached me and said, "We're sisters!" Currently, she is teaching English in Madrid and just over in Ireland for a visit! How crazy. #ThetaForALifetime |
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| I threw a dime over the edge. SCANDALOUS. |
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| How can you not tear up? |
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| Gotcha. |
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| I DID IT! |
Can't wait to see what this place has next! Intrigue.
Friday, July 12, 2013
food for thought
Two tests under my belt and a paper completed - who knew we had school to do while here??!
"STUDY"ing abroad. Right.
As I immerse myself in readings about burials and rituals of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras I gain a certain respect for Irish history.
While the US surely has history and America has made their debut into the world with force and power - it's easy to forget that we're not the only ones. Our history is the span of several hundred years and mostly consists of WW1, WW2, American Revolition, Civil War, sex, drugs, scandals, and money ... that's what we learn about. All these massive wars and battles and disputes that we participated in or ended. While that's impressive and mighty, I'm left wondering what our heritage truly means to us.
Hear me out.
I'm reading of Ireland's content and beautiful styles of living. They exchanged pottery across the country with all communities, shared in traditions that are thousands upon thousands of years old. To me, learning about your ancestors in 4000BC and 750AD is real history. Being able to look at your family's land that has been in the line for 5,000 years, to be able to visit the history that you're learning about — it's makes it all the more real.
Beyond that it's incredible the care that they take of their land and their history. There are prehistoric graves, untouched. 2500BC "bee hive" huts in an elderly woman's backyard. She just lets everyone park in her driveway and check it out by walking through her yard - FO FREE. (She waved goodbye as we left. We hollered, "Bye Grandma!")
If a prehistoric or place of historical value exists in the US we would have ripped it up, revamped the structures, made a tourist office, and profited immensely. Irish have a far higher respect for land they've been given and all the richness of what it has to offer, without getting rich. They want to spread knowledge, not gain wealth.
Yesterday, I traveled to the Burren to climb a "mountain" and see a cliff tomb - but then on the way back down we stopped at the Abbey. Here is O'Connor's resting tomb and the burial site for many family lines. While there we were informed that mass was about to start, inside the ancient church. This building didn't have a roof, was missing a wall, and had nothing but gravel inside. Elderly folks carried their folding chairs in before the service was to begin. But this piece of pure Irish history is just a normal mass for some, and a quiet place to visit. It's astounding.
(( I later learned that this church was built in the 12th century. That's 800 years of mass being held in those walls. ))
While traveling to the Cliffs of Moher our bus driver told of us the low incomes and struggle of the Irish common folk in today's society. Let me use this example -
a house used to cost 400,000 Euro in 1999
a 15 bedroom hotel cost 400,000 Euro in 2012
= ON THE SAME BLOCK.
But as Gary the bus driver said, "No matter the money situation everyone continues living life and doing what they can until it's fixed. There's no need to panic. As the saying goes."
Not sure where this rant is leading to - or what I'm really getting at - but I just can't help but smile. All the time here.
Every time we drive by a field and there is a random stone structure in the middle. Celtic high-crosses in people's yards that were left behind. They built around the land NOT on top of it.
Realizing you have than two weeks of the greatest experience of your life is a little unsettling. Therefore, I'm going to finish that "When I lived in Galway" bucket list and the posts might become shorter and less frequent but I won't leave out a single detail when I get back at it.
"May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.- Irish Blessing"
"STUDY"ing abroad. Right.
As I immerse myself in readings about burials and rituals of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras I gain a certain respect for Irish history.
While the US surely has history and America has made their debut into the world with force and power - it's easy to forget that we're not the only ones. Our history is the span of several hundred years and mostly consists of WW1, WW2, American Revolition, Civil War, sex, drugs, scandals, and money ... that's what we learn about. All these massive wars and battles and disputes that we participated in or ended. While that's impressive and mighty, I'm left wondering what our heritage truly means to us.
Hear me out.
I'm reading of Ireland's content and beautiful styles of living. They exchanged pottery across the country with all communities, shared in traditions that are thousands upon thousands of years old. To me, learning about your ancestors in 4000BC and 750AD is real history. Being able to look at your family's land that has been in the line for 5,000 years, to be able to visit the history that you're learning about — it's makes it all the more real.
Beyond that it's incredible the care that they take of their land and their history. There are prehistoric graves, untouched. 2500BC "bee hive" huts in an elderly woman's backyard. She just lets everyone park in her driveway and check it out by walking through her yard - FO FREE. (She waved goodbye as we left. We hollered, "Bye Grandma!")
If a prehistoric or place of historical value exists in the US we would have ripped it up, revamped the structures, made a tourist office, and profited immensely. Irish have a far higher respect for land they've been given and all the richness of what it has to offer, without getting rich. They want to spread knowledge, not gain wealth.
Yesterday, I traveled to the Burren to climb a "mountain" and see a cliff tomb - but then on the way back down we stopped at the Abbey. Here is O'Connor's resting tomb and the burial site for many family lines. While there we were informed that mass was about to start, inside the ancient church. This building didn't have a roof, was missing a wall, and had nothing but gravel inside. Elderly folks carried their folding chairs in before the service was to begin. But this piece of pure Irish history is just a normal mass for some, and a quiet place to visit. It's astounding.
(( I later learned that this church was built in the 12th century. That's 800 years of mass being held in those walls. ))
While traveling to the Cliffs of Moher our bus driver told of us the low incomes and struggle of the Irish common folk in today's society. Let me use this example -
a house used to cost 400,000 Euro in 1999
a 15 bedroom hotel cost 400,000 Euro in 2012
= ON THE SAME BLOCK.
But as Gary the bus driver said, "No matter the money situation everyone continues living life and doing what they can until it's fixed. There's no need to panic. As the saying goes."
Not sure where this rant is leading to - or what I'm really getting at - but I just can't help but smile. All the time here.
Every time we drive by a field and there is a random stone structure in the middle. Celtic high-crosses in people's yards that were left behind. They built around the land NOT on top of it.
Realizing you have than two weeks of the greatest experience of your life is a little unsettling. Therefore, I'm going to finish that "When I lived in Galway" bucket list and the posts might become shorter and less frequent but I won't leave out a single detail when I get back at it.
"May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.- Irish Blessing"
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Best thing I've learned thus far ...
Today I made the mother of all discoveries!!
The meaning behind a four-leaf clover:)
1. Each leaf is believed to represent something: the first is for faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck.
[[ Theta love :) ]]
2. It's a dysfunctional shamrock essentially - it's said that four-leaf clovers area mutation that is found 1 in 10,000 times!
The meaning behind a four-leaf clover:)
1. Each leaf is believed to represent something: the first is for faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck.
[[ Theta love :) ]]
2. It's a dysfunctional shamrock essentially - it's said that four-leaf clovers area mutation that is found 1 in 10,000 times!
New found love :)
Monday, July 8, 2013
Did I mention....
It can be 80 degrees in Ireland.
I'm sweating in my shorts and tank right now.
Real life story.
But in a matter of minutes it can be this.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Taste of the Dingle
We loaded the bus at 11.30 on Friday morning and took off towards the Dingle.
There is no other landscape in western Europe with the density and variety of archaeological monuments as the Dingle Peninsula. This mountainous finger of land which juts into the Atlantic Ocean has supported various tribes and populations for almost 6,000 years. Because of the peninsula's remote location, and lack of specialised agriculture, there is a remarkable preservation of over 2,000 monuments.
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| Bunratty Castle |
First we made a pit stop at the Bunratty Castle in Co. Clare for lunch and a little sight seeing. After the climb up the spiral staircases the view from the top was WELL worth all the dizziness and smells.
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| View from the top-front |
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| View the top-back |
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| Family picture at the castle in the head chairs |
It is impossible to visit the Dingle Peninsula and not be impressed by its archaeological heritage. When one combines each site's folklore and mythology, which have been passed orally from generation to generation through the Irish language, one can begin to understand how unique and complex is the history of this peninsula.
http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/history.html
Rather than make this a lecture or lesson feel free to use this link to read more about the history of the Dingle:)
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| We all lived in one room. My guess is 24'x24', 6 bunks, 1 bathroom, 2 nights. BONDING TIME. Rm 29 will live in infamy. |
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| The view from our room! |
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| Salmon pasta = delicious |
On Saturday we loaded the bus to drive around the Dingle Pennisula and see all the historic "Bee Hive" houses, preserved churches
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| "The laziest sheep in the world. Remington O'Hare." Most would run away or charge at you! Yikes. |
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| The view from the bus notice that little road, slightly terrifying. |
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| Mixin' a little greek in our matching outfits! |
| Beehive huts or Clocháns are dry-stone buildings dating from c.2000 BC. They are usually round in shape, but rectangular huts are known as well. What gives these huts their distinctive appearance is a building technique known as corbelling, i.e. the layering of stones, with each layer bending slightly closer and narrower towards the peak. Stones were laid with an outward and downward tilt to shed water, making these huts watertight. |
Right across the street from the "Bee Hives" was this lovely view. Behind that far rock wall is a LARGE drop off into the water. One foul slip of a sheep herder or sheep and you're done. What was also incredible is that every rock wall is literally just stacked rocks. Imagine the patience and time. Goodness.
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| Just the view over the edge .... backin' up |
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| Arrived at the Dingle Peninsula |
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| speechless |
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| The whole group! Too bad Courtney and I were a little behind ... Love these kids :) |
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| ISA Greeks :) |
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| just a bunch of kids climbing on rocks |
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| Joe, Tom, Elissa, myself, Courtney, Rachel, Sarah, & Andrew |
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| "breakfast club" of Dingle :) |
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| one step and it's bye-bye |
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| Found some fellow Thetas on the beach!! |
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| Roomie :D |
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| Now this is what I call Ireland :) |
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| I didn't want to leave this spot! |
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| Old religious burial sight, yet to be dug up -- AKA Dead people are under there. Eep. |
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| Wouldn't be the same without this gang alongside! |
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| My kind of door!! 1 of 2 people that fit. #shortpeopleprobs |
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| Gallarus Oratory |
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| Imagine building this!! .... but the view |
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| you can't hate this view :) |
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| I would love this as my eternal resting ground. What a view! |
On Saturday night we ventured out on the docks and went all along the coast. While this is a tourist town, it still has all the charm of a local Irish town and humble abode.
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| Sarah, Courtney, Rachel, myself, and Gabby * gangstas in glasses * |
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| BEST ICE CREAM EVER |
While we physically left Dingle - a part of ISA will forever be there :)
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