ireland. day one.

soo we pearl (mariah) and i got here yesterday. talk about a cray cray day. i left mississippi at 11:50 pm, had layovers in hotlanta and new yawk and then flew over to dublin. loved my flight from nyc to dublin. the flight attendants seemed to be enjoying their job (but really, i love it when people look like they have positives about and are having fun with their jobs) - they were making jokes, etc. i sat in the middle of a window and an Irish guy in college who was my age. aka: best of both worlds. so that was fun. we chatted about our summers, took naps, attempted to watch a terrible movie, had dinner, then had brekkie, and i recruited him to work at GAC. we'll see how that goes. :)

so i get into dublin, find mariah, and we attempt to take two 50-pound suitcases, two duffels, two backpacks, and two purses and cart them around the city (DUMBEST. MISTAKE. OF. OUR. LIVES.) we had tons of the nicest irish people coming up to see if we needed help (of course we did, we were struggle boatin' hard and it was definitely apparent), but only the serous ones grabbed our bags and started telling us where we were going. finally, we took a bus (after a really charming irish lad gave us directions, helped put our bags on the bus, and told us what to not do to look like americans). it was then that i decided i was very much going to like this place.

so we took a bus to the train station, then a train to maynooth. once there, we got more help from a mother and daughter - we had to climb (really, really steep) stairs, and then go down them to get over this channel in the town. so we thanked them and were on our way. slowly, but surely. and with great huff and puff (seriously. we were in the middle of the effects of hurricane katia - and the wind was supa crazy). so we finally made it to the middle of the town where there was a literal fork in the road - going to north campus or south campus. we flipped a coin, decided on south.

whaddaya know, it would be the wrong campus. by about two miles. haha. SO we asked a rando stranger (story of our lives. at this point, there's no shame. we have no shame) and he tells us how not in the right place we are, then tells us where to go and walks off. so we're like "okay, let's do this," and then, about two minutes later, the stranger comes back, offers to take us to our housing and then grabs my bag. WHAT. how awesome are these people? so i find out that he is a first-year (soo... i am a complete american. about 50 things have reminded me of harry potter. 1) pearl carrying all her luggage on a trolley.), business major, skinny blonde boy named emmett, who is from maynooth, who has the cutest little lisp and the nicest manners. seriously. he would fit in great in the south.

so after we finally got to our housing and bid emmett farewell, we slept for four hours, got internet, skyped honey (erika) and then took a train to meet her in dublin.

so on the train ride, we sit across from this irish girl (named something i can't write, much less pronounce). she's telling us how great maynooth is (she went to school there) and the town and people, etc. and then she warns us to be careful at night, because she and her friend got beat up/stabbed and were in the hospital for a while. WHAT.

that's when i started freaking out. so i was silent the entire ride. just thinkin', ya know. sooo... that's fun.

then honey, pearl and i had dinner and drinks at an irish pub (duh, had to) and came back to stay at her friends' apartment in the city.

that's all for now. my computer is about to die. i'm ready for day two already! :)

we're going to get phones, groceries, showers, and explore dublin, then maynooth.