I didn’t know how big of a deal St. Patrick’s day was in the United States before moving to Dublin. Perhaps I was generally aware, or it’s not as celebrated on the west coast, or I was spending last year’s prepping to fly to Nepal to begin my summer in Asia and was more concerned about not forgetting something to notice the day. In any case, I vaguely knew that people in the US regard this holiday with quite a bit of enthusiasm and dedication. Or what’s more, that spending the day in Dublin is on many bucket lists. So, I was curious what it would be like here. I had heard stories of absurd debauchery and was mildly concerned about dealing with a city full of drunken tourists-I had also heard most Irish people stay locked in or flee the city. Regardless, it would be interesting. Continue reading
Category Archives: Dublin
3 Months in Dublin; Finding Peace in Stillness
September, October, November. It’s been three months (and one week) since we moved to Dublin. And three months is pretty significant. It’s the amount of time it takes me to feel comfortable in a new place, and subsequently, it’s also the amount of time it usually takes until I’m itching to move again. As if the minute I feel that familiarity, the next I’m dreaming of the next destination. It is my three month rule, which happened almost entirely by chance, but now results in a significant desire to move, lest I stay in one place long enough for tedium to set in. This time around though, things are different. Continue reading
What I’ve Learned in Ireland.
It’s been a whole month (plus some) since I’ve moved to Ireland. Much has happened, though admittedly nothing of exceptional note. Which would likely explain my absence from this blog. Things like getting my visa so I’m not residing in Ireland illegally, or finally tracking down a swiffer equivalent (and paying hefty price for such a luxury) don’t really merit posts. Classes are in full swing, but thus far have taken up very little time. This, we are assured, will change, lest we think our vibrant social lives will continue. I’ve made friends, ironically, mostly with other Americans and have been reminded that little things from home bond people in ways you wouldn’t anticipate. Plus, none of us already have lives and friends here, so naturally we all banded together. So what have I learned in my first month as an expat in Europe? Here’s ten, in no particular order. Continue reading
The Beginning: Week One-Grad School.
I’m watching the red tilted plastic clock that’s been haphazardly placed on the whiteboard tray, the minutes tick by at an excruciatingly slow pace. This feels, strangely familiar. At the end of our orientation week, an event that involved the highs of meeting new friends and the lows of what I consider academic bullying, we were given a writing test. Three questions, worded in such a way that you spent most of the time decoding the grammar, two hours, and a 600 word essay to read. All to determine what sort of “academic support” we would need throughout the year. I wonder if they’ll give us color coded stickers that indicate our academic ability like in grade school. I was done thirty minutes into it. This is probably not a good thing. But it was convient, as that’s when my hand began cramping up from having not handwritten anything substantial in the past few years. It felt like a dirty trick. I felt defeated. I didn’t trust our course director after having us schlep around Dublin for nearly ten miles the previous day on a evil scavenger hunt that would not end. And then having the audacity to quiz us on trivial things the next day. It’s been an interesting first week. Continue reading
Colliding With The Earth 