MY IRISH BIRTHDAY

i turned 23 last week.... 23!  and got to celebrate this milestone in ireland.  a pinch me moment if i do say so myself, and boy was it a surreal, unforgettable day.

my birthday is on may 29, which was just 5 days after i arrived in limerick.  i had planned to keep this little detail to myself... i didn't want to put any pressure on anyone in the area to feel like they had to do something special for this random, american stranger who just barely appeared and is now requesting birthday recognition!? i was okay with knowing that it would be a bit of a quiet, internal celebration and a kind of secret that only myself and friends and family from afar were aware of.  i was at peace with feeling a little lonely on this day.

but i stand corrected.  lonely i did not feel.  i was anything but lonely on may 29, 2016 and i am so humbled and touched at what a special day my irish family made it out to be for me.

it all happened as a result of a big, fat godwink.  imagine that!  isn't that how all the best stories start? it was my first day in the office and my internship supervisor holly and her right-hand woman ger were helping me get familiarized with the department, including talking me through the six day long itinerary for the visiting international group we had coming in that next day.  they'd mentioned that ger wasn't going to be attending sunday's festivities, as it was her birthday.  i stopped, totally taken aback, and repeated for clarification, "your birthday is sunday? the 29th? this sunday?"  she nodded and i responded in excitement, "that's my birthday, too!"  we were beyond thrilled at this little realization (nothing makes one feel more connected than a long-lost birthday twin) and they were quick to reassure me i was in no way obligated to hang along the tour on sunday if i'd rather spend my birthday elsewhere, but they promised it would be worthwhile.

OF COURSE i wanted to go!  i was tickled at the idea of doing anything besides sitting in my room by myself, waiting for my family to wake up so i could force them to video chat me all day, which were among my initial plans for the day.

the plan for the day was to head to killaloe, a breathtaking large village that lies on river shannon in county clare, ireland.  the bus wasn't to depart until 3 PM, so i had the morning to myself.  it was another (unusually) warm and sunny irish summer day, so i awoke with the sun, got ready, and stepped out to spend the morning exploring downtown limerick city by foot.

i'm picking up on a pattern within my travels: sunday mornings abroad are quiet.  very quiet.  it was a couple hours before noon, and nothing was open yet, nor was anyone out and about.  i really appreciate the simplicity of sundays abroad.  it's refreshing; i feel in the states there is a pressure about sundays paired with the overwhelming loom of monday's approaching that can be exhausting.  (it's likely that this is my tunnel-visioned, procrastinating student/graduate assistant perspective :))  but anyways.

it was a sunday!  and it was quiet.  i found my way to starbucks where i grabbed a coffee and caught up on my journaling.  my biggest regrets, always, are my negligence in documenting my experiences and adventures abroad, so i have vowed this summer that there will be no such irish regrets!  by the time i finished, the sun was out and so were the people, and it was time for me to grab some grub.

i have had my eye on a handful of different places around the city i want to try.  an irish sandwich place... an italian joint... a thai restaurant... indian cuisine... pubs, all of the pubs.  my list is growing and i need to implement some intentionality into my restaurant choices and eating schedule before i completely run out of meals to spend at all of these places!  however, here's the thing about a rachel: the rachels are indecisive creatures, especially when it comes to food.  not because a rachel is stubborn or picky, but because she truly wants it all.  in an exploratory, non-greedy sense.  how can a decision be reached when it all sounds and smells and looks so delectable?  why isn't it possible to get pad thai with a small cheeseburger and fish and chips and a side of curry and a crepe and spaghetti with an ice cream muffin for dessert? the answer to this question is, decisions are rarely reached.  in these moments, i panic.  i spend far too long wandering back and forth and back between restaurants, and instead of coming to a thoughtful decision i impulsively throw myself in to some RANDOM restaurant that wasn't even on the original list of 13 options.  on sunday may 29th, the 23rd anniversary of my birth, this lunchtime turmoil led me to the one and only: the chicken hut.

the chicken hut of all places, people.

in my defense, holly told me it was an experience that had to be had at some point during my stay here, but she probably meant like after a night on the town (lol) or some random afternoon snack with friends (also lol).  she probably did not mean for my gourmet birthday lunch.

nuggets, chips, gravy to dip, a coke, and a side of regret is what i had.  totally grossly good.  totally worth it.  totally going back.

i made my way back to my accommodation and it was off to killaloe we went!  the sun was out, the skies were clear, and it was warm, the perfect combination for an enjoyable boat ride.  we took an hour-long river cruise up river shannon/into lough derg, which separates ballina in county mayo and killaloe.  we then went across the water to killaloe (the boat actually departed from the ballina side) and toured the church there.  we were able to climb up to the bell tower, play the bells, and witness the most spectacular view - my favorite part about touring old churches.

by this point it was time for dinner and we went back across the river to ballina where we had a buffet picnic dinner set up for us at the restaurant flanagan's by the lake, right on the shore of lough derg.  dinner was delicious - four or five different grilled meat options, coleslaw salad, irish potatoes, bread, all followed by tea, of course.  ger showed up and joined us for tea and then, to my surprise, the waiter was bringing out a candle-donned snicker cheesecake straight to our table that holly had managed to sneak to him at some point... and the night ended with 100 new friends singing happy birthday to ger and myself.  she and i made wishes, blew out the candles, and chatted and laughed as the sun set behind us.  my heart swelled about 10 sizes that night.

on our way home, holly swung me by a lookout point in the countryside.  we'd managed to make it as the sun was setting over the water and we both just stood in silence for a few minutes, admiring god's work and the beautiful serenity that is ireland and my irish summer.

i am so grateful for ger and holly for making me feel so loved and cared for.  and not just on my birthday, but every single day since my arrival here.

THE FIRST WEEK

i just plugged in my straightener for the first time since arriving in ireland and it must have experienced some sort of mini internal explosion because it smells something suffocatingly fierce and i unplugged it so quick my hair is still frizzy.  i now write this with my head hanging out the window trying to catch a breath of fresh air.  #lifeabroad #itsnotallglamorous

this first week in ireland did not disappoint.  i feel as though i've already done and seen so much (and have the bags under my eyes to prove it!) and i am so grateful for the solid leadership and supervision that has made me feel included and looked after.  i am in good hands. 

wednesday was my first official day in the office and we welcomed 92 Ph.D. students and their families from the states to ireland with open arms.  this group is here to attend a conference on campus and had arranged for our office to solidify the lodging logistics as well as establish an itinerary to travel the area and experience limerick.  while i had no role in the preparation for their arrival, i have had the pleasure of partaking in their adventures and serving as a local resource for these students.  a group of them are staying in the same accommodations as i, so it has been a joy to see them outside of the scheduled events and continue to get to know them in a more casual setting.  i've even surprisingly been running into them all around town - i don't know if there's just that many of them (maybe there are?) or limerick is really just that small (maybe it is?) but it's fun to see a familiar face periodically, making this new city of mine feel a little more like home.  we have three more days of adventure ahead of us and i can't wait to experience all that this week has in store!

we had another smaller faculty-led study abroad group come through for the weekend that i also got to assist in hosting.  it was many of the students' first time abroad, so it was such an honor to experience a new culture through their eyes.  it's the curiosities they have and the conversations they spark that make this field of international education so rewarding.  on friday, i attended their sessions on education in ireland and then i went along with them that evening to hike the kilcommon pilgrim loop, a 7 km walk through the rolling hills of the irish countryside.  although the forecast predicted rain, the weather held up and it proved to be the perfect night for a stroll through the woods and prairies.  we topped off the night with my first pub dinner at bobby byrnes's.  i went with the fish and chips - totally not irish, but totally delicious.

on saturday morning, we took the larger group to the milk market in limerick city center.  the milk market is housed in a large building downtown and runs for different periods of time throughout every weekend, but is especially energetic on saturday mornings. local vendors bring their authentic, artisan goods to sell from their small, family-owned businesses and locals walk through and get their fresh produce for the week and of course have a snack or two right there while they shop.  there were all kinds of treats available, truly anything imaginable - pastries, breads, fruits, vegetables, olive bars, fresh fish, cooked sausages and falafels, flowers, craft and beauty items, juices, coffee... to name a few.  after spending time in the milk market and treating myself to a coffee and chocolate croissant, i stayed and moseyed around downtown for the day, exploring and getting myself oriented.  downtown limerick is lovely - very easy to navigate and has all different kinds of restaurants and shops. i live for little bouts of intentional wandering and exploration.

this was only the beginning of an ever-eventful weekend - stay tuned! 

A NIGHT IN MALAGA

i started this post saturday night. it went something like this:
"it's saturday night in granada, spain, and instead of primping myself in preparation for going out for beers and tapas, i'm laying in bed eating corn nuts and watching parent trap. pajama-ed and bra-less.

my hands though. MY HANDS. they're ready to party. intricate arabic henna on the right. a couple of brand new statement rings on the left. and all ten fingernails freshly coated in my brand new glossy grey nail polish. i feel like a woman."

the hands. the hands.

forty-eight hours later, an entire sunday and monday duo have come and gone, and i'm back in bed after the most relaxing day, happily full of love and joy and the pringles and chocolate croissants that i desperately hiked halfway across town for. and while the rest of me is lookin' a little haggard my hands are still looking fierce. nary a paint chip! a chip-less forty-eight hours is a success in my book.

we start classes on wednesday, so naturally i am throwing myself a bit of a pity party as i mourn these last few precious days of summer, even though deep down i realize i'm lucky to have had an entire month longer of vacation than most. and i really  realize how fortunate i am to have spent these last few months traveling the world. i wouldn't trade these experiences for anything - not even a silly summer extension! however tempting that seems... ;)

after our group trip to morocco (which i may or may not eventually write about, along with the other 614 things on my "bloggity" list [and yes that list actually exists and yes that's actually what it's entitled]), we had a six day vacation that we could do with whatever our little hearts desired. many turned around and traveled onward while a few of us chose to stay close to home. i was honestly excited to have an extended period of time to explore granada at my leisure and fancied the idea of going on a quick little getaway to a nearby city - an excuse to get out of town without straying too far or dealing with the stress of plans/means of transportation/budget/etc. come friday, my friend frances and i ended up doing just that. we did a little research thursday evening, booked a hostel, threw a change of clothes in our backpacks, and were off to malaga by friday morning.

we decided to forgo any real "planning" (which i've learned easily leads to over-planning and ultimately, some serious travel style-cramping) and just go - we hopped on the city bus we were *pretty* sure would end up at the bus station; arrived without previously checking the granada - malaga bus schedule and grabbed the next available ticket; had the address of the hostel but no real directions on how to get there. the type A in me never thought i'd be saying this, but i actually really enjoy traveling this way. it's so much more relaxed with minimal pressure or expectations, which makes it that much easier to really take in the surroundings and enjoy the journey rather than focusing on the destination.

malaga is a relatively big city on la costa del sol of the mediterranean sea. considering it's the sixth largest city in spain, we were surprised to find it's fairly easy to navigate by foot. only once were we tempted to stray from walking and that's because we saw horse-drawn carriage tours. ;) a dream-come-true for the little princesses within us that have yet to grow up. (our reality of life-as-a-poor-college student held us back, however).

when we arrived in malaga on friday morning, we walked straight to the pablo picasso museum. neither of us are die-hard fans, but seeing as picasso was born in malaga, how could we not, you know?

even though photos weren't allowed in the museum, i couldn't help myself but to do a from-the-purse-sneak-and-snap, just because i was feeling a little rebellious and this portrait reminded me of hana #crazycatlady.

after the museum, we went and explored the alcazaba and castle of gibralfaro, a royal fortress and ancient moorish ruins, respectively. it reminded me of a simpler version of the ahlambra - lots of little twists, turns, and narrow corridors leading to the unknown with a random garden or fountain stuck here or there, and the most beautiful overlook of the city.

friday night we treated ourselves to a fancy italian meal of garlic bread and hawaiian pizza and filled in the cracks with frozen yogurt as we walked along the port, window shopping and people watching. it was surprisingly quiet for a friday night, so we took advantage of the lazy, relaxed pace and were in no hurry as we weaved our way back to our hostel.

as frances and i were settling in for the night in our eight-person co-ed dorm, we were commenting on how we'd yet to have met our roommates when we heard a round of giggles coming from outside our door. the door handle jiggled as someone attempted to open it. frances and i exchanged looks as we watched the struggle unravel; the door finally swung open and our eyes were drawn to those who were entering: two blushing, young oriental girls, followed by a tall, dark, handsome, freshly showered, argentinian william levy lookalike. so that's what all the fuss was about. frances and i were no better composed, quickly turning into gushing little school girls, melting into drippy puddles of infatuation every time he spoke. (brag moment, fernando, or levy, as we appropriately coded him, slept on my bottom bunk. i know. he slept under me. i slept on top of him. [LOL i'm sorry grandma! someone please clarify this for her if she's confused! love you!]) after a little introductory chitchat, i learned that he spent his senior year of high school as an exchange student in des moines. iowa! fate most definitely brought us together, and seeing as i didn't even get his facebook information, i'm trusting fate to reunite us again in the future so we can fall in love, get married, etc. ;)

on saturday morning we toured malaga's cathedral, walked the winding side streets until we found a place to stop for lunch (this time, chinese ;) where we took shelter as it started to rain, which turned into our cue to head back to granada.

the highlights of our trip were most definitely the large quantities of non-spanish food we consumed (italian, oriental, you name it), the cute boys we encountered (mr. museum and our hostel roommate, william levy's more attractive argentinian twin), the sweet treats we always found an excuse to make room for, and good conversation. it was the perfect way to ring in a new school year.