There is so much beauty in doing things you’ve never done before, but there’s even more beauty when you realize you didn’t force it, it’s simply how you’re living. It may only be the start of my time abroad in Rome, but within this two-week period I’ve already learned that this experience has enabled me to leave my comfort zone and explore. It’s forced me to dive into the world and see it unlike ever before, in a rare and exciting form. This new sense of exploration has been placed in the palm of my hand by professors who have assigned curriculum that has never even crossed my mind and has been experienced through the places my feet have lead me. Whether it be sitting in the comfort of my dorm room with my wonderful best friend and roommate Allison or along the Amalfi Coast, all is the same, it takes me to places I’ve never been before and leads me to doing things far better than my dreams.

A large part in my exploration has allowed me to spend my time learning about Italy through more than just every day experience. By attending the John Felice Rome Center, I’ve been given the opportunity to actually study the wonderful country I’m beginning to call home. I have enrolled in classes specializing in the fields of Italian language, art, philosophy, and literature, all of which have allowed me to take the curriculum I am absorbing and applying it to the new life I live. Due to the Italian emphasis within each field, a drive to educate myself within these departments has been established. Through this education I have been given the opportunity to learn about Italy within the pages of the book of my wonderful life, as well as, books published by historians far beyond my time. It’s now more than just a place I’m living, it’s a huge part of who I am becoming.

The more I explore this beautiful country of Italia, the more I find myself falling in love with it. Each location has something beautiful to offer the world, whether it be the small towns along the winding roads of the mountain side or the cities along the coast mistaken for paradise. I’ve seen both and can tell you, there truly is no greater site. This past weekend I was given the opportunity to visit one of the most famous vacation spots in the world and can finally relate to everyone’s hype about it! If you’re human you simply can’t help, but fall in love with the region known as the Amalfi Coast. It’s colors, its clear sea, and its city pride of Italian culture leaves you teary eyed and speechless.

What many don’t realize is its views can’t compare to its history. Along my three hour journey south of Roma a pit stop was made to explore the linkage between the Greeks and Italians with guided tours provided of Paestum temples and museums before arriving to the beautiful cliff side, Lloyd’s Baia Hotel, where we would be staying (and taking over) for the weekend!

After a night of much needed bonding and celebration, a day spent at farms and small villages followed. Saturday began by focusing on the food and wine of southern Italy, teaching us the process behind what we have been enjoying at our dining room tables every day. We had a day filled with some of the world’s best cheese and wine at Vini Marino Vineyard and Caseificio Vannulo Mozzarella di Bufala. The Italian belief is that if you treat something well, it will reward you with something even better in return. Due to this mentality, we got to experience the high life of not only the Italian people, but that of their buffaloes who were massaged multiple times a day and had songs of Mozart as backgrounds to their lives. People may think it’s crazy, but after tasting their life changing gelato and mozzarella I firmly believe it worked!

As if the farms didn’t fill us up enough, lunch followed with the classic pasta dish with a form of meat and potatoes, and an alcoholic dessert. I can beat you anything that no matter where you go in Italy, a meal similar to this will be served! Following this was an afternoon filled with guided tours of Castello and Agropoli, where we later enjoyed a community mass at Santa Maria delle Grazie Church by the wonderful Padre duo known as, Father Al and Father Bohr. As if mass wasn’t beautiful enough, Italians from the community joined us in prayer showing me that no matter where you are in the world people can come together to praise God. After stepping foot outside of the church, I automatically asked to join the young Italian school boys in the streets for a game of Calcio where I got to let loose with my director and be reminded of how simple it is for strangers to connect.

It was a perfect day that just kept getting better. Later that night, I learned the greatest lesson of all, why I’m here. It took a surprise of Italian folk dancers and hours of making a complete fool out of myself in attempts to learn to Italian dance to realize I’m studying abroad not to escape life, but for life not to escape me. It was the first experience in my life where I was so happy my cheeks hurt from smiling so much the entire next day and where not a care in the world crossed my mind. It was me, my amazing friends in my program, and an Italian band that took me to truly live life. In that moment, I was the happiest girl in the world, there was no doubt about it. Memories like these are only found while studying abroad, where moments turn into reasons for living.

Before returning to Roma on Sunday, we took a last stop at Montecassino where we visited the Abbey of St. Benedict. It was jaw dropping to see such beauty and inspired me to be an example for others, just like he is. Overall, if the weeks coming up are anything like the one’s I’ve already experienced, I couldn’t be more excited to see where they take me. My trip to Amalfi has taught me that the greatest gifts in life are given to you when you explore, that you really must eliminate the idea of a comfort zone and just go for it, and that life should be spent doing things that make you convinced you’ve hit the highest level of happiness. One weekend, two weeks in, is all it took for me to find my reason for life directing me to Italy. Due to this, Amalfi will always be with me and there’s no doubt I’ll be returning again. Until then, I’ll be practicing my Italian dancing for the next time I’m at Mediterrean Sea of Southern Italy.

Ciao for now, I’m off to continue enjoying the wonderful life I’m living.

Gabriella Lunich

It’s hard to believe that I’ve only been here for a little more than a week. I’m already overwhelmed by how many people I’ve met and how many incredible places I’ve gone! The shock of living in a different country is definitely beginning to set in. I can sum up the better part of this past week by saying I’ve been lost. A lot. Actually, each and every time I’ve left the JFRC (also colloquially known as “J-Force”) I’ve ended up lost at some point during the excursion. But really, it’s not so bad to be lost in Rome.

Classes began this past week. I’m taking Italian 101, Art in Rome (an on-site class), The Church in the World, and Beginning Acting. I can tell that each of the classes will be challenging in its own way. Thanks to some useful Italian phrases I’ve learned, I’ve been practicing the language every chance I get. I’ve managed to order food and drinks in Italian, introduce myself to random people, and have little fragments of conversation! For my acting class, we’ll soon start preparing monologues and gearing up to present A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the end of the semester. I’m completely excited and terrified about it, but as a good friend reminded me before I left for Rome, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

One night, my friends and I ventured out to see the Vatican and the nativity scene all lit up at night. I’d never seen it before, and it made me do some weirdly deep thinking (bear with me). Watching all the birds circling around St. Peter’s Basilica, I thought about how they’re so lucky that they can fly wherever they want to go and perch on top of these magnificent buildings. And they don’t even know how important the building is that they’re sitting on. They don’t know even how much of a miracle it is that they can soar through the air. But then it dawned on me that I’m kind of bird-brained in that sense, too. I can fly wherever I want to (hypothetically), and most of the time I get too caught up in everyday life to realize how lucky I am. I somehow ended up in Vatican City, standing in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, a place that most people on this earth only dream of seeing in their lifetime. It occurred to me that in every sense of the word, it’s a miracle that I not only get to go to college, but that I get to do it in a completely different country and learn about a vastly different culture. It put into perspective all the stress of planning weekend trips, and the anxiety I’ve felt about being away from home. I’m sure this is only one of the profound — and profoundly cheesy — moments I’ll have during my time abroad.

After spending some time around the Vatican, we wandered down the street into this adorable little place called Bukowski’s. We split a bottle of wine amongst us and played a fun, wholesome game of Italian Scrabble. After a lot of laughing and, on my part, attempts at bending the rules, we set out to find the 24-hour “Secret Bakery” we’d been hearing so much about from other students. I’ve never seen more pastries in one place, or a bigger variety of them! It was like descending into Wonderland.

The weekend was full of adventure that deserves a separate post, but I’ll try my best to condense it into this one. We took our final orientation trip, and stayed at Lloyd’s Baia hotel in Vietri sul Mare. The place was absolutely gorgeous —  a hotel right on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the water — located at the starting point of the Amalfi Coast. I watched the sunrise over the water/mountains Saturday morning from my bedroom’s balcony. It was hard to tell whether or not I was still dreaming because it was both insanely gorgeous and ridiculously early in the morning.

Though incessant rain and an unintelligible tour guide made Friday feel long and dismal, it was great seeing the temples and ruins of Paestum. Saturday was by far my favorite day of the orientation trip. We took a tour of a buffalo mozzarella farm and got to do a wine tasting/tour at Vini Marino wine farm. This is the stuff that dreams are made of, people. The buffalo were adorable in their own nasty way, but you could tell that they were enjoying their lush lifestyle at the farm. They get daily massages, their own beds, and simply saunter in to be milked when they felt the time was right. Oh, and the farmers play classical music for the buffalo some mornings to free them of stress. I never thought I’d be jealous of a buffalo, but, well…here I am. We sampled some of the cheese (which is very fresh, with an odd aftertaste, and would be delicious with tomato and basil), and had fantastic gelato that was made with buffalo milk.

At the wine farm, we were walked through the process of wine-making and learned how it differs for red wines and white wines. The vineyard was as picturesque as you’d imagine, tucked away in a corner of the hillside. I’m not a wine connoisseur, but I can assure you that the wine was smooth and flavorful (are those appropriate adjectives to use for describing wine?) and I enjoyed it immensely. Later in the day, we went to the beautiful town of Agropoli and I attended mass at the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church.

Sunday, we packed up our things to head back to the JFRC and took a tour of the Abbey of Montecassino on the way. The Abbey is a monestary located right at the top of the hill (more like a mountain, from my Ohioan perspective) that has been destroyed and rebuilt several times since it was first established in the 11th century. Not only was the place huge with an amazing view, but the history was fascinating. If you ever have a chance to go there, it’s well worth the terrifying twenty-minute drive to the top of the hill, even if you’re afraid of heights like I am!

Well, I won’t bore you all by going into detail about the several four-course meals I ate over the weekend…or by describing how when 250 college students are thrown together to stay in a hotel on the bay for two nights, those nights are going to be quite memorable. All in all, suffice it to say I had a wonderful and totally exhausting weekend.

Ciao for now!

People tell you a lot of stuff when you go abroad.

 

“Buy plug adapters”

“Watch out for pickpockets”

“Get to know the locals”
But trust me, there’s a whole lot they don’t tell you. I’ve got a few big points to share at only 3 weeks in, so I’m sure the list will be a mile long come June. But here are the basic 4 things no one told me before coming abroad.

 

1. YOU CAN’T DO EVERYTHING RIGHT AWAY

 

This might seem like common knowledge, but it’s really not. The first two weeks in your new country are going to BURN YOU OUT. You’re thrust into a new environment full of strange people, rules, and food to adjust to. You’re at the beginning of your program, and you obviously need to make friends. It’s like the first week of college all over again, and we all remember how much fun that was. It’s exhausting trying to be friendly and nice to everyone you meet, and you find yourself running around all the time.

 

Trying to cram sightseeing an entire city into the first week of your stay is not possible, but also exactly what everyone does. You have multiple months to see it all, so don’t try running around the whole town while you’re still jet-lagged. Take a step back, spend a little time making your room feel like home, and try to aim for doing one new thing every day. Everyone in London may always be in a rush, but trust me, they’re never as frenzied as a visiting American. Brits do whatever they want on their own time, usually abiding by no schedule you’re familiar with. So, similarly…

 

2. THROW YOUR OLD ROUTINE OUT THE WINDOW

 

This may not be true for every country. Right now, I can only speak for England. And more specifically, college-age kids in England. But since I’ve been here, I don’t sleep, eat, or go out the way I used to.

 

When most collegiate Americans head to Europe for a semester, one of the biggest things on their mind is the lower drinking age. But the drinking culture in the UK is NOTHING like back home. For one thing, Europeans are much more used to the concept of alcohol at an earlier age than Americans, so the novelty of binge-drinking has largely worn off by college. But that doesn’t mean there’s no drinking, because there’s still  A LOT.

 

At a typical American university, students drink recreationally on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Sometimes, even less than that. This complies with the fact that most Americans have class 5 days every week. But the average Brit only has class for 3 days per week, so they go out whenever they want. Pubs and nightclubs are open in London every single day, and a Tuesday night can be just as much fun as a Friday.

 

My point is, don’t feel bad for taking some time off to get adjusted. Europeans may go out to the bars upwards of 4 times a week, but they drink far less at a time than most Americans are used to. At Queen Mary it’s totally normal to catch up on homework on a Saturday night after you’ve already been out Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of that week. This also means Brits tend to sleep and eat on similarly relaxed schedules than you’re used to. Weekends are still fun here, but weeknights get a little more love in the UK than in the states.

 

3. SOMETIMES, YOU WILL BE ALONE

 

Yeah, all those new friends you’re making? You can’t hang out with them literally all the time. You’ll have different classes, schedules, and responsibilities at some point. This is when people start to freak out, because as human beings we tend to cling to the familiar. Even if “familiar” means a group of Americans you met for the first time 2 weeks ago.

 

Don’t be afraid to walk around by yourself. Take a bus somewhere new and get lunch alone. Ask locals for an obscure recommendation. Don’t confine or restrict yourself to what you think you should be doing. You’re in a new country, so do something different. But if you’re going to explore alone, be smart about it! Bring a little extra cash for a cab in case you get REALLY lost, and always remember a map. Because Google Maps just doesn’t work without WiFi.

 

4. YOU WILL GET SICK

 

Seriously, people, I cannot stress this enough. Nobody recommends a vaccination before you travel to London, but guess what? Your immune system will still betray you. It might not happen right away. In fact, it will probably take a few weeks for your body to realize you aren’t on temporary vacation and these foreign germs flying around you might just be here to stay. I’m not someone who’s prone to sickness, but I’ve had a terrible sore throat for the last week.

 

At first I thought it was just bad luck, but I slowly started to realize that almost every American I know has been ill in some small capacity. We’ve all been traveling through germ-infested airports and crowded tube trains, so I guess we should have seen it coming. But I really didn’t.

 

It sucks, but you can’t let it ruin your first few weeks abroad. Chug some orange juice, take a nap, pop a throat lozenge, and get back out there. Because as tempting as it is to skip class when you’re feeling under the weather, the last thing you want to do is get behind early in a brand new school system you’re not used to.

 

**This list is by no means exhaustive, I am an expert in nothing, and this is really just me complaining. London is worth all the struggles.

Anyone who studies abroad in a country where they are not fluent in the language will mention struggles with a language barrier, and that’s totally normal. But guess what? British English is SO different from American English! A lot of it boils down to accent and inflection. Basically every time I’ve ordered in a restaurant or bar since I’ve been here, I’ve gotten flustered from not understanding something the server said. And it’s important to remember that even though you’re in an English-speaking country, that doesn’t mean you’ll only encounter English!

At a Lebanese café near Buckingham Palace, it took 10 minutes for us to order coffee and scones from a waitress who only spoke a few words of English. At an Italian restaurant in Soho, our waiter spoke with such a thick Italian accent that he was almost impossible to understand. When you’re traveling, you always have to keep an open mind and be patient with everyone you meet.

 

But lets not forget about the Brits! I’ve been speaking English for 20 years now, and up until this month I really thought I’d mastered it. But London may as well be a whole different world.

 

“Ello, gov’nah!”

“Pip, pip, cheerio!”

“Where’s the loo?”

 

Sound familiar? These are all examples of overstereotyped British phrases that most Americans are used to throwing out in humor whenever the UK is even mentioned. But I’m 3 weeks into my 5 month-long London adventure, and I can assure you that we’ve all been wrong this entire time. Yes, really.

The first few might not come as a surprise. I mean, gov’nah? Come on. But I really was shocked about this last one. I’ve now been in London for 20 days and met countless England natives in my dorms, classes, and out on the street. But I have not once heard anyone refer to the bathroom as “the loo.” It’s just not a thing here. I know what you’re thinking, WHAAAAT??!

 

Most commonly, the Brits just say toilet. “Toilets” signs adorn every public restroom, with the occasional “WC” (water closet) thrown in. I’m not sure why this disappointed me so much, but the loo is no more. All those movies and TV shows lied to us. Let it go, Americans!    :’(

 

Some phrases I didn’t expect to be different, and those have led to some adjusting. For instance, “cheerio!” might sound a little silly, but Brits are huge fans of one simple derived form of the word. In my extensive scientific studies (ie., 3 weeks of being an obnoxious tourist) I’ve come to the conclusion that “cheers” is the most commonly used word in the British English language.

 

Open a door for someone? “Cheers!”

Lend them a pencil? “Cheers!”

Hand them correct change? “Cheers!”

 

Sometimes you’ll get lucky and even get a “cheers, mate” tacked on at the end there. It’s basically interchangeable with “thanks” and even “goodbye” but who knew???

I could go on for ages, but there is one last one that threw me. I’ve gotten to know my flatmates pretty well so far, and they are all wonderful, hilarious people. But I don’t always understand what on earth they’re talking about. For instance:

 

“Oh, last night everyone was taking the piss out of me.”

 

This is a completely normal sentence in London. Apparently, it’s another way to say “everyone was making fun of me last night.” The first time I heard this one I nearly choked on my dinner but now it’s become so common that I’ll probably have to watch myself from saying it when I come back to the states. So weird. Why, England??

I know I have it much easier than some of my other fellow study abroad-ers in terms of language, but adjustment is hard no matter where you go. I can already hear myself changing slightly when I talk to my local friends, like using “quite” instead of “really” and “a bit” instead of “some”….But I still don’t think my midwestern accent will be budging any time soon!

Ciao amici! To be quite honest, I feel very cool greeting you all in Italian, some how makes me feel significantly more Italian. I have been here for about two weeks now and I can say that I am slowly adjusting.

People often like to glamorize study abroad because 97% of it is super glamorous. You are in a foreign country, exploring, eating and learning, that is a pretty fabulous life if you ask me! But there are also the other experiences that factor into studying abroad. Experiences such as homesickness, language trial and error and physically and mentally adjusting, that not so many people talk about. Now to be clear I am not at all a “debbie downer”, I’m just trying to embrace all of the study abroad experience and part of that are the challenges. Here are some lessons/personal remedies I have learned over the past two weeks:

1) Homesickness is real and normal! I am 21 years old and I miss my mom and my dog and I am not at all afraid to admit that. Well okay, at first I was embarrassed to admit that but feeling this way is normal. I had to put it into perspective. I just moved to a brand new country for four months, naturally I will miss things and people.

2) You will have several language fails. We were in Campania this weekend and a kind waiter came to take my dish away and I accidentally said “basta” which is the equivalent of saying “enough already!” but what I really meant to say was “finito”.  Major face palm moment, but that is a part of learning a new language! All the Italians I have interacted with are very willing to help me and correct my awful Italian and I am very grateful. Those language fails will be engrained in your brain, often times from deep embarrassment, but that is totally okay!

3) You will have moments that will make you say “Momma I made it!”. There have been moments in the last two weeks that have made me want to strike the iconic Rocky pose because I felt that I have accomplished a big feat. Okay, in reality these moments are actually quite minuscule but I felt like a champ. Moments such as tackling the bus system kind of on my own, going grocery shopping and not getting lost, knowing how to actually get somewhere and knowing what store to get something at. These are very small moments but I did in fact run (metaphorically) back to JFRC and text my Mom. I’m still very proud.

Till next time my friends! Ciao!

-Lindsay

Ciao tutti!

Last Friday at 7am, I went with the JFRC to Campania, the province adjacent to Lazio, the province that Rome is in. We drove for about 4 hours until we reached a cliffside restaurant near the town of Agropoli where we had lunch. For lunch, we had lasagna, followed by pork and potatoes. Although the lasagna was good, it was not my favorite, as I still prefer lasagna alla Bolognese. Unlike the ladder, this particular lasagna was more based on a tomato sauce instead of a meat sauce, and had a slightly sweet aftertaste. The pork and potatoes were cooked well, and the pork had a slightly peppery taste to it, which I really enjoyed.

After lunch, we departed for an archeological site in a nearby town.  There, we examined numerous ruins left by the Roman empire that were constructed in a Greco-Roman fashion.  In the middle of the site, there were numerous structures that appeared to look similar to the Parthenon.  Although I enjoyed the tour, it was raining that day, so we had to go under an open air shelter for a bit until the rain subsided.  After, we went to the museum adjacent to the site, where we examined paintings, mosaics, and other works of art excavated from the site that were on display for preservation purposes.

Once we finished at the site, we departed for our hotel in Vietri, a small town along the Amalfi Coast.  After checking in, we had a welcome celebration led by the student life team, followed by dinner.  For dinner, we had a pasta that contained both pork and a mushroom sauce.  Although it was very good, it was not my personal favorite, as I am not the largest fan of mushrooms.  Objectively, though, it was cooked well.  Following the pasta was the second course, which consisted of turkey and potatoes.  Similar to lunch, both were cooked nicely, and the turkey has a slight peppery taste to it.  Throughout the meal, we were served ample wine.  The wine we received was a medium-bodied red, and although it was not as robust as a Cabernet or a Sangiovese, there was still ample flavor.

The next morning, we were woken up very early by staff, after which, we had breakfast and then went to both a bufala mozzarella farm and a winery.  We toured both facilities, followed by a tasting from each.  The bufala mozzarella was served in a water bath, so that when you bit into it, you could taste the freshness and richness of the mozzarella cheese.  Unlike other types of cheese, this particular cheese contained 9 percent milk fat, which meant that it was incredibly flavorful.  After the farm, we went to the wine tasting, where we sampled both a white and a red.  As you can tell from my blog, I prefer red wine outright to white; this particular white, however, was very full-bodied and was not too harsh.  To me, it tasted like a more refined, smoother pinot grigio.  Additionally, the red tasted very good as well; however, unlike the wine tasting in Umbria, it was not nearly as robust in its strength.  However, there was still flavor, and although fruity, it was not overwhelming.

After the wine tasting and lunch, we went to the town of Agropoli, where we climbed to a fort at the highest point in town.  From there, we saw spectacular views of the Southern Amalfi Coast.  We got a couple of hours to freely explore the town, have coffee, and shop.  Although I chose not to participate in the community mass, many people did, and those that attended it got to go inside a church situated on a cliff.  Once it came time to go, we boarded the busses and went back to the hotel for dinner.

Once dinner was almost over, a musical group from near Vesuvius came out of nowhere.  All of a sudden, the room went from moderately loud chatter to a room filled with excitement, music, and dancing.  Almost immediately, I found myself being yanked up from my seat onto the dance floor, where I danced with a member of the band.  I was a bit intimidated at first, seeing as I am not the best dancer; however, I got into the rhythm of the music, and after a while felt much more relaxed.  After the dancing, we enjoyed the rest of the night with new friends looking out over the water.

Although very tired the next day, we were, yet again, woken up very early to eat breakfast, check out, and board the buses.  Our last sight that we visited was a monastery situated on top of a very large hill just north of Naples.  We toured the compound, which included a museum, and were able to spend time taking pictures, talking with friends, and reflecting on our experiences up to this point.  It was a very peaceful environment, as for the first time in almost two weeks, I was able to find a place where I could be in complete silence and think about the many thoughts and experiences I have.

We then left the monastery, went to lunch, and departed back to Rome.

I know this blog was longer than usual, but I felt that there was a lot to highlight from this experience.  Unfortunately, the wifi is very bad in Italy, so I do not have the pictures right now for this blog.  In the future, once I find a solution, I will make sure to add pictures to the site!

Grazie per leggere, e a presto!

-I

 

One of the main reasons why I chose Ireland to study abroad, is because of my family background. Both sides of my family stems from Ireland and I was so excited to become enriched in a culture that my family both values and reflects. Since being in Cork, I have begun to notice sayings or traits that remind me both of my family and myself. The most recent one was introduced to me by my Politics of Northern Ireland professor. She was explaining the background on some Irish history and she said to the class, “One thing you must know about the Irish is that if you ask them to do something, make them seem as if they have a choice, they will bend over backwards to try to accommodate you. But if you make it sound like a demand or don’t ask, they will refuse to do anything you say.” This made me smile because I felt like that 100% applied to both me, and a number of family members. Now whether that really is some Irish blood that is being passed down, or just a coincidence, little things like that make me feel as though I have a true ancestry here. The connection of going back to my roots is something I hoped to experience and hope that I will continue to do so. Plus, there is always the bright side of seeing my last name in true Irish form around the city. And yes, two different Irish people have told me that I am pronouncing my last name wrong.

 

 

Since I have last written I have had the wonderful experience of traveling to Blarney. Where, of course, I saw the Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone. For those who don’t know, it is believed that if you kiss the Blarney Stone you will receive the gift of gab. Now, I don’t think I necessarily need the gift of gab, but it could never hurt. However, one thing I didn’t know about kissing the Blarney Stone is that it is easier said than done. To reach the Blarney Stone, you have to climb to the top of the Blarney Castle (don’t worry there are stairs, but they are very narrow and winding), once you reach the top there is someone there who will help you actually reach the stone. In order to kiss it, you have to lay on your back, scoot back out into a gap between the castle wall and where you are laying, and lean back and kiss it. Now this is made easier by the building of rails to hold onto and the guy who helps you back up, but it is definitely a bit more terrifying than I anticipated. But it was worth it, and both the Blarney Castle and the gardens were beautiful.

 

 

Classes here at UCC have been fantastic. My favorite one right now is my Irish Politics class, both because the subject is extremely interesting and my teacher is fantastic. It is crazy to really look in depth about why there is a Republic of Ireland and a Northern Ireland, and to hear about the process, time, fighting, and legislation it took for Ireland to become its own nation. It really puts into perspective how much “easier” it was for the United States to become its own country when compared to the conflict that lasted so many years in Ireland and the turmoil and unrest that is still prevalent to this day. I look forward to learning more and more about the current political system here since most of my classes so far have dealt with the history and background of the country. This class complements well with my Politics of Northern Ireland course so by the end of the term, I should be able to explain to anyone who asks why there is both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and why it is not as simple as some preconceived notions may have you think.

Lastly, one thing you can count on if you come to Ireland for longer than a week, you will most likely develop a cold. It seems as though all of my friends and roommates are contracting a runny nose or cough that will hopefully go away at some point. The amount of moisture that is constantly in the air, and the fact that it rains on a daily basis, is the perfect combination. However, nothing can bring us down, and we have another group trip planned for Cobh this weekend and a pub crawl tonight.

Stay tuned for more!

Cultural notes:

~You WILL hear Fresh Prince of Bel-Air played every single time you go out. Whether it is a club or a pub, you will hear (and sing along to) this tune.

~ The greatest shopping store you will discover is called Penneys, which is a super cheap clothing and home goods store that will save you a bunch of money. A few of us went on a quick Penneys run the other day and the store was swarming with middle schoolers who had just gotten out of school. Apparently Penneys must be THE PLACE to hang after school is released because there was a large number of kids just running around and hanging out.

 

Last Friday, all of us in the program went to the Foreign Police Department to register our visas. If I could compare this system to anything in the United States it would be the DMV…but a million times worse. There is only one Foreign Police Department in all of Santiago, so you can imagine every single foreigner is there. We all arrived promptly at around 9:00, an hour after it opens, and received our numbers which were in the 170’s-180’s. Upon obtaining our numbers, we passed the monitor that showed what numbers they were on, and they were only on 20. Not only was this place crowded, but the system was so slow that we ended up waiting there for 4 hours just to register our visas. Within those 4 hours, I took 2 naps and ate a snack. It also was around 90 degrees that day so we were all pretty sweaty and exhausted by the time our numbers were called. After registering our visas, we left at around 1:00pm to rush to the second office to obtain our Chilean identity numbers, which I think of as a social security number or driver’s license number perhaps. The only catch was that the office closed at 2:00pm, and the office was maybe half a mile away. All of us pretty much ran to the other office and made it just as they were about to close but luckily they took pity on us and we were the last people to be helped. Covered in sweat and panting like a dog, I excitedly gave my documents and passports to the lady who suddenly had a quizzical look on her face. She exchanged a couple words with the woman next to her with my passport in hand and then moved on to the next cubicle and the next. My stomach dropped because I knew there was something wrong, and low and behold, the woman explained to me that the man at the airport stamped my passport saying that I left Santiago on January 10th instead of that I arrived. Furthermore, she told me that the Foreign Police Department should have caught this mistake and that I would need to redo this process all over again. ALL OVER AGAIN. A whole day’s worth of waiting and sweating to be rejected because the man at the airport used the wrong stamp. Anywho, I re-did the process today with success and NO WAITING IN LINE! I was very lucky today, so maybe my luck is changing around. Point learned- make sure customs uses the correct stamp because otherwise it’s a pain in the butt to get it fixed.

 

Ciao,

Christine

Life was meant to be a great adventure. One event leads to the next and everything happens for a reason. January 13, 2015 was the start of my greatest one yet; all my roads led me to Roma. I embarked on the journey of a lifetime having only one 50-pound suitcase, an empty stomach, and a full heart to accompany me. A long journey awaited me, but I was more than ready.

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