Reflections

In four days, I will landing in Wichita. I am at a loss for words. This semester has completely flown by and half of what I have done feels like it happened in another lifetime.

After an incredible weekend in Dublin, Erica and I came home to two weeks of time left to soak up in England. We knew these two weeks would be filled with many Word Documents and tabs open, researching and writing four 2,000 word essays. I have felt incredibly frustrated at some points this week, feeling sad that my last few days are being spent locked in my room or the library writing papers that don't count towards my degree and for classes I am less then enthused to be in. I am not joking when I say this semester felt like a super long vacation. Not having a job meant I have had an unreal amount of free time. Being away from all of the craziness of home meant that I had no requirements and nothing holding me back from doing whatever I felt like. Being in random classes that sounded interesting based on the online description meant that my passions weren't being stimulated. What can I say, I love education and 6 year olds. I guess talking about stone axes and henges and bones of ancient neanderthals isn't as exciting as I thought it would be. 

I will admit I have exponentially increased my "watched" movies this semester, and have read many interesting articles and parts of books. But I am looking forward to coming home and having some sense of normalcy and structure. But, I bet the minute we land I will weep with sadness that I no longer live in Chester England. 

I have been thinking through this semester in the rare occasion I am not thinking about papers, and I have come to some conclusions. 

1. People are so much deeper than the first impressions you have of them. I am thankful and grateful I have learned this. If you want to hear more about this, we should meet up for coffee. 

2. Life doesn't have to be about waiting for what is next. Before coming to England, all life felt like was a big waiting game. For the first few weeks, I was waiting for it to feel real. I have come to understand every day is so rich and there are always opportunities to meet new people, encourage others, and step outside of your comfort zone. Like this past Monday, I met a girl who was in my class all semester. She sat across the room and until this week, we had never spoke. We ended up meeting and talking, and I was just refreshed by the small interaction. I have been refreshed from small, simply interactions many times this semester. But hey, it may be because I am an American and the Brits love Americans.
3. The English dress way nicer on a daily basis. And by way nicer, I mean they don't wear sweats, tee shirts, or hoodies...for the most part.
4. Walking is so peaceful and lovely. I am going to miss walking everywhere. I am never bothered by having no car. Chester is gorgeous, and walking allows me to actually see what I am passing, rather than rushing from one thing to another. I wish I logged the miles my feet have journeyed this semester. My TOMS and boots sure have taken a beating and are evidence of the walking.
5. There is no such thing as a drive-thru. And America should do away with them. Seriously. I think this is directly related to...
6. The English are (generally) very skinny. Which baffles me, because they eat plates of chips (fries) smothered in baked beans as a meal. Oh, but they walk everywhere and don't drive through places at all hours of the day and night.
7. Everything closes at 5 or 6 pm. Except Tesco Express, which closes at 11pm.
8. I have been blessed beyond measure. I am totally aware that these past three months are something not everyone gets to experience. And I cannot even verbalize how grateful I am. To my family, friends, and anyone who worked in any way to get me over here, I am forever grateful.
9. As much as I said I didn't like sharing a room with Erica this semester, I wouldn't have wanted anyone else here with me. We've laughed, cried, fought, laughed, danced, acted like fools, and been ridiculous. I am so thankful we got to experience this semester together. I sure love her.
10. Saying goodbye is one of my least favorite things in the world. I am an emotional wreck and sob like a small child. I am dreading saying goodbye to the people I have met this semester. 

Dublin Day 3

Erica and I were left to our own devices Friday morning while Paula and the rest of the family attended a funeral in Mayo. We slept in, got ready, and walked into the city centre. We intended on just walking around, but I wanted to see Trinity College as well.

It took us about 40 minutes to get to the campus walking casually, and when we walked through the gates, there were stunningly dressed people everywhere! Turns out it was graduation day, and everyone has to wear black or white. Guys were in tuxedos and the ladies had on dresses and massive heels. They all looked amazing and it seemed so lively and celebratory.

We navigated through the crowds and went to the Old Library. I was in awe at the history in the one room, as well as how incredibly stunning the hall was.

We shopped around a tad on the way home and then had an hour of down time before another Brogan brother picked us up. Steven and Anne, another sweet couple of the huge 9 sibling Brogan family came to the house to collect us for the evening. We went for a drive and then headed into Hole in the Wall. This is one of the oldest pubs and one that Steven went to when he was growing up. The pub spent 20,000 euros on decorating for Christmas. And let me tell you, it was INSANE. Literally, every inch of the place was covered. Lights, wreaths, garland, and any and all Christmas decor you can think of was in this precious pub. You know in the movie Elf when Buddy stays up all night and completely renovates the store? The pub was exactly like it. Brilliant, people. We had a coffee and a bowl of soup to hold us over until our dinner reservations at 9.

Steve and Anne have a daughter who is 21 called Laura. She was in the US last summer and my Uncle Mike and Uncle Wally were good to her during her visit. Those two uncles are incredibly gracious and the way Steven talked about them sounded nothing short of how they are to everyone. To give you an idea of my Uncle Mike and Aunt Paula's generosity, I called them in May one afternoon asking if I could bring a friend and stay with them for a few days. Mind you, I called the day before Sheradin and I left Wichita. (She was driving to go to the French consolate and wanted a driving companion. I thought it would be fun to tag along and visit my family!) We arrived one day after I called them and we had the most incredible stay. We were spoiled rotten and had the best time ever hanging out with my Aunt and seeing the family. But back to Steven Brogan. He was so thankful his daughter was loved on and cared for in Chicago that he wanted to do the same for us. He and his wife were incredible and we had such a fun time chatting and seeing Dublin.

Another Brogan brother (one of the 8) called Benny owns a pub right smack in downtown Dublin. Paula and Steven worked their family magic and arranged for us to go to his pub to pull our own pint of Guinness. It was 7:30 on a Friday night, so when we arrived the place was packed. I got all nervous and embarrassed. I said "Oh, it's fine. I don't really want to anymore." Truly, I had no clue what to do and I didn't want to look silly in front of the Irish drinking their pints. Thankfully, Steven ushered us the the bar and we slid behind. The manager quickly helped us pull our own pints. I was slightly offended when a man came up to the bar and said "I'll have a pint of Guinness, but I don't want the girls pulling it." The Irish, they like their Guinness. John the manager gave us the pint on the house and again, I was reminded of how fortunate we are to have been cared for and loved on this trip.We met up with Steven's daughter Laura and her cousin Helen and hung out in the pub until Paula met up with us.

I had never had a beer before, except tastes of light beer our friends order out (I think it tastes like soggy old bread), but I "nursed" my pint like my dad suggested, and enjoyed the flavor. I would never choose to order a beer out, but it was such a neat experience and to say we pulled our own pint in a pub in Dublin is fantastic.

After the pub, we walked to dinner. It must have been fate, because Steven booked dinner at a famous and incredible butchery F.X. Buckley's. We are Midwest girls...and we love our steak. I was a bit too excited to order a real steak considering it has been a long while since I had a proper one.

I had a starter of warm Irish rye fields goats cheese with pickled beetroot, dressed rocket, balsamic reduction and toasted walnuts. Oh my lands, it was magnificent. 

 The main attraction was a perfectly cooked Ribeye steak. I can't even begin to tell you how perfect that steak was. It was perfect, paired with a crisp glass of wine and hot fries. I was trying my best not to keep carrying on about how perfect my steak was. I love food and have always loved cooking. Good food speaks to my soul, and this was chattering away. Seriously, it was brilliant.

This picture does not do it justice, but you get the idea.

 We all ordered desert as well, because you can't have a proper meal without it. I had an americano and a trio of homemade ice creams, and was completely stuffed. We talked for hours and had the best time. Steven is hilarious and so conversational. Each course was brought out a long while after each other, so we had loads of time to talk and enjoy each other's company. The atmosphere was lovely as well, and the service was excellent. I was so grateful and truly had an incredible evening with Steven, Laura, Helen, Paula, and Erica.

We left the restaurant at midnight, and had plans to go listen to music down the road, but with everyone so tired and full, we called it a night and said our goodbyes. Like I said in the previous post, traveling is incredible, but getting to spend your time with people who know you (or very distantly know you) and want to take care of you is magical. I can't really describe how comforting it was to sit down for another fabulous meal and just talk and laugh with sweet relatives. I know we didn't actually know Steven and his wife and daughter before the evening, but it felt like we had known each other for years. If you are ever abroad, you will know that sense of amazement of seeing new things, but also a slight feeling of loss or loneliness because you aren't surrounded by people you know and love. The Irish are welcoming, kind, and friendly. I am at a loss for words at the amount of love, kindness, and generosity that has been shown to Erica and myself since arriving in Dublin. 

The day was delightful and the company was even better. I can't imagine a more perfect way to end our semester over here. 

Dublin Day 2...THANKSGIVING

Erica and I slept in Thursday morning and Helen and Paula went to work. After the best sleep of my life, I did not want to crawl out of bed. We lollygagged and had some breakfast of toast and a latte. Helen has a Nespresso machine, which makes the best cup of coffee/espresso in the world.

We got ready and then Helen picked us up to take us to meet Paula and Jimmy. Jimmy is one of Bernards 7 brothers. There are 8 boys and 1 girl that make up that family. They are all Paula and Helen's first cousins. How they are related to my Uncle Mike, I can't be sure. I am learning though. And by the time I leave, I will be be able to draw the family tree.

We went for a lovely drive along the coast and through Dublin, while Jimmy and Paula added anecdotes and stories about each place. We got out and walked along the Irish Sea for a tad, and took some pictures.

Sweet Paula!

Jimmy took us to grab a bit of lunch at the neatest cafeteria/restaurant called Avoca. It reminded me of a mixture of Stonehorse Market in Tulsa and Fresh Market. Everything is really fresh, natural, and presented beautifully. It has a beautiful shopping area outside of the cafe. You grab a tray and then walk through and pick what you want. I had a spinach and pine nut quiche (OH MY LANTA...I was in egg heaven) with a trio of their fresh salads. After we ate, Jimmy so kindly went and grabbed us all coffees and an assortment of sweets.

We then drove back and got ready for THANKSGIVING! Which Erica and I were actually heart broken about missing with our family until we arrived in Dublin. Like Paula and her kind, thoughtful self, she booked us a real Thanksgiving dinner in Dublin before we arrived. She sent me a message asking if we wanted to go out to this place that hosted Thanksgiving and I got so giddy inside. So we freshened up and headed to the Beaufield Mews for the BEST meal I have had in a long time. This definitely made up two fold for missing my first Thanksgiving of my life. Thank you Paula for being so incredibly thoughtful and gracious.

When we arrived at the Beaufield Mews Jimmy and his wife Aileen were waiting for us. The place was tastefully decorated for Christmas, but had American flag banners all around and a chalkboard greeting us!

The server came over and asked if we would like eggnog. I will say this was the best eggnog I have ever had. This was true, creamy, rich alcoholic eggnog and was absolutely brilliant. I am 98% certain the eggnog part was made in the restaurant.

While we waited for the table, sipping our eggnog, we were given an America quiz. There were 20 questions about the good ol USA and we were competing with the other guests for a bottle of wine. We seriously needed my dear old dad, Professor Klunder, to help us with the true American History. We had a ball talking through the questions, taking guesses and not using Google until the end to check some answers. I may have sang the "Alabama, Alaska, Arizona.." song that we all learned in 5th grade. Some of the questions were really hard, like "Name the place in the US with the first subway." The Irish family we were with were brilliant at the questions and it was seriously a blast. We laughed a lot and it was a great way to start our Thanksgiving dinner.

We had a chance to read the menu before we sat down, and I about cried tears of joy. This place was classy and tasteful. Aileen ordered us a bottle of wine, which was fabulous, and the first course came out. Sweetcorn and garam masala soup with spiced onion and carrot fritter. Have you ever had corn pudding? Well this tasted just like it, but creamier, richer, and decadent. Absolutely gorgeous.

 The second course was caramelized pumpkin and baby beet salad with tahini and walnut caviar. Again, this was just wonderful. So scrumptious and light.

 The third course was the main event. And main event it was. Free range Irish turkey with chestnut stuffing wrapped in smoked bacon with whiskey and sage jus. This was beautifully plated and much more elegant than the giant mess of my normal Thanksgiving plate of goodies. There was a beet cream sauce on the side that was silky and perfect with the turkey.

They brought out a string been dish and creamy potatoes that made me think of my moms green been casserole. They even had the crunchy onions on top. SO GOOD.

The fourth course was fig and pecan pie with balsamic and honey ice cream. It was somewhat like a sponge cake but the flavor was spot on to pecan pie, which is my specialty. The ice cream was beautiful and paired so nicely with the pie. It came with the cutest tiny American flag stuck in it and I felt like a million bucks. Ireland sure knows how to make an American girl who misses home feel at home.

We finished off with a coffee and sweet conversation. I wish I could explain how perfect the night was. I actually cried on Facetime with my parents a few days before we left because I was so sad to miss Thanksgiving. We were surrounded by Irish relations who treated us like royalty and wanted our American holiday to be special. Traveling is fun and exciting, but can feel lonely when you are surrounded by thousands of people you don't know. We had an intimate dinner with family, and there is simply nothing better than that. It was a night I will never forget, and I am so thankful to have celebrated with Helen, Paula, Jimmy and Aileen.

Dublin Day 1

One of the first things Erica and I did when arriving in England was plan and book our big trips. We wanted to make sure they were paid for and scheduled before the semester ended. By the way, we come home in TWO WEEKS. Insane.

Turns out we have some pretty incredible connections over the pond. Our Uncle Mike, our dad's sister's husband, who lives in Chicago, has Irish relatives. At our cousin's wedding two years ago, we met their Irish family. Paula, one of the Irish relatives, was my cousins' nanny for two summers when they were little. When we knew we were going to be over in England, we thought it would be perfect to stop by and visit the Irish relations. Early this semester, I sent Paula an email asking if we could possibly come and stay with her for a few days. She was born and raised in Dublin, and considering Erica and I know very little about Ireland, it was perfect. She so graciously said we could come stay, so we booked our trip.

Wednesday morning we took the train from Chester to Holyhead Wales. Holyhead is located on the western coast of Great Britain, and has a ferry port that takes cars and foot passengers to Dublin! We hopped on the Swift ferry that took us across the Irish Sea in an hour and a half. It was so delightful and calm. When we arrived in Dublin, Paula was waiting for us and drove us to her home. My ignorant self told her "Oh, we can walk to your place. I don't want you to have to come collect us from the port." Thankfully, she did. We would have been quite lost and walking for a while had she listened to my silly self.

Paula lives in an absolutely gorgeous home in Dublin with her sister, Helen. When we walked in, she said Erica and I could stay together or in separate rooms. Naturally, Erica and I screamed "TOGETHER! We haven't spent enough time together in one room this semester. We need more time together!" Actually, we smiled and said separate, and were giddy to find out we could have our own rooms...each with a queen sized bed. Need I say more? My sleep has been completely recovered and I decided I am staying in Dublin until my flight home. I wish. 

After we dropped our belongings, we took a walk to the Botanical gardens for a bite to eat, and a stroll through the gardens. Let me preface here that much of our time has been centered around food. Which obviously is to our delight. We have been meeting with and getting to talk to much of their huge family. And having a meal together is familial and delightful. Something I miss from home but am just loving here. I digress. We ate inside the gardens in this cute cafe type place. Erica and I both got open face tuna sandwiches, which were so delicious and a nice change from White's Dining. We then walked through the gardens, looking at all of the plants, trees, and flowers.

We walked back to her house and sat for a cup of tea and some biscuits, then freshened up for a dinner with Paula and Helen's cousin Bernard (pronounced Bernerd over here) and his wife Maria, whom we also met at the wedding in Chicago two years ago.

Before leaving for dinner, Paula took us to the cathedral near her house where she sings each Wednesday night. She is amazing, and my memory from meeting her two years ago was listening to her sing "Oh Danny Boy" on my Uncle Wally's deck. We were all going to sing together, but there was a service and we weren't allowed to make any noise. Sadly, we left without making any harmonious vocals. But it was a gorgeous church and neat to visit.

Back to her house we went and then in the car to head to dinner. Bernard co-owns a hotel outside of Dublin, and invited us to dinner there. It was absolutely gorgeous. If you go to Ireland, you need to stay at the Celbridge Manor Hotel. Here is a picture of the outside from Google. Check out their website here!!

We enjoyed a delectable dinner and conversation with Bernard, Maria, Paula and Helen. I had a starter of caesar salad, salmon and potatoes for dinner, and a cappuccino to finish it off. If any of you know me well, you know salmon is my favorite fish. I go to Dillons too frequently to have them make me a piece of salmon at the fish counter. I just loved my dinner choice. After dinner, Bernard gave us a tour of the hotel. It is massive and the rooms are just incredible. At the top level of the hotel, there is an old nightclub that is still being decided on what to be made into. Paula, Erica and myself stood up in the DJ box and sang Silent Night. The night was lovely as all get out, and it was so good to see familiar faces. We went home and I climbed into my bed and had the best sleep I've had in months.

Our first day in Dublin was a success! We are being cared for like queens and I am so grateful for this stay.

More about each day to follow!

Video!

Short and sweet today. I made a video to wrap up and summarize our semester.

Watch HERE!

Development Week

I apologize for the lack of posts recently. Nothing that exciting was happening and writing about my normal day didn't seem worth your while.

However, last week was our Development week, or reading week as other Uni students call it. Basically, it is one week each term that lectures are paused so students can get their reading for lectures done and maybe do some job searching or training. Being international students, this week was our travel week. The second or third week here, Erica and I booked our trip to Scotland for this past week, thanks to a killer recommendation from a fellow WSU student and friend, Dillon, who studied in Chester a year ago. Thanks Dillon!

SCOTLAND
It is official. I love Scotland more than England. But then again, I say that about every place I go. But seriously, this past week was magical and wonderful and spectacular. We took a 5 day tour with a company called MacBackpackers. We started off in Edinburgh, hit Inverness, Isle of Skye, and Oban, among many other villages and stops along the way.

There were a total of 24 people on our tour. Friends from Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, South Africa, the US, and Scotland accompanied us on the bus. Which happened to be a Mercedes Benz. Casual.

Our tour guide was named Neil. He was fabulous and hilarious. Super Scottish and vulgar, but told the most amazing stories and kept the journey exciting. The night before the trip, in the hostel in Edinburgh, we were charging our phones. In the same room, two Aussie guys were talking. I thought my ears were bleeding when I hear the f word 22+ times in one minute. When we started to tally how often they used the word, we got ourselves giggling so much that we had to leave the room. It was hysterical and horrifying at the same time. Well, morning of the tour, Neil hops on the bus and starts blabbering, saying the f word a bunch. But after our previous night, it was not too bad. We would be driving past a beautiful snow capped mountain, and in his very Scottish accent he'd say, "Bloody f*^*. That is f#!*ing brilliant." 

On this trip, I had a change of heart about hostels. If you haven't heard my London story, read about my hostel experience here! Let's just say I could only go up from there. When we arrived in Edinburgh Sunday the night before our tour, I fell in love. Our hostel, Castle Rock Hostel, was located right smack next to the castle. 

The entire place was filled with decorations, complete with two full suits of armor. There were like 4 huge sitting rooms (one named the Posh lounge...which obvi we hung out in) with a pool table, piano, guitars, free hot chocolate, tea, or coffee at all hours of the day, free room to store luggage, a massive kitchen with every cooking utensil necessary, and bedrooms themed like The Beatles or Scottish Pubs. Each bed in the rooms were named to match the theme and to help people not sleep in the wrong beds. The staff was so helpful and friendly. The three other hostels we stayed in were amazing as well. In Inverness, our hostel was just as community friendly, and we all sat around and played Taboo for a couple hours. The beds, of course, were more comfortable than my bed here in Chester. Which, if you didn't know, has springs poking up all over and feels like I am practicing my David Blaine trick of laying on a bed of nails when I go to bed. But, its a bed, so I shan't complain anymore. 

I honestly wish I could articulate the incredible week we had. There was so much we did and each day felt so new, exciting, and different than the others. My most favorite thing we did all week was attend a Scottish Ceilidh the last night of the tour. We were met by a smokin' hot Scottish guy in a kilt playing the bagpipes, who piped the whole group through town to the location of the dance. We learned traditional Scottish line dances and listened to authentic music played by the live band. It was seriously the most fun thing I have done since being abroad. I smiled and laughed all night, dancing with some of the sweetest girls I could ask for. They played some pop music at midnight so the dance party kept going. My legs, after all the hiking we did, were exhausted. 

Instead of a million words to read, following will be pictures so you can properly visualize my week.  Remember, you can click on the picture to enlarge it!

The Hermitage Forest