Student Bloggers

The great thing about studying abroad is that I never get a chance to catch my breath. Every time I turn a corner, I am amazed all over again. It has been a crazy, beautiful, SUNNY, and perfect whirlwind adventure lately and it has made me fall even more in love with Ireland. This week was full of Irish culture and day trips. I’m going to try and fit it all, so bear with me, viewers at home.

Thursday night, a group of us headed down to Salt Hill to see a traditional Irish song and dance performance entitled “Trad on the Prom.” It was one of those experiences that made me so happy and feel so full of life that I just found myself laughing as we clapped along to the music. The Irish dancers are able to move their feet faster than I thought humanly possible and I loved watching the musicians get lost in their songs while they played. It was fun to experience some of Ireland’s most famous music by internationally known performers. We were fortunate enough to hear vocals from “The Voice of Ireland” as well as become hypnotized by the best-ranked male and female Irish dancers.

I finally made my way to the Cliffs of Moher on Saturday. And like any true Harry Potter fan, I completely freaked out when I saw the cave where the Horcrux is hidden. No matter how many pictures I took from countless angles, it is impossible to capture the immensity of The Cliffs in a frame. Every step up the path unveiled perfect turquoise water, flowers, and landscapes that I couldn’t even dream up if I had Dr. Seuss and J.K Rowling’s imaginations. I definitely enjoyed pushing my limits to see how close to the edge I could get. If we hadn’t been under a time restriction, I think I could have sat there all afternoon just taking in the ocean and the cliff edges. If you ever find yourself in Ireland for only a day, GO TO THE CLIFFS. I am thankful I decided to get an unlimited pass because that’s where I will be spending all of my days off.

I continued my tourist ways on Sunday with a tour to Connemara. Ireland is probably the only place in the world where you can be among mountains, forests, the ocean, castles, and rolling hills simultaneously. My eyes were glued to the window our entire trek just trying to absorb the landscape. I always think to myself “there is no way life can get any better than this,” but Ireland never fails to show me even more perfect places. We made our way to Kylemore Abbey and I now officially want a castle. It was absolutely gorgeous. Even my lack of photography skills still managed to take photos that look like they belong on a postcard. Walking through the garden and down by the water with these giant mountains and the Abbey in the background made me feel like I was walking right out of a Jane Austen novel. I had to break off from the group to stop and sit by the water for a few minutes just to give myself time to wrap my head around what I was seeing.

My heart was so full this afternoon as I sat at a little café with friends staring out at the mountains eating apple pie with warm custard. Studying abroad has made me feel full of life and in utter amazement of the things our world has to offer if we just take the time to go find them.