Other Side of the Atlantic

Today I traveled to Dingle with Kathleen and Patrick Dineen. Kathleen is Liam's sister so she is my second cousin. Kathleen and Patrick were tons of fun. The drive itself was breathtaking with the mountains and Irish countryside. Our first stop was "The Inch" which is a beach along the coast of Ireland. I saw the other side of the Atlantic and Patrick kept asking if I could swim home. I suppose I would save money on plane fare!
Dingle was a cute little town that is pretty deserted this time of year but we wound up at Murphy's Pub to eat. It was delicious! I tried toffee pudding which is an Irish dessert and really enjoyed it. Patrick was very interested in my future career and really made me feel good about myself because he said that I've already done quite alot for someone my age. When I told him all my plans for the future he said he would have to stay alive quite a long time because he wanted to meet in fifty years. :) He also told me not to worry if things don't always work out perfectly and said the following: "During the Great Depression when the market crashed the Americans jumped off the Empire State Building, the English jumped off the London Bridge, and Paddy (the Irishmen) went on vacation and hoped everything would be fixed by the time he got back! So don't worry too much when you mess up." I'm really going to miss meeting new people everyday when I get back home. I think that has been my most favorite part of my trip but I will always have those experiences with me.
On the drive back we stopped in Tralee. It was dark by the time we got there and many of the shops were closed so we just wondered around for a bit and went into a church. It was such a cute little town.
Once we got home there was the most wonderful apple tart and another cousin, Bernie, waiting for us. I couldn't help myself and had two pieces of the apple tart. Then we took a few pictures and everyone headed home for the evening.
I'm so sad I have to leave Killarney tomorrow. I definitely will return someday. This place is absolutely wonderful!

The Gap, Muckross, and Ross's Castle

My second day in Killarney also proved to be wonderful. I slept in really late and then had a full afternoon of exploring with Marie, Eimear, and Sarah. We drove all around Killarney and saw most of the main highlights including "The Gap", Muckross, and Ross's Castle. All were beautiful and all three ladies are the best company I could ask for!
We also saw my great-great-grandfather's gravesite and talked about how Sarah, Eimear, and I are third cousins. I love seeing where my ancestors are from and making those connections.
This evening Marie made us a traditional Irish dinner of bacon (ham), cabbage, and potatoes. I loved it! I am so fortunate to be staying with such wonderful people who want me to experience so much of the Irish culture. They are so sweet and I am so proud to call them my family :)

A day in Killarney

My first full day in Killarney was absolutely wonderful. The Courtney's are so nice to me. They have been feeding me so well and are such wonderful hosts. This morning we went to church and this afternoon we went to a football (Gaelic, not American) game. It was really fun and I saw a player fight and a dog fight! After football I explored Killarney with Sarah and Eimear which was grand. We went shopping and I finished up my souveneir shopping.

In town there is a lovely cathedral, St. Mary's Cathedral. This cathedral is built on top of a mound of bodies left from the famine. Inside the cathedral you can purchase candles to light to pray for people. I lit many, many candles. If you are reading this blog as a close friend or family member, I probably lit a candle for you. :)

I hope all is well for everyone back home and I will see you all soon!

Hello Ireland!

It was a bittersweet morning departing from my classmates that I had spent every minute with for the last four weeks but I am pretty excited to be on my own in Ireland. This morning I took a plane to a bus and am now on a train where I will go to another train to a car, then finally, a house. It sounds like a long commute but it's fun to figure it out and be handling it all on my own.
The Irish countryside is so green. There are alot more houses than I expected there to be but I also am still somewhat close to Dublin so that could be why. This week I am looking forward to getting some nice runs in around Killarney and enjoying all the cute accents the irish have.
Our last couple days in Barcelona were fairly good. I caught a cold though which put a damper on things. Friday in class we did a group activity and the teacher analyzed the different personalites in the group which was fairly intersting. Last night a group of us went to Bar Lobo for our last dinner. The food was delicous and the company was the best.
I hope everyone is safe and happy back home!

La Sagrada Família

Hi again!

Today we had class in the morning and then a 3 hour break in the afternoon. My group went to La Sagrada Familia which is a church that has been in construction for a really long time. It was sooo beautiful! It was absolutely huge and the detail in every piece of it was just astounding. One part I found particularly intersting was that the doors had the gospels Matthew and John carved into them. We went up the elevator to look from the top and I was just blown away by every part of this beautiful church.

I can't believe tomorrow is my last day with my group. This trip has been so wonderful. I am going to be so sad to see everyone go. This has been one of the fastest months of my life. Fortunately, I have another week in Ireland before I head home but it's already starting to set in that my journey is coming to an end.

Barcelona!!!

Hello all!
Firstly, I apologize for not updating lately. Our hotel doesn't have internet which has made things very difficult. However, today I came back to the hotel and I now have internet. Woot woot!
Barcelona has been so awesome! This is probably the most fun city I have ever been in. The weather is wonderful and we visited the Mediterranean Sea on our free day Sunday. Some of the guys in my group ventured out to some rocks and were followed by some strange Spanish man. He got out there before them and then stripped down to just his small, tight undies. He stood on the rock as proud as a peacock and started making dolphin calls. Meanwhile, the boys are still struggling to make it out to the rock I cried I was laughing so hard. I'm really having the time of my life and am enjoying all the new friendships I have.
School is going well too but I think I liked my classes in Toulouse a little bit more. It's also much harder to concentrate when it's sunny and in the sixties outside.
I also would like to add that miss Madelyn Skipper was arrived yesterday early morning, making me very anxious to get home!

Crepes and Hoedowns

Hello All!
I hope everyone's weeks have gotten off to a lovely start. Yesterday was one of my favorite days so far here in Europe. After a very interesting class about the different types of consumers in France,and an afternoon off (naturally we went shopping), Bernard hosted his annual crepe party. It was so fun!

Yummy!

Bernard set out Nutella, honey, maple syrup, apples, bananas, and sugar for us to put on our crepes and man were they delicious. He also provided beer, wine, and cider which of course made the night even more fun. We invited ten of our friends here in Toulouse over and we ate those crepes right up! Bernard also taught Rachel and I how to make crepes. After most of the crepes were eaten we started playing music from YouTube. First we showed Bernard the "Bernie" since that is his nickname. Then we switched to country and before we knew it there was a full on hoedown going on! The furniture was moved, the windows opened, and lots of knee slapping all around. Needless to say the party was a huge success and I have a new appreciation for crepes.

Today our group had class and then toured Airbus which was really cool. After that a couple of us went and got some wine to drink in the park. It was fun just to hang out in the park and chill. After that Rachel and I came to another wonderful meal from Bernard and Christianne. Bernard had stopped to get my favorite cheese too. Yum!

Week 1 in Toulouse

I can't believe my trip is almost halfway done! It's going fast but at the same time it seems like forever ago that I left the states.
Classes were really good this week and kept me pretty busy. We had class 8-5 pretty much every day and when we weren't in class we had after school events keeping us busy.
Wednesday we visited the medieval city of Albi during the day. There was a really cool church and the city had tons of history. It also had some good shopping. :) I only got a leather jacket and a few souveniers but Rachel made a killing. The group of five girls we were with got lost and was a little late getting back to the bus. Fortunately they didn't leave us!

Part of our group exploring AlbiLater that night our group saw the movie J. Edgar. If you like Leonardo Dicaprio and political movies I would recommend seeing it. As my host father Bernard said "I think he was even more of a bastard in real life than he was in the movie." hehehe

Thursday we had a group happy hour and then Mallory and Mellissa came to our house for dinner. Dinner was so fun and there was plenty of wine and country music to go around. It was definitely one of my favorite nights so far this trip.

Friday afternoon our host family, Rachel and me went on a hike. It was a little chilly but we had a good time and a nice little picnik (wine and all) at the place we hiked. Friday evening there was a pizza party for our group and the food was delicious. Afterwards we went to Bernard's nephew's bar for some drinks.

I think the thing that has suprised me the most since I have been here is how much I love my classes. They are so interesting! One of our professors is from Germany and lived there before the Berlin wall came down. She allowed us to ask questions for the whole 3-hour class. We have been asking about politics, taxes, and a host of other things. I am definitely coming to the conclusion that you simply cannot judge other cultures or people because you have not been through what they have been through and you cannot feel what they are feeling. I am learning so much and am really gaining a different perspective on the world

Much Love to everyone back home!

Courtney

First Day of Classes in Toulouse

Hello Everyone :) Today was our group's first day of classes in Toulouse. Rachel and I started out the morning with a nice run and then walked to class. Our group had breakfast at school and I enjoyed the "Pain au chocolat" for breakfast (chocolate croissants). We had a really great lecture on international management where we learned about seeing things from different perspectives. After lunch we went on a walking tour of Toulouse. One thing I really love about Europe is all of the old buildings and Toulouse certainly has its share to offer. After the walking tour we went to the grocery store with Bernard. We picked out some fruits, veggies, bread, yogurts, and cheeses. The grocery store was alot smaller and more crowded than US grocery stores but all the food was delicious and Bernard fixed us a great meal for dinner once again.

Bonjour Toulouse!

We arrived in Toulouse yesterday afternoon and explored the city for a while. Kara and I enjoyed some tasty French bread and then met up with the larger group for dinner. Dinner was delicious and we tasted all the French desserts on the menu. After dinner the whole group went out together but then seperated and all went to different bars. This morning I met with two other students and had a breakfast Bible study. After our Bible study I met my host family. Bernard and Christiane are so sweet and their house is so beautiful. Rachel and I each have our own rooms and share a bathroom. It is absolutely perfect! Bernard made us chicken and spaghetti bolognese (meat sauce) for lunch with some delicious red wine. We loved the food and it was wonderful to be eating in a home again. These next two weeks here in Toulouse are sure to be a great time. Here is a picture of me in my room in Toulouse:

What a Day!!!!

Our third day in Rome has proved to be the most interesting day yet. The morning started out slow and we didn't leave our room until about 12. We then went on a tour of colosseum, Palentine Hill, and the ruins. Then we got lunch/dinner around 3 and went to the Pantheon which was closed because of the holiday. The colosseum and Palentine Hill were both so cool and we got a lot of great pictures.

The group at the Colosseum is to the right!

The streets were extremely crowded as a result of it being a holiday and a Friday night so we got a little bit lost wondering around. We were exhausted from walking around all day so we decided to take the metro. We have taken the metro many times and not had any problems so we assumed it would be just like normal.

We bought our tickets and proceeded to enter the station. It was so CROWDED!!!! You could barely move and things were getting hostile. Only one escalator down was working so people were walking or attempting to walk down the escalators. Colton, Rachel, and Kara got a little bit ahead of me and Tyler. Tyler and I were about 3/4 of the way down the escalator when everything just stopped. A fight broke out at the bottom of the escalator and everyone was shouting, swearing, and yelling at each other. No one could move and everyone started yelling at people to go back up the escalators. Someone hit the button to stop the working escalator so people would stop piling in (keep in mind we are two stories below ground). We finally were able to get our group of five together and to the trains but it gets worse!

Once standing along the terminal we couldn't get in because it was so crowded and people were hanging out the doors. The train couldn't leave because people were not all the way in and there police trying to control the crowd. We saw one girls hand get stuck! Fortunately she got it out before the train left but it was really freaky.

The whole time this is going on there are announcements going on but they are all in Italian so we have no idea what they are saying. We finally were able to squeeze onto a train holding onto each other for dear life and made it back to our station. It was absolutely terrifying. We thought a riot was about to start and we wouldn't have been able to escape. I cannot recall many times I have been quite that scared and we were down there for a whole hour. I am so thankful to be back to our hostile tonight safe and sound.

That's the Colosseum!

The trip is going great so far! Flights went well but we must have looked like Americans because we got extremely ripped off by our taxi driver and waiter.
That's me at Trevi Fountain >

After spending alot of money on our hostel and taxi we decided to walk to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps last night. I was navigating which of course made things a little more interesting ;) Then we went and got pizza and beer and sat in our hostel hanging out... We must all be American at heart.

This morning Rachel and I went on a run. We ran alot farther than expected and ended up at the Colosseum without even realizing it. Needless to say it was one of my favorite runs of all time! After our run the five of us (Me, Rachel, Colton, Tyler, and Kara) went on a tour of the Vatican. It was absolutely beautiful! The Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum, and St. Peters basillica were all gorgeous. Now we are in our room for an afternoon break and siesta before tonight's activities.

Much love to everyone back home!

Carpe Diem

My goodness! The day is finally here and I can’t believe it. Packing and last minute papers are finally complete. Good byes have been said :’( so here I go. I’m extremely anxious but very excited too. We have our last pre-departure meeting today and then I will head to the airport. Rachel ( my roommate traveling with me), Colton, Kara, and Tyler will be my traveling partners until Saturday when we will meet up with the rest of the class in Toulouse, France. So long Cincinnati, I’m headed to Rome today!