Wanderblog

“Goodbye,” Not “See You Later”

So… I’m in London. And I’m not visiting (although I desperately wish I could just hop on the Underground and go straight to the Tate Modern Museum). I’m on my way home. Which is insane. I’ve already made the long trip to Dublin, the short flight to London, and now all that stands between me and the Omaha skyline is a two-hour layover, an 8-hour flight to Chicago, and one more short flight home.

Ok, so actually a lot still stands between me and Omaha, but still. The journey has begun and it’s strange.

Leaving Ireland was bittersweet, but more sweet because no one was left at UL, anyway. I spent the last week and a half preparing to say goodbye to some really wonderful friends, many of which I might never see again or won’t see for a very, very long time. Mollie left first, and while it was no fun to say goodbye to her, I at least know that I’ll see her again. Thank God we live in the same country.

Next were the Europeans. My German friends Charlotte and Andre simply told me to let them know if I’m ever in Germany… I guess that’s all we can do. The same was with my friend Adela, who is from Romania. As for the New Zealanders… well that’s another world away. Europe seems far, but New Zealand might as well be another planet, so I told Mo and Lauchlan that I might see them again. But if not, it was nice knowing them.

But really, what else do you do?

And even though it’s sad to say goodbye to people who you formed relationships with for… well, possibly forever, it’s nice to know that they’re there. I have such a great network of friends around the world now, and that’s nice to know.

And now, my only connections to those people are through my photos and my memories and the world of Facebook that only lets me look through a small window into the lives of all of the friends I’ve made. It’s weird. I honestly don’t think it’s really hit me.

Still, I can’t wait to be home. I can only imagine how glorious sleeping in my bed will be. And how great it will be to see my dog and hug the family I’ve missed and the friends I haven’t seen. Quoting She & Him, “it doesn’t get better than home, now, does it?”

Travel is a close second. A very, very close second. And I can’t wait until I’m on the road and in the skies again.

Until next time.

A Bit of Home in Ireland

After returning from our trip to Paris, Colleen McQuillan and crew (her friends Toody, Julie, and Julie… yes that got confusing) came to visit me in Ireland. Toody, who has been to Ireland many times before, served as our trusty driver throughout the entire week and braved some pretty terrifying roads. We had a fantastic week trekking around Limerick Doolin, Galway, Cork, Connemara, and Shannon. We saw some incredible sights, had quite a few pints, and a lot of good laughs.

The Cliffs of Moher at sunset.

Blarney

The view from the Blarney Castle.

Julie, Toody, Julie, and Collen.

Kinsale

We saw a ridiculous number of rainbows during our week running around Ireland.

Healy’s Pass

In all, the whole week was absolutely fantastic. It was so nice having a bit of home come to Ireland. I had really been missing Omaha, and having some Omaha come to me made it all better. And on top of that, we were a pretty fun group :)

The Last Descent

The flight from Paris back to Dublin was my last time landing in Ireland during this trip… and who knows when I’ll be back. Luckily, we were greeted with a beautiful sunset.

Bonjour, Paris

Let me start this entry by stating that Paris is the one trip I was not entirely excited for. I had booked it in the heat of the moment in October when everyone was talking about it and saying how great it is and how it doesn’t matter that it’s expensive because seriously, it’s Paris. But after deciding that I wasn’t really into the whole “big city” thing, I wasn’t exactly pumped for our Parisian experience.

Well, my mind has most certainly been changed. Let me explain…

First off, it reminded me of every movie I’ve ever seen that has taken place in Paris. Everywhere we went I felt like I was in some beautiful film. Second, the only word to accurately describe that city “magical.” Nothing else.

Cue “magical” photos:

The people are chic and the city is magical. The end. But really, I couldn’t get over the people there. They were all so tall and thin and beautiful and wore such fantastic clothes. All of the men looked like they had just walked out of a Ralph Lauren catalog and the women all had awesome heels and stylish coats. Now I understand why people shop so much in Paris—because they want to look just as fabulous as everyone else. Naturally, in true Parisian fashion, I bought an awesome new pair of black wedges at Zara and showed them off on our first day.

Me, with new shoes :)

Aside from the shopping, we visited the Musee D’orsay and walked around and took  photos of museums and the Eiffel Tower and the people and the trees and the river. It was all so great.

Love locks on The Seine

That night, we all put on black dresses (minus Joe, because that would have been weird), bought some cheap wine (three euros!!), and then went out to dinner with Maggie’s friend who lives in Paris. It was the perfect Parisian night.

On day two we went to Versailles, which was incredible. Louis XIV really knew how to do it. His palace is absolutely insane… and overdone. The whole time I just kept imagining him running around all of the beautiful rooms in his pajamas.

 When we went back into the city we headed to the Arc De Triomphe, which we (of course) climbed.

View from the top.

Next, we went to the Lourve where we saw some of the world’s most famous paintings, including the Mona Lisa (which was pretty underwhelming), along with tons of classics. I really wanted to see Vermeer, which I did, but it was also underwhelming, sadly. My favorite painting was probably Lady Liberty, which is much more impressionable in person. Then again, all of the art was. The building itself is a work of art. I could have stayed there all day.

In the evening, I made a 40 minute trek to the Eiffel Tower while Maggie, Joe, and Mollie hung out in a cafe. The Eiffel Tower, I’ve decided, is like Big Ben. It shouldn’t be that interesting, but I will never get sick of it.

After that, we met up with one of our good friends from Creighton, Hugh. He lives in Monmarte, so he spent the evening showing me his stomping ground. We got to catch up while visiting Sacre Cour, and he took me to the top of a giant hill where we looked over the entire city, all lit up. We saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle at the top of the hour and then explored more of the area, which is, as Hugh describes it, the “starving artist” area. Tons of famous artists used to live there, the most famous being Renoir. Hugh showed me his house, which was cool.

On day 3, Hugh took us to Notre Dame, which was much more beautiful than I expected. Quasimoto jokes were the theme of the day.

Lit a candle for Bob McQ on his 50th birthday.

After exploring the area around Notre Dame and hanging out at some bookshops and people-watching at a cafe, we said our goodbyes to Hugh and began our journey back home. I’m sad to say that I was the saddest to leave Paris out of every city… maybe except for Prague. There’s so much to do and see. The baguettes, the croissants, the fashion, the people, the wine, the music—everything.

Either way, I will most definitely return. Hugh said that he has been told by many Parisians to visit Paris three times. Go when you’re young, go when you’re in love, and go when you have money. And I think that’s the way to do it.

An Irish, Indian, Semi-American Thanksgiving

As a whole, I’m a pretty easy traveler. I’m easy-going, I generally know what to expect when I hop on a plane, and I certainly don’t ever get homesick. So as Thanksgiving Day approached and everyone else was talking about missing their families and their turkeys and whatnot, I really wasn’t that phased. Rachel had planned to visit Limerick that weekend, and that was all I needed.

Rach arrived on Wednesday night, and on Thursday we woke up and I actually felt a bit sad about not being home. Facebook was exploding with statuses like, “Watching movies in my nice, warm, bed!” and “Turkey and mashed potatoes… YES.” OK people, we get it, you’re really happy to be home. Needless to say, we wanted to be home in our nice, warm beds eating turkey and mashed potatoes, too.

The University of Limerick International Society tried to put our American hearts at ease at least a little, so they offered a nice Thanksgiving dinner for us (even though it was served at noon, but whatever). Maggie, Mollie, Carly, Rach, and I, along with Maggie’s friend from Creighton, Emily, who was also visiting, enjoyed a tasty Thanksgiving meal that afternoon, along with Guinness, of course. I’ll admit it was a pretty good alternative, but still not the same. That night, we ordered Indian food for our real dinner. Talk about being cultured, am I right?

Served on lunch trays… it’s fine.

For the rest of the day and on Friday, we hung out in Limerick. Maggie and I brought Rachel and Emily to some of our favorite clubs and pubs and showed them the beautiful River Shannon. We were lucky to have some sun the day we went to the City Centre.

Castles and rainbows… only in Ireland.

The River Shannon.

Friends, reunited :)

That weekend, Rach and I adventured to Killarney National Park with the International Society. We hung out with a bunch of Europeans and got to see some pretty spectacular mountains.

Friends in Ireland!

It was a windy day at Muckross Pass.

The Muckross House. Queen Victoria visited it back in the day.

A doorway that’s the perfect height for Rach in Muckross Abbey.

I’ve decided that I like Killarney. I also like when friends visit me. Some of my favorite weekends in Ireland have been spent with my friends from Creighton. There’s nothing better than a little bit of home visiting while you’re away.

The Final Days

The last two weeks have been incredibly hectic. Between finishing multiple projects and papers, having lots of visitors, and traveling around, I’ve hardly found time to eat. Finally, things are done, though. I’m officially done with travel, done with finals and done with school at UL in general. All that stands between me and my flight back to Omaha is ten days of, well, nothing. I’m sure I’ll find something to do. But today is day one and I’ve decided to spend it in my bed, and while I’m here I might as well do something productive. Prepare for blog updates.

More Shenanigans in Kilmurry 31

Our house is a circus.

Seriously.

1. Silent television for three weeks? Check. 
2. Flipped furniture? Check.
3. Couches in hallway? Check.
4. Failed house inspection? Check.
5. Broken chairs? Check.
6. Shattered cutting board? Check.
7. Stolen television? Check.
8. Limerick CSI/guarda (Irish police) paying us a visit? Check.

I can only imagine what will happen next… the stolen television was just the cherry on top of what has been a very interesting semester in our house. Of course, our hilarious Irish housemates are responsible for most things broken and shattered, but all we can do is laugh.

As for the stolen television, our main concern is that we have yet to receive a new one, which the boys are not happy about (they’re missing numerous Spongebob episodes… it’s tragic). Our housemates are also out for blood and are determined to beat the living crap out of the television thief the next time he comes anywhere near Kilmurry 31.  We’ll see how that turns out.

Stay tuned.

The Countdown

I leave exactly 28 days from today.

Weird.

And sad.

I really don’t want to leave. BUT.

I’m not going to lie, I’m going to love being home. And, not to mention, being home for Christmas. The song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” has a whole new meaning when you’re actually not home for the Christmas season… which I’ve never really experienced. Anyway, I’m ashamed to say this, but I may or may not have been making a list in my head of everything that I’ve missed in the states that they don’t have in Europe. I’ve also had multiple conversations with multiple people about how much we miss Chipotle. Seriously… and I’m not even that much of a Chipotle fan. But those burritos just sound so good about 90% of the time.

Anyway, here’s the list of things I will fully enjoy when I get home. Full discolsure: most of these things are food items. Don’t judge me.

• Macaroni and cheese
• Cereal that actually tastes good
• Skim milk (haven’t found any since I’ve been here… it’s all Vitamin D)
• Cheap food in general
• Turkey sandwiches (they love ham, but turkey is in short supply)
• Chipotle
• Ketchup
• Skippy peanut butter
• Free People
• Forever21
• Anthropologie
• Restaurants that are open late
• Blueline coffee
• Hershey’s chocolate
• Salads
• Ranch dressing
• Target
• NPR (I know, I’m lame, but I miss it)
• Netflix
• Pandora
• Half of Youtube (we can’t watch a lot of the videos… it’s sad)

I sound like a complaining American. BUT there are also plenty of things I’m going to miss from here that you can’t get in the states like…

• Crunchy Panda peanut butter (I think I like it better than Skippy)
• Cadbury chocolate
• Maltesers (the best malt balls ever created)
• Crunchy M&Ms (they don’t exist in the states anymore… how sad is that?)
• Good paninis (they’re everywhere… and they’re so tasty)
• Proper tea
• An Idiot Abroad (it’s a TV show… maybe they have it in the states now, but it’s hilarious)
• Good music in clubs
• People with accents
• Guinness that tastes good
• Vegetable soup
• Re-runs of How I Met Your Mother always playing
• Cheap bus rides
• Castles… in general

The end.

Up In the Air

I feel like I should note that one of my favorite parts about traveling in Europe is the journey. Yes, it’s usually a 12-hour excursion to get from Limerick to Dublin to the airport to my destination’s airport to wherever I’m sleeping, but it’s kind of a fun adventure. I like that I’ve figured out the bus system from Limerick to Dublin and that I know exactly what to expect from Ryanair and from European airports in general. I like that I now know where the good food in Dublin’s airport is, how early I actually have to be on the airport in order to make my flight, and the exact perfect location to sit and watch the world go by in Ryanair’s airplanes (the back is the best… you get out faster when they land and don’t have to stare at the wing out the window the whole time). And in all honesty, the plane ride is what I look forward to every time. I’ve seen some really incredible things while in the air. I’ve seen tons of Irish green, quite a few oceans, the Black Forest in Germany, London at night and in the day, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Spanish Mountains, the French Alps, and the beautiful landscape of the Czech Republic. Here are some more examples:

Sunset on my flight to Barcelona:

The coast of Spain:

The western coast of Italy:

Pisa. The leaning tower is near the top in the center:

France:

The French Alps:

Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in the Alps, and the Mont Blanc Glacier:

Clouds over Dublin:

Dublin:

The green always means I’m finally home.

Italia

Last weekend, I spent a lovely two days in Italy with Rachel, who is studying in Florence for the semester. It was certainly a weekend I won’t forget.

My journey there was one of the more complicated travel experiences I’ve had since I’ve been here. I took a bus at 2:30 a.m. from Limerick to Dublin so that I didn’t have to spend money on a hostel (Stupid? Maybe. Worth it? Yes.) I slept most of the way, which was positive, and arrived at the airport around 6 and waited for my 9 a.m. flight. Of course, with Ryanair being Ryanair, the flight was delayed, and we didn’t end up taking off until about 10:45. By that point, I was exhausted and passed out right when I got on the plane. I finally arrived in Pisa that afternoon, found Rach, and we took the train to Florence and began to explore. There is so much to see. And so much to eat! That night, we went to a restaurant called Il Gatto Al Volpe and it was cheap, cheap, cheap. I had more food than I could stomach for about 7 Euros plus a fantastic bottle of wine. Italy seriously knows how to do it. 

On Sunday, we took the train to a town called Lucca, which was unlike any city I’ve ever been to. It is one of the only cities in Tuscany that still has walls from the Renaissance in tact.

Inside the city, there were fantastic restaurants and shops wonderful food.We stopped for sandwiches, soup, and tea before exploring the rest of the city.

Delicious ham sandwich.

Our adorable tea pot.

After eating, we decided to rent bicycles for an hour. We rode our bikes around the perimeter of the wall and explored some beautiful parks.

On Monday, a very sick Rachel stayed in bed (her second bout of strep that year) while I wandered around Florence by myself and then met up with my best friend from high school, Amanda, who is also studying in Florence.

Amanda and I on the steps of the Duomo.

The Duomo.

Piazza della Repubblica

A market in Florence. I bought a great scarf there :)

 That night, Rach met up with me again and we headed to the other side of the city for dinner. Florence is simply incredible night. Everything is lit up.

After a night of hanging out with Amanda and her friends (along with a kid I went to grade school with… small world), I packed up and headed back to Pisa to catch my flight early the next morning. I was reluctant to leave Italy… it’s one place that I definitely want to go back to for a longer period of time. It’s so easy (and not to mention, cheap) to get around and there’s so much to see. I can’t wait to return.