Slowing down, looking up.

Yesterday marked one month since I arrived in Ireland. One month! Part of me feels as though I just got here, and part of me feels like things have changed way too much to have only lived here for 4 weeks. I suppose that in in the grand scheme of things, it really hasn't taken me long to feel at home in this beautiful place. The past few weeks have especially flown by! I'll try to keep it brief as I touch on a few of my favorite adventures. But first (for those of you who would prefer a short and sweet kind of update), here is a glimpse into my life here in Coleraine:

-I drink tea with biscuits multiple times every day. 

-I have three classes. One meets on Tuesday. One meets on Wednesday. One meets on Thursday. Then my weekend begins!

-I run a lot (slash I might be training for a half marathon in May...what?)

-I shop for groceries on my own and cook all of my own food, which is new for me and really fun!

-I feel like an expert traveler now that I can navigate buses and trains and cities throughout the country (emphasis on "feel").

-I have a very flexible (and sometimes non-existent) schedule, which is terrifying and glorious all at the same time. I didn't know what to do with myself at first, but now I am absolutely loving the slower pace of life. 

-Every day I learn or try something new, making each day its own adventure! Cheesy, but total truth.

Since my last post, I've done a wee bit of traveling. On February 4th, I joined some other American students from my university on a day trip to Belfast. We enjoyed a day of sight-seeing, including the City Hall, Belfast Castle, Queens University and the Ulster Museum. It rained for a while, which put a damper on things (see what I did there?), but we still managed to have a grand time. A week later, the sun popped out just in time for a walk along the coast of Northern Ireland with International Friends (a program that links international students at my university with local families and provides group events for the students each month). The views were stunning. Ireland's coastline is so diverse, changing quickly from basalt rock to tall cliffs to white rock to sandy beaches. Each time we rounded a corner, there was an entirely different yet equally breathtaking view to take in. And when paired with the insanely green pastures, a blue sky, a setting sun and the peaceful countryside in the distance, the view melted my heart. Moments like those are so surreal; I am left in awe of the God who created such beauty, the same God who has been so giving and so faithful to me since I've arrived here. Needless to say, I was in love.

That night, I was off to Belfast once again, this time to stay the night with my new Northern Irish friend and flatmate, Rebecca! She and her sweet family made me feel right at home. The next morning, her mom greeted me with, "Good morning, wee Abbi!" She even made us some breakfast before I headed out to meet up with some Kanakuk friends for church. That's right, people- Kanakuk was in Ireland! Crazy! They took the LinkYear students abroad in Belfast for all of February, and I was so grateful for the chance to hang out with them for the afternoon. Because what's cooler than hanging out with kamp friends? Hanging out with kamp friends in IRELAND. Duh.

The next weekend, some friends and I decided that despite the cold and windy conditions, we would venture out of our rooms and explore the area a bit (might I add that all of the Irish students go home on weekends, leaving campus as a ghost town and forcing the internationals to find their own entertainment). We had all wanted to try out the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge nearby, and convinced ourselves that it would be a great day for it. HA. When we got to the bridge, the winds really picked up, causing us to fear for our lives as we crossed. A park ranger actually had to help one of my friends get to the other side! Then he shut down the bridge, turning a long line of visitors away. Meanwhile, we were stuck on island on the other side. It didn't take long for the winds to die down, however, and we made it safely to the other side once again. We left the site with a feeling of accomplishment and a good story to tell.

The Liffey in Dublin

My most recent trip just ended late last night- a weekend in Dublin! I traveled with Kathryne and Kathryn, two Americans I've known since I first arrived in Ireland. We took the train Friday morning and kicked off the weekend with a tour of Trinity College. My favorite part was the Long Room of the library. We weren't allowed to take photos, but you can check it out online. It reminded me of the library that the Beast gives to Belle in Beauty and the Beast. It is beautiful! We then soaked up some Dublin culture as we walked down Grafton Street, through the Temple Bar area and along the River Liffey. I even got a little taste of Truman when I met up with Dylan Zielonko, a friend from SAB, for dinner! After an interesting but overall decent stay at Isaac's Hostel (my first hostel experience), we set out the next morning for Kilmainham Gaol. The prison, which opened its doors in the late 1700s, is rich in Irish history from the time Ireland began fighting for its independence to the time the north and south split. The tour was chilling as we walked through dark corridors and peered into the cells once occupied by men and women who gave their lives fighting for their country. We then headed to the Irish Writers Museum, the General Post Office, and then back to the city center. There was a rugby match on in Dublin yesterday, too, and the streets filled up with cheerful fans after Ireland beat Italy. We spent our final hours in Dublin taking advantage of the sunshine and exploring more of the city. We caught the train at 7:00 last night, but we knew that it wasn't goodbye forever; we'll be back in a few short weeks for St. Patrick's Day!

And that brings us to today, my 5th Sunday in Ireland and the start of another week of new experiences. I think that's one of the things I've enjoyed the most about studying abroad so far. I've left mundane and routine far behind me, and I've entered, perhaps for the first time, into a life with few time limits, with less stress, where stores close on Sunday and no one seems to start their day before 9am. I'm thankful for this change, because the more I slow down, the more I'm able to take in. The more time I free up, the more chances I get to spend time with someone new. And the less time I spend rushing around, the better I am able to examine myself. Coming here on my own has allowed me to find out more about me, about what I enjoy in this life and what I want to get out of it. One thing I've found out so far is that I really, really love people. I love all of you from home and I miss being around you. But now I'm starting to really love the people here. And I couldn't be more thankful for that. :)

Windswept and Interesting

Helloooooo from Ireland! It has been a whirlwind of a week getting settled in here at the University of Ulster. I won't be able to fill you in on the details of the past eight days, but I will attempt to give you some of the highlights!

Last Tuesday, January 24th, I flew out of St. Louis at 6:02pm with.. wait for it.. only ONE less-than-fifty pound checked bag. Plus a small carry on and a backpack. Impressive, right? I flew to Washington DC, then took an overnight flight to London and then finally flew to the Belfast City Airport in Northern Ireland! My flight landed there around 2:30pm on Wednesday. I waited for about 3 hours in the airport for a bus to pick me up, which dropped me off at Coleraine at about 7:30pm. After waiting around a little while longer in the accommodation office, I finally got into my temporary room around 8:30. Piece of cake! Ha.

I lived in Portstewart for a few days while they waited for the person occupying my room to move out. Here, they start their first semester in September, have a break for Christmas, and then come back to take their exams in January. I arrived during their short break between semesters. The first day of their second semester was on Monday, January 30th. Fun fact. Anyway, the only students on campus until Monday were the international students. During my time living in Portstewart, I met several American students from all over the country as well as some very nice German, French, Austrian, Canadian, and Chinese students. There are a lot of international students here! We had a fun time exploring the university (or the "Uni" as they call it here. If you say "college" here you are referring to a technical or vocational school, so the students are very particular that you get your terminology right) and the triangle. The triangle is made up of three cities, Portstewart, Portrush, and Coleraine. The university sits in the middle of the triangle, and there are always buses and taxis taking people from one place to the next. The county I live in is called Londonderry, or 'Derry as the people around here call it (not to be confused with the city of Derry). Some new friends and I went over to Portstewart and saw the coastline, which was beautiful. The pictures do not do it justice. We also went to what's called the Diamond in Coleraine, which is a shopping area along with some monuments and special places like St. Patrick's church and the Coleraine town hall. There is a lot to see and do here, a lot of which is close by (like the Giant's Causeway). The Irish students don't seem to think there is anything special to see, but thankfully I have made a lot of international friends who are as awe-inspired by the beautiful scenery as I am! I look forward to doing and seeing as much as I can while I'm here.

I now live in my permanent housing, which is a flat (apartment) on campus. I have my own room and bathroom (yay!) and I share a kitchen with three boys and one girl. I was initially disappointed with the setup as I was expecting to live with all girls, but it turns out the guys aren't too bad. I've found that all the Irish are very friendly, including the students. My new flatmates have already made me a part of the family! Oh, and just in case you were wondering, my address is:

Abigale Berry
L2-2 Cranagh Village
University of Ulster, Cromore Road
Coleraine, Co. Londonderry
N. Ireland BT52 1EU

Today I got my first package- a box jam packed with Mr. Goodbars from my grandpa (thanks Daddy Ken!). Seriously. He sent me like 108 Mr. Goodbars. It was a great addition to an already great day! And you too, reader of this blog, could experience the joy of making my day sometime. Ahem, write me a letter.

I am now noticing that this entry is getting a bit lengthy, so in order to increase the chances that people will actually read the whole thing I'm going to convert to list format, starting with some of my favorite English vs Irish common terms:

1. cookie = biscuit
2. hallway= corridor
3. cell phone = mobile ("mow-byle")
4. fun = craic (pronounced "crack." It's common to hear "It's all about the craic," and "We're just here for some craic." Haha.)
5. highway = motorway
6. movie theater = cinema
7. no big deal = no bother
8. thank you/very good/random meanings = cheers
9. friend = mate
...and my absolute favorite..
10. small = wee. ALWAYS. "Just take a wee seat there." "Fill out this wee form." "I'll send you a wee text." I love it!

And for my next list, silly things I've done/that have happened to me since I've arrived:
1. Set off the fire alarm in my apartment (I was only blow drying my hair!)
2. Fell up a hill, covering myself in mud (no worries, a kind man winked at me and told me no one saw it)
3. Attended an Irish Folklore class that is actually delivered in Gaelic

Speaking of classes, I only have three of them and they are on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I have one class each day, but since it's the only time the class meets each week, the classes usually run for three hours or more. My science classes are biochemistry and hematology, both of which have a lab portion as well. So while I do have a four day weekend every weekend, I'm not totally slacking off. :) And as far as my third class (or module, as they're called here)... I'm currently on the lookout for anything that's taught in English.

I think I'll stop there for now. Like I said, it's been a crazy week in this new world I'm living in. I met an Ulster student at the bus stop, and in response to me laughing about the mess the wind was making of my hair, he told me, "Windswept and interesting, that's what you tell 'em you're going for. Windswept and interesting." I think that must be how a lot of the Irish have been finding me lately. And I'm okay with that.. I know that it will take a while to get adjusted and to really feel comfortable here. I vastly underestimated how different life would be for me over here, as well as how much I would miss all of you. The feeling can be overwhelming at times- knowing that I am an entire ocean (and several time zones) away from the life I know and love. But I have a feeling that the land of Ire has a lot in store for me. And I know that God has a lot to teach me as well, starting with a lesson in trusting Him. Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement, and thanks to God for His love for me and for everyone. I'm really feeling that this week.

Love to all of you as well. Cheers. :)