One in a Million

Sorry folks, but most of the posts from Ireland are going to be fairly heavy on the photos- Galway no exception. If I'm so fortunate to get this gig again, I'll return to Galway, and you must come, too. I promised the B&B owner I would be back with friends and family- I'm counting on you, and really, you owe it to me.


Need convincing? 

 Okay, this isn't really Galway- but it's close. That's John (I think) there in the red, who led us on a hike into the Burren, providing historic and geologic tidbits about his land. We started at John's family farm, hiked up into this, his "backyard". The Burren is a fascinating landscape- rocky and rolling green at the same time, dotted with flowers (and cowpatties). A wild range of plants thrive here among the limestone rocks- it's certainly unlike any other place I've been. Walking up these hills on a blue-sky day was peaceful, invigorating, and a bit spiritual. The kind of day that makes you breathe deeply. 


Apparently others feel the same. Below is a photo of a "wishing tree" (common also in south/west of the US, I believe). Hopes, fears, and wishes are hung on this tree, and many have set their sadness here.

The day-long excursion from Galway continued on to the Cliffs of Moher. No words can quite capture, as you'll see. According to multiple tour guides, our day was one in a million. We could see the Aran Islands, and the cliffs stood drastically against the water. 

If this isn't enough to convince you, then let's get back to Galway, and my quaint little B&B, where everything was just the way it should be.

Water outside my window, lavender left on the bedside table, and a glass of port or cup of tea before tucking in.

Finally, a few shots of Galway city to further entice you. Though if you need more convincing, I don't know what else to say.

Back at the B&B, about 10:30pm

Paying Homage to the Queen

Dessert (for later)made by the Queen of Tarts herself (a blackberry apple crumble)

 

 

Wouldn't you pay, homage, too?

Bad hair days

If you weren't aware, it rains a lot here in the green land o' the fairies and leprechauns. To prepare for this, I took a flat iron from home- along with a converter/adapter duo plug-in thing so it would work correctly. I wanted to look decent- a least on the first day- so I plugged in my flat iron to tame my massive head of hair. Unfortunately, I forgot to change it to the converter option first. Thus, I experienced a mini explosion in my room, bright orange sparks jumping from the iron, choice words from my mouth. Whoopsies. So, I reverted to the hair dryer provided by the university we're staying at, but that wouldn't work in the plug. I thought I might complain about this, and went downstairs to tell reception, but they didn't know what was going on.
Later, I received a note under my door from the front office asking me to "please let the female students know to NOT use 110 watt (or volt, I can't remember)" electronics in their rooms, as this blows the circuits, which had to be reset today. I reminded the girls about that.
Since then, I have been without the straightener, resulting in uncontrollable looks similar to this:  

Needless to say, things aren't working as well as I'd hoped with Mr. Tennis. 

First day

Just a brief update here...I went to our classroom early, to make sure I knew where it was. Scoped out the classroom building, and accessible building features (automatic doors, accessible restrooms, etc), and made sure internet connection worked in our classroom. The important stuff. 
Naturally, I wanted to find the bathroom before the students came. This is the first door I found, which was clearly not for me. 

Without really paying attention, I went into the second bathroom door, just a few steps down the hall.

Hunh. It was a bit of a surprise when I stepped in, but I didn't feel too bad about finding the guy inside, because really, who planned that? Clearly this is a problem of design, rather than user.

Wet Feet

Okay, so I'll try a blog for a bit. See the poem below? I posted that in February. It was an easy post (just copy and paste!), you know, getting my feet wet. Also, it's a good poem. What do you think? Not that my potential audience is that big, but I've been a little nervous to write for others, yet eager to do so. Though maybe it's just as much for me.

Well now it's June, I'm in Dublin living it up with a group of college students, co-leading their study abroad (this is the month that I have the best job in the world). It's also dependent on the group of students, and by all accounts, this group is nothing short of fabulous. I thought this might be a nice way for you to keep up if you're interested, without me having to recall and tell lots of random stories that people may not really care about. Maybe they'll be a little more interesting as they happen. And I'm two weeks behind already.  By the way, I should mention that this isn't all play- actually the work-to-play ratio is heavily skewed toward the work end (12-14 hour days), but the experience of a new city and engaging with this group of students definitely makes it worth it.

Okay...a few updates.

During the weekend before the students arrived, I did a bit of sightseeing, and joined the "Wild Wicklow" Tour. A highlight for most young women on the bus was seeing the "P.S. I Love You Bridge". Forget Sally Gap, Wicklow National Park, or age-old monastic ruins when you can see the place where Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank kissed in a movie.

It was a beautiful day. Most of you already know how I was able to get on the tour bus. I did get to be co-pilot, which was the best seat in the house. I also had access to a microphone.

Dun Laoghaire

Sally Gap

Glendalough

Word on the street is that women who run around the tower three times (see above) will be married within a year. I did twelve laps for good measure- don't be surprised if you see a ring within 4 months.
(p.s.-bonus points to anyone who can tell me why the font shows up as Times New Roman online, but Trebuchet in the editor!)