Okay, now that things have finally calmed down I can finally write about my wonderful experience in Germany! When we arrived to the airport Shawna's cousin (Roland) met us there so we could take the train to his house. This was very comforting because I myself speak no German at all and I had no idea where I was. Roland could not have been nicer! He talked to his neighbors before we arrived and set up a place for us to stay since his nieghbors had a guesthouse.

For our first day we went to a medieval city. Every thing in this little town looked straight out of a movie. The architexture was truely amazing. Every house there was made out of wood unlike the houses that are built today. While I was walking around I felt like I was in Beauty and the Beast and people were going to be singing to me while I walked down the streets. Along with the housing being different the streets were so narrow! I was a shock a car could even fit down them.

The next day we adventured off without Roland and went to the nearby zoo. I was a little nervous for this since I didn't know my way around and not being able to speak German I thought I would surely get lost. But even not being able to speak German I felt so welcomed and people were trying to talk to us even though they spoke very little English. The zoo not only housed many unique animals but had many green houses for different plants and flowers which were beautiful! The zoo itself was very clean and very pretty. The exhibits were not like the ones back home where animals are up high on a hill or what seems like miles away. All the animals were very close and you could almost touch, which I thought was very neat.

On the third day we went to a castle and pumpkin festival. We didn't go into the castle but the outside was more than enough to see. There were gardens all around filled with beautiful roses and other flowers. The pumpkin festival was on the same property of the castle. Since I have been abroad this was the first time I actually felt like I was at "home". Fall is my favorite season back in Pittsburgh and Ireland doesn't have the prettiest fall lol.. Germany however had an awesome fall! All the leaves were changing and this pumpkin festival put the icing on the cake. They had a 800 pound pumpkin that a man from America was craving. The only thing missing was the pumpkin pie!

The fourth and finally day was definitely one that I"ll remember for the rest of my life. We took a trip to Heidelberg and this is where my great-grandmother lived before moving to the states. Every picture from my great-grandmother shows a river, castle and a bridge. While on our way to Heidelberg we found the river the whole way there!! Then as soon we go into the town I saw the castle. We actually were able to walk through the castle. From the top of the castle we could see the whole city, it was truly beautiful and it was there I got to see the bridge. After the castle we did some shopping and I got some presents for my family. This was probably my favorite moment of Germany.

This trip was exactly what I needed! Being in a family setting and playing games as a little family nightly really helped with my home sickness. I have also realized what great of an opportunity this truly is for me. I may never get the chance to come back over to Europe so I plan on traveling and living life to the fullest for my remained of time over here.

This past week was probably one of the worst weeks I have been through during my time abroad. I have realize how much I appreciate home. Being here I can already tell that I am growing stronger as a person. I am become less reliant on my car, cell phone, and in some way my family. I will always be close with my family especially my mom, she is more than my mom she is my best friend. Up until this trip I didn't think I would be able to go away from home for such a long time and yes I miss my mommy, my little sister, and my whole family but I realize I can do this and I don't need them by my side (as much as I wish they could be). I am very grateful in a way I get to realize this about myself and have this opportunity to grow as person.

Our field trip this Friday (October 14) was to Kilkenny. While we were there we went to the castle and Smithwick's brewery. I loved Kilkenny, the town was so lovely and there was towns of shopping shops. I am planning on going back for a day so that I can fully look around and see what the town has to offer and of course do some shopping.

I am very pleased to say that tomorrow morning I'll be on a flight to GERMANY!! Yay! Germany is some where I have wanted to go to for a long long time! My great-grandmother was an ancestor from there and she passed away when I was a baby. During my time there I will get to go to Heidelberg and see exactly where she came from. This is really special to me because I am the first out of my family to actually be able to go to Germany and see where my great-grandmother came from. All I can say is that I am very excited and my feelings are seriously indescribable!!

Well I need to go pack :) I can't wait to share my Germany stories with you!!
60 more days.. I can't wait

This week has probably been the hardest week yet for me. Wednesday (October 5) I recieved the care package from my mom. This package really hit me hard for some reason. Yes, it was only a bunch of food, a magazine, pictures that my little sister drew for me and hair feathers to me it was "home" in a box. I just sat on my bed looking at the contains of my box crying for probably a good hour. Since I have been here I have missed home but this time I was actually ready to pack my things and head home. You never realize how important the little things in life actually are until you don't have them any more. By leaving home I have learned a lot about myself and also this trip has already shaped me into a better person. I have realized that when I return home I am going to be much more apperciative for things. I have never thought of myself as a selfish person but in reality we all have this trait. No one realizes how convient things are in America. In Ireland places close at 7 pm at the lastest and they do not have a one stop shop. When you go shopping for your groceries you go to one store then if you need school supplies you go to another, its crazy!! Back home we just go to Walmart and we have everything we could ever want and need under one roof ( I freaking miss it!). Along with convient shopping, I miss my car! Ugh when I see my car I may just run over and hug it! I don't mind walking though I can be a lazy person I am not that lazy but when I hike about a mile every day just to go buy food to just walk back so that I can cook the food I just purchased. It gets really annoying (especially when it rains every day). I wish there was some bus system like Pitt students have back home but of course there is not.

Besides my homesickness we had another field trip this Friday to Glendalough.The scenery of this location was beautiful! There was this waterfall that was just ugh so pretty. I have never seen a waterfall before so this was really special for me. The only thing I would like to have changed was I would have liked to go on my own pace and just take in my surroundings. I felt as though I was rush and that I wasn't able to actually be thankful for my experience. I would definetly would like to go back to this place and just take it all in again. But all in all I had a very nice time and took got a lot of pictures.

My time here is going by quickly and I am enjoying every second of it the best I can. Every day is getting easier  but I do have my moments where I just have break downs and want to go home. Only 69 days...

Field trip to Saving Private Ryan Beach September 30, 2011

Trip to Cork to see the Blarney Castle & Stone on October 1, 2011

Below me kissing the Blarney Stone :)

Jameson Distillery on Sunday October 2, 2011

So it has been a while since my last blog but nothing really interesting has happened. There isn't really much to do around this town besides going out to the pubs at night. As much as it would be lovely to get out of the apartment I have been spending most nights in because I don't want to waste money by going out. Going out here isn't as easy as just walking out of my dorm back home and going down to Fifth Ave. To get to town is a twenty minute walk and when I go out I like to wear my heels; no one wants to walk twenty minutes before their night even begins. So this means we have to call a cab, which living on a budget cab fees seem to add up quickly. So needless to say I have been trying to save money by staying in and trying to make the best of it by hanging out with friends. Thank goodness we have our Friday "field trips"! (which are free!! YAY)

This past weekend has been the greatest experience since I have been here. Friday we had our second "field trip", we went to the Irish National Heritage Park in Wexford. This trip was very education; through the tour we got to see what the Irish houses first looked like when they came to Ireland. Along with their housing we got to see the how they improved into nicer housing and how they accomplished farming. The next place we went to was the beach where Saving Private Ryan was filmed. There was nothing too special about this beach. Normally beaches back home have board walks or little beach shops all around them but this beach only had on little beach shop in the parking lot and it wasn't even open. When I'm at the beach I am so at peace with myself and I can just sit there watching the ocean and listening to the waves for hours. Though it was raining I haven't been more relaxed since I have been here. I wish there was a beach close to Carlow so I would be able to go and just sit there and leave all my worries else where. This was just the start to my weekend.

Shawna, Chrissy and I planned a trip to Cork to visit the Blarney Stone and Castle and the Jameson Distillery. Saturday morning we left by bus to go to Cork. We had to go to Waterford to catch another bus to finally get to Cork. The scenery on the bus ride there was so beautiful! We drove by this mountain breath-taking. Though it has fog around it , the fog was what made it so pretty. Every one would tell me how green Ireland was but by taking this three hour bus ride to Cork was when I finally realized how many different shades of green there actually are here. As soon as we got to Cork we got on another bus that took us to Blarney. So far this is by far my favorite place I have visited so far. While we were here we went to the Blarney Castle. It was here that I finally felt like me doing this whole experience was actually worth it. We climbed the narrow stairway up to the very top of the castle to where the Blarney stone is located. To kiss the Blarney stone you have to lay on your back and go upside down to kiss the stone. Thankfully there is a guy that holds you so you don't fall but I couldn't help but feel as though I was going to fall straight to the ground.

While in Cork we got to experience our first hostle...let me just say this was a treat! haha completely not what I was expecting by any means. The room was so small, online it said it would sleep three people. The bed was a bunk bed with a "double" bed on the bottom. Needless to say Shawna and I had to share a bed and cuddle. But this experience is definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life. Sunday we woke up and went to see the Jameson Distillery. We got to take the tour and see how Jameson was orginally created and the process they still use today to make the whiskey. At the end of the tour everyone gets a sample of Jameson whiskey. Also eight volunteers get to do the "taste testing" which is tasting scotch, American whiskey (Jack Daniels) and Jameson. Of course, Chrissy and I volunteered to partake in this fun experience. I can honestly say Jameson was the smoothest to get down. At the end of the taste testing the eight volunteers were given certifications stating that we ae offical Irish whiskey drinkers.
This weekend was exactly what I need to help me get through the weeks to come. It made me feel like I chose to do this for all the right reasons and that all the homesickness is worth it in the end for times like these...

Only 75 more day until I get to go home and see my loved ones who I miss so much