Pictures soon!!! :=) but if you want to look at them on my facebook page here you go: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2161885&id=58215937&l=2fc8faaba8



Firstly, I have become very horrible about updating my blog. I believe this is because I used my blog in the first few weeks to share my thoughts about experiencing something new and very different. Now, as I adjust to the world I'm living in I have started to not need the blog as much as a communication tool to write down scary, new, or exciting feelings. So I am trying to get back in to writing more again. This past weekend I got to go and visit IRELAND! It was absolutely amazing. The weather, surprisingly, was wonderful. It rained a little on the first day, more just clouds and wind and then the next two days were sunny and bright. Lee Crush, my sudo cousin, was my host. I am very lucky that I had someone living in Ireland because he definitely made the trip wonderful. I will admit when it came time for me to board the plane, I really did not want to go back home, back to Milano. Ireland had become, in only a few short days, a safe haven for me. The country spoke English, something I was not used to at all. And it had the familiarity of a family, even though I see Lee only once or twice a year. We got the chance to play wii nightly with Chris, Lee's brother, and it reminded me of home. Just being surrounded with things that remind me of my home in Kentucky made me want to be there again. It is difficult too get back into the swing of trying to stumble through the Italian language and being in a big city again.

Back to Ireland though, Ireland was not what I expected. Ill admit when I think of Ireland I think bright green rolling hills. The Ireland i experienced was a little bit more brown then green, but luckily still very sunny for me. Lee told me that he was just worried the two days of sun were his summer which did not bode well for future sunshine. I arrived on Friday and when I walked through the arrivals gate Lee was there to pick me up. Having someone at the airport is completely different then figuring out a bus into town and usually in a different language :) it was nice. We made our way into Dublin and I got a personal tour of the city. I got to see where Lee lived during his time at Trinity college and explore the college. It is a lot like Cattolica in the sense of older buildings and big courtyards. It was fun. Trinity college is one of the oldest colleges in the Country and the top. There are many acres to the college and I got to see where Lee took exams and classes. I know that I would not want to take tests there because I was informed on tests days the exam room was Freezing. haha not what I call good! I would not want to walk out with my hands freezing. Lee and I walked around Dublin and it was a very strange feeling for me hearing everyone speak English. We walked around a park and even though it was pretty I hear that it is quite boring because no one plays frisbee they just walk around and sit.

Next, is the exciting part, Lee and I took the viking tour.We got onto an old army vehicle of some kind that took us and 22 other people throughout the city. Everytime we passes unsuspecting people we were to yell at them, in a viking call. It was fun to watch people jump. :) The viking tour included going into the water and I felt as I was on the pontoon boat during the summer, except for the over large orange life jacket. It was all in all a lot of fun and I learned about glass taxes in Ireland, more of Trinity College, and much more.
I got to spend time exploring the Blanery castle. Blarney Castle was built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy. It was a lot of fun to walk around the castle and while going up it was decided that everyone must have been very short because the castle's steps were narrow with low ceilings. I nuzzled up to the famous stone so hopefully I will never be at a loss for words...though that has not been a problem so far in my life :)

Lee and I drove...when I say Lee and I, I mean just Lee ( though several times I did try to jump into the car on the drivers side...it is not my fault that everything is backwards for me), drove to the Cliffs of Moher. It was truly beautiful. The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny with some wind and the water was a pretty blue. When looking out towards the oceans different islands can be seen and the water and rocks below look so small. It is beautiful and has a welcome center with paths, of course Lee and I went beyond the sign stating Please do not go beyond this point! It was a little scary for me with my fear of heights to be walking so close to the cliffs edge but also exhilerating with the wind...pretty awe inspiring.

I had my first fish n' chips while in Ireland. They were delicious. Lee and I visiting a coastal town on my last day in Ireland and again more sun and pretty weather. We walked along the sidewalk and looked at all the pretty boats. It was fun to be able to see Ireland from more of a local than a tourist view. The town was very cute and Emily, Lee's gps, navigated us there safely.

Ireland was definietly one of the best trips because of being able to relax in a home, not a hostel, and feel comfortable that I was going in the right direction and not constantly getting loss. I already miss Ireland, even though my Milano home is wonderful....