Last Irish Blog!

Well, everything looks like it’s going to go off without a hitch. (Knocking on wood…) Moved out of our flat early this morning and Alison and I moved down to our hotel room neat the airport. My biggest concerns at this point are my bags. They’re barely closing and I’m worried they’ll be way overweight. The airline I’m flying on, the world’s cheapest airline, Ryanair, charges 15 euros (20 USD) for every 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) overweight you are. I’m also worried about Joey’s bags flying to and from Athens. We’re on easyJet for that, which is similar to Ryanair, but a little better. They’re 10 Sterling/15 Euros for every kilogram. And I’m hoping Joey doesn’t have more than one to-check bag… I don’t think he does, but if so, that’ll be crazy expensive too. So everyone wish me luck for the big weigh-in.

The other thing I’m worried about is lugging my bags around. I’ll take a taxi with Alison to the airport tomorrow, and from the London airport I have an hour-long bus to the Tube! Then onto the tube for one stop on one line, transfer, then nine more stops. Then 4 or 5 blocks to the hotel. I know I’ll manage, but those things always make me nervous. I like when I travel with my dad and I know he can always carry something extra or help.

And I guess, one more concern about the bags is the issue of six more stops before home. I’m going to be opening and repacking my bag almost every 2 days, which might get stressful as I’m already having so many issues! Its 2 nights in London, 1 in Athens, 3 in Mykonos, 3 in Santorini, 2 more in Athens and then 1 more in London before jetting home!

I’ll keep you updated on things as much as I can! But I have no idea what the internet situation will be like and I know we’re going to be very busy!

Well, its my last night in Ireland. It’s finally over. My dad asked how I was feeling earlier, and I told him. I’m so excited for my vacation to London and Greece, but more so, I’m excited to see Joey. I’m a little sad that my study abroad experience is over, and it’s strange thinking back to the extreme effort and energy, and yes, cost, that has gone into this process, all the planning and anxiety, all the excitement. All of it is at its conclusion this evening. So I’m a bit saddened to be leaving, sad to say goodbye to the Brians and Alison, but it’s time. And I am so excited to go home and see everyone I’ve missed and to get Minneapolis tattoos with Nick. I’m excited to return to my normal life that I’ve grown a new appreciation for. I’m longing to drive down Hennepin towards Lake in the pouring rain, looking for parking for a nine-thirty show at the Lagoon. I’m excited to sit in my living room with my mom near me and my puppy in my lap and the cat on the back of the couch behind me (or the arm, he likes the arm). I’m excited to sit in the Engelhart’s kitchen, watching Liz and Randy make food, offering to help but probably being denied unless there’s avocados involved, watching Joey talk about life, about the things he has passion for with the people he cares most about. I’m excited to sit in my dad’s office, answering as many of his questions as I can, and playing the pinball machines he’s been restoring. I’m excited to see my friends, maybe go to a party at the Barton house, sit down at Cupcake or Espresso Royale and read with Joey. Get some coffee with all the people I’d like to catch up with. Etc, etc. You get the picture. Overall I’ve had a really good experience here, and it’s been most of what I wanted. And there will definitely be things I miss. Hands down, Lansdowne. But alas, everything must end, and I couldn’t be happier that this date brings forth the ending of my long-distance, skype and email based relationship.

Talk to you soon!

"This is a joke"

So, it's officially the 6th day of this God-awful mess.

Ireland is still getting beat down by the ash. Which is a figurative statement because the skies have been clear and blue all day. Which is not good news because the rain would help a lot. It would dissipate it and move it out of the flying-level of the atmosphere. Or so I understand. I've been doing my best to stay positive, not to worry too much and to just do my best. Unfortunately, it isn't holding up real well. Alison and her parents are all upset and in-general kind of down. It's so hard to see them upset and I truly feel their pain. And, of course, as I might have already mentioned, the worst part is just not knowing.

Then I saw a new map of the ash and by tomorrow morning, or maybe tonight at midnight? it has Italy completely covered and a corner of it is very very close to Greece.

The other thing thats really hard for me is missing Joey. It's been so long since we've seen each other, and been together, and I've been looking forward to the 24th of April since I left January 1st. I'm still hopeful that everything will be clear Friday morning, if not sooner, but who knows? The 100 some days already have seemed unbearable at times. None of you, save Alison, know this, but I looked up flights to India at least 10 times. And I was ready to book one. I would have rather gone to India than any of the other places I could have gone for spring break. I didn't go because Joey didn't think it would be feasible. And besides, we had Greece. I'm to the point that I don't care about Greece, I don't care about London anymore. Will I be disappointed? Absolutely. But more than anything, more than any place or any trip, I just want to be with Joey. Not knowing when that will happen, how much longer, that's the worst.

I'm trying to hold out hope, but it's getting more difficult. But, at the end of the day I have to put it in perspective. I lead a very privileged life and have been blessed in countless ways (not the least of which being Joey). I've never seen war, death, famine, or any horrors that still commonly plague millions around our world. I'm healthy--save the cough and sniffles. I've always been fed, always had a home, and always, a loving and supportive family. I will get home, and I will get home safe. It may take some time, but this is not (even near!) the greatest issue that could befall a person. So, I'm hanging on to my gratitude for that.

Volcano Update: Monday Evening--19th

So the update is that earlier today the volcano stopped erupting. They were planning on opening UK and Irish airspace by late tomorrow evening. We were excited and happy and I felt better. I bought a couple cute things for Greece and an Athens map. Just got home from hanging out with Alison’s parents again today—seriously, some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. The news is getting worse and the airspace is probably not going to open up tomorrow. I guess the volcano is erupting again and spewing more ash into the heights that affect the planes. Here’s to going to sleep and hopefully waking up to good news, and not bad news.

April Update

I’ll start from where I left off and divide into sections. Or something.

OH CRAP.

Real quick, I forgot to mention that the Thursday before the conference I went to a press conference in a swanky hotel and it was amazing and I just want to work in politics for the rest of my life, k, thnx.

Anyway the outline of this post will read like this

I) Internship and class update

II) Family News

III) Everything else

I) In internship and class news, the Dail hasn’t sat for quite a while, but they had a fron bench “shake-up” Did I mention that? It was pretty cool to see, and very ceremonious, but not sure it really means anything at the end of the day. I got “pimped-out” to another TD’s assistant last week too. It was a little funny that I was borrowed like that, but I had a good time. It was with a woman I’d actually met before, her name is Sarah and she’s very cool and had just finished reading Race of a Lifetime: How Obama Won the White House (UK title) or Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. Which I had read a few things about in the Post and a couple other places, but anyway, we talked a lot about the election and about American politics and it was a great time.

I went out to the constituency with Brian last Thursday and helped him stuff leaflets into mailboxes. ! We dropped leaflets updating the constituency on the things Brian has been doing the past three or four months into their postboxes and door slots. I kept getting nervous that an angry and/or disillusioned resident would yell at me, or chase after me and tell me how horrible Brian is, or what a bunch of crooks politicians are in general, or say, “Get off my lawn!”

I have to admit I was nervous. I kept thinking, “What did I get myself into?” and I kept worriedly looking over my shoulder to brace against attack. And I was anxious the entire two and a half hours. But none of those things ever happened. One woman politely shook her head no from inside her house as she saw me coming. But that was the worst of it.

I watched Deputy Hayes talk with a few of his constituents that were walking around or doing yard work, but I didn’t listen in—even though I wanted to. I thought it might be rude if they were talking about personal issues, so I continued on.

After we finished, Brian and I meet up with assistant Brian and another guy who had also been dropping leaflets in another part of the district. Brian Dawson had “six or seven” people angrily chase after him or yell at him. So it does happen here. But I escaped it.

I had my last day, which was mostly uneventful. And this Wednesday I am meeting the two Brians for lunch.

I finished my three papers for my class, plus the journal and additional research paper. I took my three exams, totaling nine in-class essays. I feel ok about all of it, but when you’ve turned in so little to a professor, and had such limited interactions with them, it gets hard to know how things will be graded and how everything will work out in the end. I’m most nervous about history. But, ITS ALL OVER. It is officially my summer vacation.

II) The FAM. My mom and grandparents flew into Dublin on the 28^th. They were here for 10 days, until the 7^th. It was an adventure! And it was really great to see familiar faces, and I’ve missed my mom a lot, so that was just great too. If only she’d managed to bring my puppy… (Who, we have just determined will turn 5 this November! He’s getting so old!) Lets see… While the family units were here we went out to Galway and County Clare and saw the Cliffs of Moher. Second time a little less exciting for me, but hey, still beautiful and a great part of Ireland. We also went to Powerscourt, which is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you’re ever in Ireland. It’s a big old estate that has a couple ponds, a nice big estate-y yard, and a lot of trees and flowers. We had great weather and it was wonderful. Alison had gone about a month before the fam got here, and I saw her pictures and I thought, “we have to do that” and we did and the fam liked it as much as I thought they would. [I should for sure be a travel agent/guide] We did a hop-on hop-off bus tour; saw a few of the sights, including Book of Kells, always a favourite. Went to the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Ireland (from like the 1700s I think, maybe even earlier). Plus, Michael Collins and the 1916 rising revolutionaries met there! We had dinner and this really cute and great show there, about fairies and folklore in Ireland. Everyone really seemed to enjoy it. Went to Easter Vigil mass, and actually, a couple others. Feigned excitement, haha. I’ve recently come to a pretty staunch stance on the church, more hard-lined that in the past, and even then, not a big fan, but I digress, that’s a different story. We also headed up to Belfast and then Giant’s Causeway, which I will put pictures up of. Absolutely wonderful, and I’ve wanted to get up there so I was happy to do it with my mom. We also took a couple strolls around the Georgian squares, which was nice. AND, of course, a tour of Parliament! I think it was a little boring sitting in the Dail—no one was yelling or interrupting or mocking—but they liked walking around, hearing about JFK and especially meeting the Brians. It was pretty sad to send them home but I think despite some crappy weather everyone was eventually happy they had come.

III) Well, on the other side of my adventures there has been a lot of stress. Especially in the past couple days. But to back it up, the last month or so has been focused on trying to find housing! Which—and it might be needless to say—is highly difficult doing from a foreign country! And another time zone. But I think there is progress being made and I’m hoping to have it done in the next week. I have also been working closely with my loving and wonderful boyfriend to plan and finalize our trip. The current plan is for me to fly to London next Saturday, the 24^th, and for Joey to fly to London the same day. We’re spending two nights there, and doing some light sightseeing, depending on Joey’s jet lag. It’s a long trip from Jaipur to the airport, and then it’s a long flight. I think about 10 or 12 hours, but not completely sure. Then we’re flying to Athens Monday the 26^th, where we will spend three nights. Then it’s off to Mykonos for another three, and then Santorini for three more. We’ll fly back from Athens to London on the 5^th of May, and spend one more night there. Then we’re jetting home Thursday afternoon (the 6^th) to Minneapolis.

However, unless you live in a cave, you have heard of Eyjafjallajoekull, the Icelandic volcano sending every European air travel plan into chaos. There are 18 other students in my programme. One, in a miracle, has gotten off of the Island on Friday. And I’m really happy she did because she had bronchitis and she’s safe at home now. There’s at least another 13 stuck and screwed over right now. Several of them just trying to get home—including two of my roommates—and the other’s post-programme trips cancelled and delayed. Alison can’t get to Rome to visit her best friend. Another couple missed their first flight to the first country on their list, which was cancelled, so they scheduled another flight tomorrow to their second country. Also cancelled. This girl was devastated when I saw her earlier. Plus, Alison’s parents are visiting, and it was hard for them to carve the time out to come in the first place. Their flight home was scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) morning, now they wont get out until Friday at the earliest. I literally feel sick about all of this. I feel awful for all these people and their plans ruined. And that isn’t the least of them. That’s 15 or 20 people I personally know, and there’s at least hundreds of thousands more who are making alternate arrangements or giving up.

No one really knows anything. Every day since Thursday there have been good signs and troublesome ones and every morning since then the news has gotten worse. I am very panicky and worried at this point. I’m trying to just breathe and take it day by day, and hope for the best.

On a lighter note because I’m doing everything I can to not think about it, I’ve had a great couple days with Alison’s parents. On Friday they invited me to come with them to County Mayo, specifically, Bahola. Alison’s father’s grandpa was born in Bahola, and they still have relatives there. And! The family cottage, in which Alison’s great-grandpa was born, is still there and has been restored. So I went with them and we drove to Mayo and we saw the cottage and we heard some stories. And it was a bit of a drive, but I had a great time and it was so cool to see that! With my Mid-European mutt status, I’m not sure I could ever find an ancestral home, but I think I’ll try. I know I have a great-aunt on my mother’s side that has done genealogy research and I know my paternal grandma knows a lot that I don’t about that side. So maybe I’ll track down my own cottage in Germany or the Czech Republic someday. Or maybe the Engelharts have one I could borrow.

Yesterday (Saturday) They invited me out with them again. (Really, so sweet of them. Great, nice people.) We went on the ‘Wild Wicklow’ tour. County Wicklow is one south of Dublin, and they have beautiful mountains. It’s also called The Garden of Ireland and Powerscourt is down in Wicklow. Lots of movies were shot there, including PS I Love You and 85% of Braveheart and Excalibur. It was great and Alison’s parents really enjoyed it. She was stressed because the scenery on the way to Mayo wasn’t very exciting and really, when your family comes to visit you on something like this, all you want is for them to have a great time and to be happy. So everything was better after seeing Wicklow, which is very “Irish”—hahaha meaning, what we as Americans, or maybe just non-Irish think of Ireland as.

And finally, to bring you up to today. Or, up to date. Or Update! Oh, I amuse myself if no one else…

Today I headed down to the Dun Laoghaire market, which had many tasty food items. I was disappointed that I couldn’t fit more in me, but my bank account and swimsuit were not. I had some spring rolls and a good portion of a friend’s green chicken curry. And an ice cream cone! I wanted a falafel and a crepe though… There were also little stands selling other things—not too many though. There was a natural foods/gluten-free booth, which my father would have loved, and a new-age, Eastern booth, a couple jewelry ones and a book one. In which I almost bought Ulysses and The Commitments—but didn’t. Instead I bought: Horrible Histories: The Cut-Throat Celts. Not sure if those books exist in the states, but Sarah, the woman I worked with that one day, recommended the series to me and said that event though they’re aimed at kids, the books are fun and interesting. So I picked it up and will flip through it and maybe see if Sean will like it.

Now I’m at home, working through the stress of the volcano and taking it easy. I planned on being around this week and just relaxing, going to see a few sights that I hadn’t and a couple of the free museums, so that’s still on the agenda. Not sure what everyone else is doing though…so we’ll see I guess. And in conclusion, if you could through a positive thought and or prayer out into the universe for everyone who needs to get home and wants to get to their vacations and trips and family, it would really mean a lot to me. I feel a bit helpless and I’ve seen some of these devastated people first hand. And that’s only a mere speck of the current situation.

I’ll keep you all updated here on my current travel situation. Thanks guys.

The thoughts

So, you all deserve a major update. and I hope to give it to you very very soon.

However, I have my last two--and hardest!--finals early tomorrow morning.

But! I also have a metric ton! of random (and to me, interesting) thoughts stumbling across my mind. I'll give it to you here, as a change of format. and consolation prize.

12:50am: last one of the night. finished my last paper. CRAZY ANXIOUS about History bright and early tomorrow. Birthday miracle please? For the official countdown: 12 days, 1 dail day, one exam day, and one night in a hotel separate me from Joey.

10:41pm: now we're getting somewhere. (research paper). additionally, Nicholas Manty is one of the wittiest people I know. Glad to gain some of my friend wit back from Wisconsin after the devastating loss of Tyler Pool. Nick's said wit can currently be seen on display in the quotes section of my facebook. back to work.

9:43pm: 12 hours until this starts. FUCK. But, I'll be done in 18. 18 more hours. 18 more hours.

9:16pm: coming off of my coffee. It feels like currrrr-ashhhhhh. bang. zzzzzzz. three more hours and I'm calling it quits on studying tonight.

7:43pm: Want to mention that a young Fine Gael-er said to me, "What kind of music do you listen to; I take it from your lip piercing some kind of rock?" As he said the rock part he made a jazz-hand type gesture.

7:41pm: Alison just noticed that part of our history notes are directly from Wikipedia. Teacher fail.

7:37pm: does anyone else think, "shit! I hope science fixes this before I have to deal with it" and then just cross their fingers? I can't stop crossing my legs when I sit down even though I KNOW it can (does?) cause varicose veins, but I am just really really hoping that by the time I'm that old it will be an instant, cheap and safe. AND, hoping in 27 years when I'm ready to have kids, that I can (again, safely) pick the gender. Cause I really want a boy. especially as a first born. I was just talking with Nick about what a crazy long term planner I am (and he is too) but I'm thinking this is borderline delusional. Thoughts?

7:30pm: Everything smells like beef around me today. I dont get it.

7:19pm : Listening to Killing in the Name Of as a tribute to the Irish rebellions. [If you dont get this, read here: HERE]