Now we're getting to crunch time

Hello friends and family!

So many of you have been asking whether I actually go to classes. The answer to that is YES. We just finished our last day of classes on Friday -- which didn't really count as "class" because we did Geopolitics presentations that are worth 30% of our grade. Basically, we each got assigned a continent and we had to talk about the geopolitical issues of that continent, whether natural or man-made. I was in the group that did Australia and New Zealand, and while they aren't really a hotbed of civil war or war of any kind, really, right now, they do have a TON of natural hazards and disasters. Um, did anyone else know that New Zealand gets upwards of 20,000 earthquakes a YEAR?
Granted, most of those are less than a 3.0 on the Richter scale, but still. TWENTY THOUSAND. That's like more than 50 earthquakes A DAY.

Anyways, so now I know a bunch about natural disasters in New Zealand and Australia. Because it's not enough that all the animals in Australia want to kill people, so does NATURE.


In answer to your question, yes I do actually go to classes. Or, I did when we were still having them. The next two weeks are our exam weeks. We have two exams a week and studying for them is really doing a number on my brain. Each professor gave us a list of 10-15 essay questions; they'll pick 8 of those to put on the exam, and we get to pick any 4 of those 8 to answer in two hours.

It's not super complicated, it's just a matter of there being SO MUCH INFORMATION. So a few of us have banded together to split up the research for the questions, creating a big pool of information for two of the classes (Geopolitics and Management). These two exams will be the hardest, I think, so the studying has been under way for a while now.

Other than that, we're just wrapping stuff up here. I've been listening to Christmas music obsessively, since I didn't have Thanksgiving here (which was weird, actually). It's kind of motivating and at the same time the only thing I want to do is watch Christmas movies.

I'm done with exams and stuff on December 11th, and I'll be home the night of the 16th. So get excited, y'all -- I'm coming home!! Miss you all and can't wait to see you! (And Happy Birthday again, Aunt Jan!)

Went to Scotland aaaandd...

It turns out I am SUPER allergic to bed bugs.

Scotland was beautiful. Well, we were in Edinburgh specifically. And the weather was absolutely gorgeous, sunny (and FREEZING) and perfect for wandering around the Christmas markets that opened this past weekend. And my friends and I took a tour to Stirling Castle and Loch Loman, which was GORRRRGEOUS.

But the problems began later that evening. At first I just thought I'd been bitten by some mosquitos or something. Then I heard about highland midges, which are like our noseeums and apparently lots of people have bad reactions to them.

THEN THE BADNESS HAPPENED.

I was pretty itchy on Saturday, and I noticed that some of the bites on my ankle were really red. Wore some boots to the Scotland vs. Australia rugby match (Also, I know that it sounds like all I do is go to rugby matches and travel. NOT the case.) because it was suuuper cold out, and then when we got back to the hostel to get ready to go out I noticed that I had a blister on the back of my leg. Gross, but not a big deal.

WRONG. 

We went out on the town and got back around 4 am. At around this point, I went to change into my pajamas and realized that the blister was LITERALLY (and NO, for once in my life, this is NOT an exaggeration. I know I am prone to them but if you want I can show you photographic evidence) the size of a golf ball on the back of my leg.

Luckily, one of the friends who was with me is a nurse (shoutout to Rosie, for being a lifesaver) and she handled the situation.

Oh but it gets so much worse before it gets better (I'm still not really at the getting better part). 

So now all of these bites that I have are starting to blister. None of them are as bad as the one on my foot (although my ankle is still so swollen that it's twice the size of the other one), but I look kind of like I have leprosy. So there's that. And I'm itchy like I have the chicken pox except that apparently scratching makes the ones that aren't that bad much much worse. So I'm kind of just writhing around trying not to touch anything.

And I have to go see a doctor to make sure that I don't have/get an infection. FUN FUN.

2013 has been crap, basically.

Other than that, Edinburgh was lovely. I didn't get to climb Arthur's Seat because my foot was too swollen to walk around much/the bug bites on my feet itch every time I put on shoes. But we went up to the castle on the hill in the city, went to the cafe where JK Rowling wrote parts of Harry Potter (!!!!!), saw some dude with an owl in the street (he OBVIOUSLY isn't following the Ministry of Magic's decrees about showing off pets to Muggles), watched the Christmas light show, rode in the ferris wheel at the Christmas markets, DIDN'T EAT ANY HAGGIS, learned that Band-Aids are called "plasters" in Ireland and Scotland, met some cool Scottish people, and saw some highland cattle.

In conclusion, Scotland was wonderful but bed bugs are THE DEVIL.

Connemara! (But still no dragons)

It has been far too long since I last updated my blog, so here you go!

Yesterday I went to Connemara, which is a beauuuuutiful stretch of mountains and hills in County Galway, with two Canadian friends and two Irish friends. Connemara's pretty remote, for Ireland -- about 1.5 hours away from the city of Galway -- and although there are houses in the area, we actually saw more sheep than people. And according to one of my Irish friends (although I can't remember which at the moment), people out there still use DIAL-UP TO GET ON THE INTERNET.
Seriously. Talk about dark ages.

Anyways, I go some incredible pictures. We went to the Connemara National Park, which was GORGEOUS. It was so bizarre to be in a place without power lines! We hiked most of the way up a mountain (I say most of the way because we kept getting to points that we thought were the top and then we'd look up and realize the path kept going up. So we finally decided that NOPE we'd done enough hiking). Here's a shot:

That was absolutely LOVELY. However, it wouldn't be a day in the life without some mishaps. Don't worry! The adventures keep coming. 

Long story short, we had some car trouble on the drive back to Dublin. As soon as we got back on the highway, my friend's car started making a loud beeping noise: the parking brake alarm wouldn't stop going off. So we pulled over to check that out, and even when she turned the car off and back on again, it just stayed on. 

Obviously, the next step is to call an adult. Her dad met us out on the highway to save the day -- turned out the car was out of brake fluid! -- and we eventually got back on the road (with a few minor bumps, bruises, and laughs along the way) and made it back to Dublin.

I've posted a bunch of pictures on facebook -- although not even half of the ones I'd taken because there are a lot of pictures of just mountains and then I was sweaty from hiking and you don't want to see any of THOSE, let me tell you. Anyways, check out facebook for more pictures. And I'll try to get better at updating.

Love you all!

-Stephanie

Homesickness is starting to kick in, guys.

This is not a drill. You read that right. I repeat, homesickness is starting to kick in. This is not a drill.

Ha okay, so it's really not that serious. And it's nowhere near as serious as my homesickness was in France. It's just that it rains like 300% of the time and while that was cute and romantic at the beginning (because EVERYTHING was cute and romantic at the beginning of moving to Ireland. Even stepping in dog poop. Even getting locked out of my house at 4:30 in the morning.), it's starting to get a little annoying now.

Especially because the only thing I forgot to pack was my raincoat. So I am currently raincoatless. And for those of you who will ask (because I know you will, because everyone has asked me) why I haven't bought a new one, the answer is simple: because I spent like $55 on the one I have at home and I don't WANT to  find another one. I want mine. (PS Mom could you please send that soon? xxx)

Anyways, in other news, I'm writing this update to let you all know that I miss you. I am officially coming home for Christmas (cue the song...) and it's made me start thinking ahead to all of the things I'm excited for at home. Mostly actual Mexican food and the JICP Christmas lights show. Yes, I am aware that it's October and that even if I was home I wouldn't be able to go. I don't care.

That is the major downfall to living in Ireland (other than the rain thing... which I knew going into it so there's really no excuse): the complete and utter lack of good Mexican food. I could really go for some La Ha right about now.

BUT that's enough whining. And since I haven't actually talked about the classes and the studying that I'm really here for, here's your chance to learn all about the things you don't care about.
Just kidding. I'm too lazy to tell you everything on my blog. Suffice it to say that this program is really exactly what I wanted to be getting out of a Master's degree. I'm taking Public Health, Management, Anthropology, and Geopolitics this semester, and learning a lot more than I willingly would have at any other stage in my life. Geopolitics is proooobably my favorite class (I like to argue; what can I say?) but it is a little uncomfortable for me at times, being the only American in the room. Even the Canadians are like, "Hey, we may be close but at least we're not America."

SPEAKING OF WHICH (and in case you were looking for a logical thread in this blog update, sorry to disappoint but have you met me?), AMERICA, WHAT IS GOING ON?
Could you all try to keep it together over there? I realize that you're upset that I'm gone but SERIOUSLY, GUYS, you didn't have to shut down the government in protest! It's making it much easier for everyone over here to make fun of me... and I didn't really need much help with that.

Well, this has been a big pile of Stephanie's thoughts with no discernible connection. I'd better leave it before you all start to understand what I'm talking about.
And COMMENT, people! I can't tell who's been here and who's reading this. Hopefully you're not all random internet stalkers. :)

Today was probably the greatest day in the history of days, ever.

And I am going to be ridiculously sore tomorrow. I only have one thing to say: the people who participate in the Tour de France are IDIOTS.

Today, my friend Sophia and I took a bus to Galway, where we rented bikes and rode around the Galway Bay area for a few hours. We took some awesome pictures, got plenty of sun (is this even IRELAND? THE SUN WAS OUT, PEOPLE.), and had a really, really ridiculously good time. Like, the kind of adventure that you see in movies. Only without the camera crews. THAT kind.

Here's some photo evidence (and yep, these are all already up on facebook):

So you know how in movies you think that they dramatize how green everything is here? IT'S ALL TRUE. EVERYTHING IS SO GREEN. This is grass that I am actually willing to get dirty just to lie in it. 

Anyways, we spent like 4 hours biking around and I'm already sore. Can't wait to see how I feel tomorrow! 

GUYS. It's like all my dreams are coming true!!

I have never washed dishes this quickly in my LIFE

That sounds dramatic, but for those of you who know me/have lived with me, you're aware that when it comes to washing dishes I put that mess off as LONG AS POSSIBLE.

Seriously. Dishes are the WORST.

Anyways, now that I live in a house with 14 -- COUNT THEM: FOURTEEN -- other people, I don't really have the option of being the person who doesn't wash their dishes in a timely manner. So pretty much as soon as I'm done eating, I have to head to the sink to wash my shit.
Life is hard, sometimes, man.

In other news, I lived through my first week in Dublin! The first day was a struggle: a friend of Mom's friend met me at the airport. She took me to get on a bus, and then we realized that we had to have exact change to take the bus (they don't take bills). So I went upstairs (YES! DOUBLE-DECKER BUSES!) with all of my luggage while she went to go get change... and then the bus driver STARTED DRIVING AWAY.

So then I ran down the stairs to the bus driver to ask him to wait because my friend hadn't paid for me yet and she was getting change -- to which he told me to get the hell off his bus if I hadn't paid. Cue my frantic falling down the stairs carrying ALL of my luggage, sweatshirt forgotten on the seat behind me.

Basically just another day in my life.

The rest of the week went considerably more smoothly. No broken flip-flops in any main thoroughfares. I did manage to get hopelessly lost and spent ten minutes freaking out about it until I realized that I was OBVIOUSLY still in Dublin and was therefore not that lost.
I'm learning to let things go, guys. Apparently they call this "personal growth." (It's terrible.)

But we didn't have classes last week, so I spent my time wandering around, exploring and embarrassing myself in turns, and just really enjoying not having to do much. I hung out with some friends from the IP in Warsaw, and this past Sunday was the All-Irish final in Gaelic football -- and let me tell you something. I thought that Americans took their football seriously, but I have NEVER seen anything like this.
The bars were PACKED at 9:30 in the morning for a game that was supposed to start at 3:30 pm. And since I live pretty close to the stadium where the game was being played, it was extra insane: I had to walk in the street on the corners with bars because the crowds outside the bars were too thick to walk through.

I went with some friends to a couple of bars in the city center, and we got to watch the Dubs (the Dublin county team) smash Mayo (the Co. Mayo team). Obviously, I was all for the Dubs. And maybe I've just never been to a professional football game in the States, but Ireland does not mess around when it comes to Gaelic football. Grown men were crying in the pub when the Dubs won. (Apparently Dublin and Mayo are HUGE rivals and matches between them only happen every three or more years. So this was a BFD.) And everyone was celebrating (or commiserating) in the streets until around 3 am. I know this because I could hear them from my house.

Well, that's all I've got for now, but more updates will come soon!

UPDATE: I made it to (and from) Poland!

What's up, home slices?
Just kidding. That's lame.

ANYWAYS. I made it to Poland. (Actually, I've made it to Dublin, but this update is about Warsaw.)

So the beginning of the trip was basically me being so excited I was kind of nauseous. I made all of my flights, everything went fine (as evidenced by my post from Hamburg). And as soon as I got to the hostel I passed out. This is how I met my roommate for the week, Brook (this is actually how I meet most of my roommates, come to think of it. Damn, I know how to make a good first impression).

I'm not going to go into all of the little details of every day because that would take forever and I don't remember all of them. (Side note: Was that really only 9 days?) The first night we kind of all met each other, signed up/registered for the week, and did the basic boring stuff. We also spent like 40 minutes trying to figure out the hostel's obscure WiFi system, which involved getting 2 separate passwords, logging in every time we used it, and sacrificing a goat (no goats were harmed in the making of this blog post). (And the important part of this is that I immediately -- ACCIDENTALLY -- deleted one of the passwords we needed and never saw the light of internet again.)

Other than that, we spent the week kind of in a constant cycle of being shepherded from place to place, sitting and listening, eating, sitting and listening, eating, and being herded somewhere else. Oh, and going out every night and staying up entirely too late. That part was my favorite part.

Warsaw was beautiful. I wish I'd taken more pictures, but we really spent most of the daylight hours indoors, taking notes and listening to lectures. And getting wifi during those lectures. So pictures of the town itself were really not an option until yesterday (when I had the whole day to wander around) and THEN there was this MASSIVE protest in downtown Warsaw and all of the public transportation got shut down for the whole afternoon. So I walked around a little and got some pictures but it was mostly of the protesters.

Basically, I had a blast. I met some awesome people from all over the world, made a bunch of new friends, drank a lot of Polish beer, learned a little about humanitarian action, and learned a lot of interesting phrases in Dutch and German that will DEFINITELY come in handy in the future.

Cool story, right?

Dublin update to come. Don't worry. I've got plenty of mishaps for you -- and it's only Day 1.

So I'm currently just hanging out in the Hamburg airport...

It's already tomorrow where I am, y'all. (Well, technically it's tomorrow in the US right now, too, but the sun's not up there so it doesn't count.) I'M UPDATING THIS FROM THE FUTURE. Cool, right?

Thank God for the Germans, man. In American airports, they were all "Pay $812080943 for one hour of WiFi," or "Just give us your firstborn and you can have free WiFi for the next 20 whole minutes." Not so in Germany. These people have me HOOKED UP. (Well, the WiFi's free for an hour. I'M not complaining!)

Also what I can see of Germany looks pretty cool. It actually looks kind of exactly like home. Grass, trees. Tarmac, airplanes. The usual.

So I made it through the first two legs of the journey, much to my relief/exhaustion/etc. I've been awake for like 19 hours right now which doesn't seem like a lot but IT FEELS LIKE A LOT. And the flights were fine. But on the second flight, guess what one of the movie choices was? THAT'S RIGHT, STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS. Which meant I got to see BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH'S FACE ALL OVER THE PLANE. How was I supposed to sleep under those conditions?! (Answer: I wasn't.)

Other than that, nothing super exciting has happened. Yet. I'm waiting for my first crisis to happen. It will probably have something to do with me weeping from exhaustion.

Anyways here's a picture of me on my "first day of school" aka this morning (yesterday morning?) when Mom and Dad shipped me off.

That's all for now, y'all. Keep checking in and I'll try to keep updating!

T-minus 2 days!

Hi friends!

So this is my first official blog post on my new official moving-to-Ireland-and-going-to-grad-school blog! Hell yeah!

I'm excited. Obviously. Because I'm leaving in two days to start on my next super-fun adventure (and by "adventure," Mom and Dad, I obviously mean serious business). But I'm also mostly sick to my stomach... Because I leave in two days. !!!

In case you aren't on the up-and-up, I'm starting graduate school with an international program based in the EU, called the NOHA Mundus Master's program. At the end of a year and a half, I'll have my Master's in Humanitarian Action. My home university is University College - Dublin, so I'll be in Dublin this fall.
The program involves a mobility component, kind of like a study abroad, based on your choice of concentration. I am concentrating on Post-Conflict Rehabilitation with Emphasis on Geopolitics and Public Health; this part of the program is right outside of Brussels, Belgium and is taught ENTIRELY in French. (Terrifying, I know.)
After the mobility part, I have to get an internship/work on a thesis/do research. This could be in pretty much any country, depending on what the focus of my thesis is and/or where I get an internship.

Lots of travel, lots of humanitarian action happening -- which I am looking forward to. But also, hey, moving to a new country without knowing anyone. Which yes, I've done before but is also terrifying. So there's that.

Here is a quick (read: not boring) rundown of what I'm doing/where I'll be in the next few weeks.
Warsaw, Poland: I have orientation -- called the Intensive Programme -- in Warsaw for a week. I'll be phoneless, but not internetless, so expect (possible) updates here and on facebook but no textabilities. (Sorry, Jackie.)
Dublin, Ireland: I'll be attending University College - Dublin as a grad student this fall. I'm taking four classes: Medicine, Social Anthropology, Management, and Geopolitics. And I am SUPER excited about all of these classes.

So yeah. Exciting times! I can't wait.