8/6/2010
Tomorrow it will have been a week since I set foot on a plane from Dublin, Ireland to Chicago, Illinois. Although I have been EXTREMELY busy with moving back to school for summer research and seeing all of my friends and favorite places again, Ireland has not left me yet... in fact, there is still a bruise on my arm from last weekend's Kilkenny inline hockey tourney!
My last two days in Ireland were spent in Dublin, at least that is what I tell people when they ask me about the end of my trip. To me, Dublin is not Ireland with all of the tall buildings, shopping,clear Irish accents, accents from all over the world, and lack luster night life compared with Galway. My last days in Ireland were truly spent in Kilkenny and stripping the apartment I lived in for the semester clean of my life. I threw away nearly every pair of shoes I brought from home, a thoroughly worn out jacket caked in castle dust, all of the weird bathroom stuff I had to buy when I got to Ireland, two cans of vegetable soup, and three potatoes ironically.
Now I go through my day with flashbacks that make me laugh and/or cry and experiences hardly anyone here can relate to. A song may come on my ipod and throw me back into a memory where I'll stay for the next five minutes, or I'll say something that would make total sense back in Galway but present me as a lunatic in Northfield. I enjoy these moments because they are reminders of my beautiful life and let me know that no, I did not imagine that crazy ride.
I am very grateful for the internet as I have been able to to stay in touch with all of my friends both in the states and across the ocean wherever they are... even if I am awoken in the dead of night by a LOUD phone call from skype. Yay time differences!
I am surprised at how I feel as if I haven't even left Minnesota sometimes and others I feel as if ten years have gone by since I left.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Kilkenny Inline Hockey Tourney 2010!!!
30/5/2010
Tonight is the last night I will spend in Galway, Ireland. Tears do not roll down my face as I write this, but I have a strong feeling they are coming. At least for a while, I will not be able to walk or skate the Salthill prom, yell at the mute swans in the bay, walk down shop street either during the day or at night (both very different), see my favorite bums, dance at the Roisen, Cuba, or GPO, watch the dancing at Monroe's, take off on spur-of-the-moment day trips to random towns, head to Murvue Rec Center for a Wednesday night hockey session, stare at people from my window, or fit in with my very badly burned nose and forehead. These activities, and things unlisted, will be dearly missed and the memories created in these experiences treasured for the rest of my life.
I did get to end my Ireland experience with an amazing inline hockey tourney weekend in Kilkenny, Ireland with my city team the Galway Bay Lightening. I hopped a bus yet again this past Friday and met up with the team who was scattered across Kilkenny in B&B's and hostels.
Yesterday, we arrived at the tourney to find that unlike our dear ol' Murvue gym, this gym did not have fold-able seats (that did not allow for wall bounce passes) and it had a wooden floor. The gym was in a building next to a hurling/rugby field, and had changing rooms for each team. As there were only two other girls in the tournament of seven teams other than those on my team, we were obligated to change and shower with da boys. This was hilarious as our team in a mixture of all ages, sexes, and nationalities. The locker room had one side of showers with curtains which served as changing rooms as needed.
As the Lightening are a new team, we only won one game (that was this morning), but we had a great weekend and were not beaten too badly. This brought back memories of the early Falcon varsity days. Last night, The tournament organizers reserved an area of a pretty cool pub for a mixer after the games. I think that drinking after hours of exercise and before another long day of exercise that drinking to excess is no the best idea, but MANY others did not have my same feelings. The music was great and getting to know people from the other teams was a riot. My favorite character of the evening was the Russian ice hockey player, the scariest looking person you will ever meet, and known throughout the day as the badass guy who can make amazing shots and but cannot stop as he was not used to inline skates yet. He later befriended our goalie and then danced the night away to GAGA and anything that came on with either a nervous partner or himself. HILARIOUS. I also enjoyed seeing my hockey friends outside of hockey and Galway let loose a little bit.
Today was a little rough in the morning with a bad, sloppy loss in the first game. Throughout the day it was great talking to the people we had hung around with at the bar last night. We played (AND BEAT) a group of them later in the day and had a great time rubbing it in. The last part of the day was sad as I had to say goodbye to people I had the best time with this weekend and this past semester. I really had a great time this weekend, but all the goodbyes ruined the afternoon. I am really going to miss all of the amazing people I have had the privilege of getting to know, this includes all of the goodbyes I had to say earlier to all of my Galway girls. Again, the memories I have made with everyone here will be something I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Tonight is the last night I will spend in Galway, Ireland. Tears do not roll down my face as I write this, but I have a strong feeling they are coming. At least for a while, I will not be able to walk or skate the Salthill prom, yell at the mute swans in the bay, walk down shop street either during the day or at night (both very different), see my favorite bums, dance at the Roisen, Cuba, or GPO, watch the dancing at Monroe's, take off on spur-of-the-moment day trips to random towns, head to Murvue Rec Center for a Wednesday night hockey session, stare at people from my window, or fit in with my very badly burned nose and forehead. These activities, and things unlisted, will be dearly missed and the memories created in these experiences treasured for the rest of my life.
I did get to end my Ireland experience with an amazing inline hockey tourney weekend in Kilkenny, Ireland with my city team the Galway Bay Lightening. I hopped a bus yet again this past Friday and met up with the team who was scattered across Kilkenny in B&B's and hostels.
Yesterday, we arrived at the tourney to find that unlike our dear ol' Murvue gym, this gym did not have fold-able seats (that did not allow for wall bounce passes) and it had a wooden floor. The gym was in a building next to a hurling/rugby field, and had changing rooms for each team. As there were only two other girls in the tournament of seven teams other than those on my team, we were obligated to change and shower with da boys. This was hilarious as our team in a mixture of all ages, sexes, and nationalities. The locker room had one side of showers with curtains which served as changing rooms as needed.
As the Lightening are a new team, we only won one game (that was this morning), but we had a great weekend and were not beaten too badly. This brought back memories of the early Falcon varsity days. Last night, The tournament organizers reserved an area of a pretty cool pub for a mixer after the games. I think that drinking after hours of exercise and before another long day of exercise that drinking to excess is no the best idea, but MANY others did not have my same feelings. The music was great and getting to know people from the other teams was a riot. My favorite character of the evening was the Russian ice hockey player, the scariest looking person you will ever meet, and known throughout the day as the badass guy who can make amazing shots and but cannot stop as he was not used to inline skates yet. He later befriended our goalie and then danced the night away to GAGA and anything that came on with either a nervous partner or himself. HILARIOUS. I also enjoyed seeing my hockey friends outside of hockey and Galway let loose a little bit.
Today was a little rough in the morning with a bad, sloppy loss in the first game. Throughout the day it was great talking to the people we had hung around with at the bar last night. We played (AND BEAT) a group of them later in the day and had a great time rubbing it in. The last part of the day was sad as I had to say goodbye to people I had the best time with this weekend and this past semester. I really had a great time this weekend, but all the goodbyes ruined the afternoon. I am really going to miss all of the amazing people I have had the privilege of getting to know, this includes all of the goodbyes I had to say earlier to all of my Galway girls. Again, the memories I have made with everyone here will be something I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Bugz and the field of Athenry
26/5/2010
Wow, I guess I haven't posted in a while. Whoops. I've been busy this week saying goodbye to all of my friends here in Galway. Despite a few delays due to the ash cloud, everyone made i home safely. Whoooo hooooo!
Joe said goodbye to his friends over in Paris and arrived here in Galway last week to finish his time before the long journey home. This meant that I had an excuse to do fun things like go to the Cliffs of Moher again and take a trip to Athenry, a town just 20 minutes away with a castle, two churches, the city walls and arches, and the fields for which "The Fields of Athenry" has made famous.
Fields of Athenry- Dropkick
Fields of Athenry-Paddy Reilly
The Cliffs of Moher tour this time was just as great as the first time with Mary back in January. The weather was amazing, as it has been for the last week, and allowed the bus to make it to the Dolmen on top of the Burren and to the caves which we opted out of. The bus passed a ring fort after we left the cave area and the bus driver didn't say anything, so I had to convince myself that I hadn't hallucinated with the signs on the side of the road that did indeed indicate a ring fort.
Yesterday, We hopped a bus over to Athenry. Even though I anticipated a small town after reading about it, Athenry was literally smaller than three city blocks each way, but packed with cool things. The old city wall cuts directly through town and two church ruins and a castle dominate the "skyline." There were barns and etc. that I am confident were older than the united states and what I believe to be a sealed town well scattered through the little town. The scenery was beautiful and open areas around each site were perfect for a nap and killing three hours until the bus came in the afternoon. One of the fields of Athenry held a playground where mom's brought their kids and hooligans skipping school had a game of soccer and stood as still as rabbits when a police van stopped at the head of the playground.
The day trip was well worth it! Later this week I will be heading to Kilkenny in the mainland below Dublin for a inline hockey tournament. I will be one of three girls participating with one of the others being another girl on our team... should be interesting. I will move out of the apartment the day after I return and head to Dubs for two days before making the great journey back home!
Wow, I guess I haven't posted in a while. Whoops. I've been busy this week saying goodbye to all of my friends here in Galway. Despite a few delays due to the ash cloud, everyone made i home safely. Whoooo hooooo!
Joe said goodbye to his friends over in Paris and arrived here in Galway last week to finish his time before the long journey home. This meant that I had an excuse to do fun things like go to the Cliffs of Moher again and take a trip to Athenry, a town just 20 minutes away with a castle, two churches, the city walls and arches, and the fields for which "The Fields of Athenry" has made famous.
Fields of Athenry- Dropkick
Fields of Athenry-Paddy Reilly
The Cliffs of Moher tour this time was just as great as the first time with Mary back in January. The weather was amazing, as it has been for the last week, and allowed the bus to make it to the Dolmen on top of the Burren and to the caves which we opted out of. The bus passed a ring fort after we left the cave area and the bus driver didn't say anything, so I had to convince myself that I hadn't hallucinated with the signs on the side of the road that did indeed indicate a ring fort.
Yesterday, We hopped a bus over to Athenry. Even though I anticipated a small town after reading about it, Athenry was literally smaller than three city blocks each way, but packed with cool things. The old city wall cuts directly through town and two church ruins and a castle dominate the "skyline." There were barns and etc. that I am confident were older than the united states and what I believe to be a sealed town well scattered through the little town. The scenery was beautiful and open areas around each site were perfect for a nap and killing three hours until the bus came in the afternoon. One of the fields of Athenry held a playground where mom's brought their kids and hooligans skipping school had a game of soccer and stood as still as rabbits when a police van stopped at the head of the playground.
The day trip was well worth it! Later this week I will be heading to Kilkenny in the mainland below Dublin for a inline hockey tournament. I will be one of three girls participating with one of the others being another girl on our team... should be interesting. I will move out of the apartment the day after I return and head to Dubs for two days before making the great journey back home!
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