I should have taken the elevator!

This morning I had my last breakfast at the Byrne's home because I sadly had to move on to my next stop.  I had to move on to Paris.  I am truly sad about this departure because it was so great staying with my cousin and meeting the newest member of the family. So, all you Rosewags out there better get a move on and head out to see the Byrne's in Ireland.  You will get the best company, best tips, and tour guides!

As I was saying though, I was headed to Paris.  I gathered my things, got in a cab, and headed to the Dublin airport.  I was a little shocked by the airport.  Remember, I had 3 bags and a purse.  I was taking my backpack as my carryon, which meant that I had to check the 2 red bags.  The lady at the counter when I was checking, told me to go ahead and take the red duffle bag with me to the plane.  She said it didn't need to be checked, and besides why would I argue... I didn't have to pay for a second checked bag.  As I was reaching the security section of the airport where they had to x-ray my bags, it dawned me.  In my red duffle bag I had all of my toiletries, which included razors, face wash... pretty much every toiletry a girl would need.  You are probably thinking, "OMG!  Security pulled her aside to search her!" Well you are wrong indeed.  They just let me walk right on through, and they didn't even ask me why the bag was checked.  I got to say, I am pretty shocked about getting through security with all of those things!

So, I took the flight to London City, so I could then catch a train from St. Pancras International Railway Station.  I was quite proud of myself.  I got a map of the tube, bought a single fare ticket, and got on the tube.  I had to switch trains prior to getting to the railway station.  The only problem was that there was a lot of walking, escalators, and STAIRS!  Let me tell ya, I have learned my lesson.  When you travel abroad, you need to pack as lightly as possible!  Yes, I know what you all are saying, "Told ya so!" However, I am going to be away for over a month, and I needed a lot of clothes to get me through.

I finally made it to the Eurostar International Departures when an announcement came on.  The announcer said, "This is a security message: St. Pancras Underground is being evacuated for a fire alert.  St. Pancras underground is now closed.  Sorry for any inconvenience."  I am sitting in the railway station that is above and connected to St. Pancras underground, so I started wondering... am I going to be affected?  Well, lucky for me there were no interruptions to my trip.  After going through security and customs, I was able to sit in the lounge prior to the departure of my train.  When they called for us, I gathered my things and headed to the platform.  I was thinking this is awesome, there are escalators that take everyone straight to the platform.  The escalators were flat and going up hill.  As I got on it with all my luggage things were going OK until my shoes couldn't grip the escalator firmly.  Yup, the weight of my bags pulling my body down without the grip of my shoes caused me to not go up but down.  To prevent a catastrophe of me sliding into all the people behind me with my luggage I gripped the railing and held onto my luggage for dear life.  In other words, I should have taken the elevator!

After getting on the train, it departed for Paris.  I was able to watch the beautiful view from the train window.  It was amazing to see so many fields and then all of a sudden see the grand city of Paris!  I arrived in Paris intact and I was able to get a cab that brought me straight to my hotel.  The ride to the hotel was wonderful.  The city of Paris was picturesque.  The buildings were full of design and beauty and everyone just seemed so happy.

Well, that's all for now folks.  I will be taking on Paris in the morning!

My Top 10 of Ireland

Even though there are a million things I loved about Ireland... here are my top 10!

1.  Meeting baby Kian for the first time ever! (and of course catching up with his mom and dad)

2.  Cliffs of Moher

3.  Hop-on Hop-off Bus to see the Dublin sights

4.  "Trad" Pub

5.  The bed and excellent meals received at the Byrne's B&B

6.  Public Transportation (it is so efficient!)

7.  Kindness of strangers

8.  Smithwicks

9.  The gorgeous weather... lucky me!

10.  Never getting lost :) 

Next, on to the city of Paris!

A Day with the Byrnes

Today was all about rest and the Byrnes.  I have been running around like crazy these past several days, so I needed a day to chill out.  I slept in a little later than usual, but then I was up playing with baby Kian.  Kian is the most adorable baby.  He stares deeply into you with his bright blue eyes and his killer smile.  He shows off his new ability of rolling over in slow motion...

I DID IT!!

He is just so precious.  I was able to wrap up a few things today.  I confirmed my hotel reservation in Paris, so I know that I have a room available.  I went through all of my Ireland pictures, and I deleted and labeled a bunch of them.  After going through over almost 400 pictures, I posted them on Facebook. (So, if you are lucky enough to be my friend, then I guess you get to check them out!)

Well, now it is time for me to pack up my things, and get ready to head off to Paris in the morning!

They called for rain, but all I got was sunshine!

Today I woke up bright and early, and I caught a cab into Dublin.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day.  I grabbed some coffee and then went to the tourist center, where the group heading to the Cliffs of Moher got picked up by their tour guide/driver.  We got an early start, so we could drive the 2 hours clear across the country.

We made a few pit stops before reaching the Cliffs on Moher.  We stopped at a castle in the green.  Afterwards, we continued on to Corcomroe Abbey, and then we headed through the Burren where I saw a ton of rocks including a stone henge.

 

I caught a glimpse of the Atlantic on our way to Doolin to grab a bite to eat for lunch.  I met a few people on the tour, so I was able to enjoy their company throughout the trip.

After a great lunch and a drive from Doolin, we finally made it to the Cliffs of Moher.  I have never seen anything so beautiful.  The sky was bright blue with great white clouds.  The sea was a deep blue that seemed so crisp.  The world will find out soon enough whether the Cliffs of Moher will be one of the seven world wonders.  If you think it should be one of the next world wonders, then you need to VOTE!  So, click on the link and vote for the Cliffs of Moher!

After a long and wonderful day, I was able to enjoy the scenery and a little snooze on the ride back to Dublin.  The best part of my whole day is knowing that I had nothing but sunshine to follow me on my travels!

So much to do in so little time

I have been in the land of Ireland for 4 days, and I think I have done a heck of a lot! Day 1--I rested to get over jet lag (please note: when traveling abroad to the Ireland area, you need at least a 3-5 hour nap to get on track) Day 2--sight seeing in Dublin.

On Sunday (Day 3) I returned to Dublin to see some more sights.  I bought a ticket for the Hop-on Hop-off Bus which takes you all around Dublin.  The bus allows you to hop-off at any of the stops and hop-on again whenever you are finished with the sight.  It was great because you never had to wait more than 10 minutes for the bus.  Because I had seen the majority of the sights on Saturday, I was able to sit on the bus and tour the city and its streets.  I did stop off at the Guinness Brewery, and I had my pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar.  It was amazing!

After touring the Guinness Brewery, I got back on the bus and headed to Kilmainham Gaol.  If you ever go to Dublin, I definitely recommend you take a tour.  You get to hear a lot of information about Ireland's history and politics, which brings to light a lot of things.

Today was Day 4 of my journey in Ireland.  I got an early start and headed to Dublin.  I had breakfast at the wonderful Bewley's on Grafton Street and then I headed to the Connolly Station.  I got a day pass where I was able to visit the suburbs of Dublin.  (My cousin, Emily, gave me this idea along with a few other good tips of what to do in Ireland, which were perfect and right on point with what I wanted.) I stopped at Dun Laoghaire (phonetically said Done Leary).  I spent a few hours there walking along the pier and the main street.  I absolutely love the water, so it took me forever to walk to the end of the pier and back because I was taking so many pictures!  It was a little cloudy out, but no rain :)

After grabbing a pint and lunch at a local pub in Dun Laoghaire, I got back on the train and headed to Bray.  Bray was also absolutely beautiful.  It was a neat town with so many shops.  I walked along the main street, and I stopped at a little shop and had some tea before I headed to the beach again.  

The beaches in Ireland are much different because the beaches are rocky.  After finishing my walk around Bray, I hopped back on the train to Dublin.  There I roamed the streets, looked in shops, watched the street performers, and spent some time in St. Stephen's Green.  St. Stephen's Green is a park where I walked around and took a little break from my long day.  Afterwards, my cousin Jessica met me along the River Liffey and the Quays.  We had dinner at Yamamori where I ate eel for the first time ever.  I must say it was quite good.  Following dinner we headed to Temple Bar to a pub that is a must when you go to Dublin.  There we had a pint of beer and listened to traditional Irish music.  

It's been a fun and busy few days in Ireland, and it's about to get even better with my trip to the Cliffs of Moher tomorrow!

A day in Dublin

This morning I woke up well rested and ready to take on Dublin!  Before I left for this trip, I had an idea of what I wanted to see, but I wasn't sure how much time I was going to go about it all.  So, I guess you could say I am playing it all by ear and doing whatever comes my way.

This morning I pulled out my Frommer's Ireland book, and I took a look at the tabbed pages and figured I will get to the places as I get to them.  I left for the bus around 10am this morning.  Before I left, Jessica and Gavin gave me some pointers about what to see, bus information, and what to expect.  I went downtown by myself, which is really a lot of fun.  You can do things at your on pace, and you don't have to worry about the other people with you.  I took the bus into Dublin where I got off in front of Trinity College.

I went on a tour of Trinity College given by a student who just finished their second year.  It was nice to hear about the different architecture and what the buildings were.  I would not recommend going on the tour because you can walk around by yourself, and you can get reading material about college if you want to know more about it.  The Book of Kells is also located on the campus; however, since the line was so long, I have decided that I will try to see it if the line is less long another day.

After my tour of Trinity College, I strolled down Grafton Street.  Grafton Street was full of shops and street performers.  At the end of the street, I came to St. Stephen's Green.  It was a beautiful walk through the green.

Once I left St. Stephen's Green, I went on to see St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church, and Dublin Castle.  I enjoyed going to see all of them, but I guess I was expecting Dublin Castle to be more extravagant like castles and palaces in England.  Even so, it was definitely worth seeing the places.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Christ's Church Cathedral

Dublin Castle

After seeing Dublin Castle, I started on my way back.  I walked along Temple Bar, and I was able to just enjoy the sights.  I was thinking of what city I would compare Dublin to, and I have decided I would compare it to Chicago (minus the high rises).  When I said this to my cousin Jessica, she said she would compare it to Boston.  So, I guess I am going to have to figure that out for myself.  I think there will be a trip to Boston in my near future!

Sunrise in Ireland

My first glance at sun over Ireland was breath taking.  I was listening to some Irish music as the plane started making its decent into Dublin.  Not only was the sight breath taking, but I felt I could be relaxed.  I finally made it after a stressful takeoff.

As you know, I flew out of Laguardia Airport to reach my international flight to Dublin that was to take off from Charlotte, North Carolina.  Things were going great in the morning of my departure.  I woke up, got a pedicure, grabbed some breakfast, and then made sure my things were all together in my bag.  A car came and picked me up at 11 am on the dot, so I could make it to the airport in plenty of time for my 2:45 departure.  I didn't want to worry about traffic, and what else was I going to do besides hang out at the airport.  (By the way, if you ever get the chance to sit in an airport and people watch, DO IT!)  I got to the airport, and I was able to check-in for my flight, drop off my bags, and get through security in record time... drum roll please... 23 minutes!  Next thing I knew I was grabbing lunch and drinking a beer at the bar near my departure gate.  I had plenty of time to relax before my flight at 2:45 pm, but before I knew it tragedy struck.

The weather was looking grim in the New York area, so my flight was delayed.  It was delayed 30 minutes... then 45 minutes.  I was on the plane at 3:40 pm.  As I was getting on the plane, I started to get nervous about my connecting flight because it was supposed to depart from Charlotte at 6:20 pm.  I asked the personnel at the gate about how long was the wait on the tarmac and what were the chances of me missing my connecting flight.  Their response was, "There could always be a wait on the tarmac, and there is always a chance you can miss your connecting flight."  That was when I started to freak out!  We were on the plane and started to taxi out to the runway.  Next thing I know, the pilot comes on and says, "Hey folks, it's a little cloudy out today, but we should make it to Charlotte in about an hour and half time."  I was like awesome it's 4pm, so we should make it to Charlotte by 5:30.  However, the pilot wasn't done talking.  He then began saying, "There is about 19 or so planes in front of us on the runway, so we will be waiting for about another 25-20 minutes."  That was when I started freaking out.  I never freak out, so the next thing I knew I was twirling my hair, taking deep breaths, and for some reason being very fidgety.  We finally got off the ground around 4:25pm.  I immediately used the wi-fi service, so I could check flight status.  We weren't to arrive to Charlotte until 6:06, which was kind of cutting it close.  I checked when other flights were leaving to Dublin through US Airways and with my luck it wasn't until the following day.  I asked the stewardess for her thoughts, and she was so nice and friendly that almost all of my fears went away.  She said that there was a good chance that the flights would be held since they were aware of where their passengers were coming from.  I felt good about it, and I was optimistic that I was going to make my flight.

My next fear came when I read a facebook post from Kelsey.  So, Kelsey here's a little shout out to you! I wrote on my facebook wall that I should most likely make it to my flight with no problems.  Her response was, "I hope your luggage makes it too!"  Then I was like OMG!! That didn't even cross my mind.  Anyways, I made it to my flight with 5 minutes to takeoff.  I got to my seat and we immediately started off to the runway until the pilot came onto say that we had to return to the terminal for some paperwork.  I joked with the lovely people sitting next to me that they were returning for my luggage.

We finally made it to takeoff, and the flight went perfectly.  The people sitting next to me were so kind and generous, which made the flight so much better and actually faster.  Before I knew it, I was seeing the sunrise of Ireland, and Ireland's green fields.

After a successful landing and making it through customs.  I walked myself over to the area where we could pick up our luggage.  In the back of my mind, I was thinking how in the world could my luggage make it, but the next thing I knew I saw two red bags that had me written all over them.  YAY! My luggage made it!  Afterwards, I was driven by a fantastic taxi driver.  I must say, Irish taxi drivers are so kind and thoughtful.  He got me to the place with wonderful conversation, and he made sure that I made it to the right residence by letting me use his cell phone to call my cousin.  Everything worked out perfectly!

I made it safely to the Byrne Residence in Adamstown, which is right outside Dublin.  My cousin Jessica made me a wonderful Irish breakfast while I got acquainted with my baby cousin Kian, who is absolutely adorable.  After some catching up, I was able to take a much needed 5 hour nap since there was no sleeping for me on the plane.  Jessica then made a great steak and potato dinner, which was followed by drinks at the local pub.  Today, was an absolutely perfect first day in Ireland!

I hope I remembered everything...

I am officially on my way.  Yesterday was the last day of school for students.  All the students got to say goodbye to their teachers and friends for the summer.  We have a send off for students in 8th grade because they won't be returning.  So, the send off consists of us clapping and cheering them out of the building and shooing them onto the buses.  It is a great feeling that we don't have to see or teach any students for the summer because honestly, teachers need a break!  Anyways, as the busses pull away and honk their horns, you see teachers waving to the students, and you see the students waving and sometimes if you look very closely you will see the middle finger sticking out the window your way.  After the kids left, I didn't stick around long.  I booked it out of the building, so I could do some final packing.

My brother Charlie drove me to the train station after a few quick stops to get last minute necessities.  I am really crazy about this last minute stuff... I really was pushing it just a little.  After our little stops he dropped me off at the train station at BWI Thurgood Marshall Amtrak.  I got there the alotted 30 minutes before to find out that my train was running 20 minutes late.  I had great entertainment in the sitting area though.  People were working, the custodians kept yelling at every person who walked in the door because they had just mopped the floors, and one particular lady liked to belt out song lyrics randomly (which definitely made me chuckle).

The train finally came, and I was able to get a seat all to myself for the entire ride!  There wasn't much entertainment onboard, so I took a little snooze and watched out the window.  When I arrived in New York City, I caught a cab and went to a United Against Lung Cancer fundraiser at a Tory Burch store in the Meatpacking District.  I met my friend Sarah there when she got off of work.  The reason for attending this fundraiser was Sarah's friend Frannie had organized the fundraiser in honor of her late stepmother.  Frannie's stepmother, who never smoked a cigarette, lost her battle against lung cancer.  I did do some purchasing at the Tory Burch store, so the proceeds could go to the organization.  After a few hours of browsing and purchasing, Sarah and I headed out to her volleyball game at the pier.  I am going to say right now that I did not bring my camera, and I cannot believe I didn't!  Her volleyball game was at 9:30 at night, right on the water with the New York skyline in the back.  It was a lot of fun to watch, and I applauded there 2 game win.

After a good night's sleep, I am ready for the main departure!  I am headed to Dublin today and will be there bright and early Friday morning.  The only thing that is going on in my head is the question, "Did I remember everything?"  I kind of feel like the mom in Home Alone when she is on the plane talking to people saying I feel like we forgot something, and then realizing it was "KEVIN!!"  At least I am definitely not forgetting a person, but still I feel like I might be forgetting something.  Oh well, I will deal with it as it comes.

Procrastinate Much...

It is my last night in Maryland!  Tomorrow I set off to New York City where I will spend the night, so I can depart to Dublin on Thursday.  I feel like I just got news that I was teaching abroad this summer, and now I am actually leaving!!  This past weekend I have been a busy girl.  I spent time running errands, doing a little cleaning around the place, and tried to start packing.  Packing didn't go so well.  I am a procrastinator and what do procrastinators do best... wait til the last minute.  Well, waiting til the last minute is definitely my forte whether it is writing a paper, packing, or doing whatever I am supposed to have done.

To start off my going away, I spent the day with my family on Sunday.  We played some softball in the backyard, watched some TV, and then had an amazing dinner.  My mom asked me what I wanted for my going away dinner, and I had only 2 requests... 1) potato salad and 2) anything that is not BBQ.  I know that is weird being American and all, but seriously NO BBQ for this chick!  After dinner I headed on home to do some laundry so I could I actually get down to packing!

Monday... My plan was to get everything I needed for my trip done.  Did that happen?  Heck no!  Instead of packing, I took a 2 hour long nap and then I met up with the girls for a farewell dinner.  After a strawberry swirl margarita and some Mexican food I was in a food coma, so I just went on home put a few lessons together for my teaching then off to bed I was.  Even though I was off to bed, my home looks like a disaster zone with things all over the place...

(The picture is kind of fitting... getting packed under two pictures of Italy--Positano and Venice)

I am starting to cut it a little close, it's Tuesday night.  I just packed my enormous suitcase, and lucky me it weighs 49 lbs!!  Just under the limit, but the catch is that I still have a few things I need to put in, so wish me luck!  Now remember, my goal was to pack everything in the one big suitcase.  I did not reach my goal.  Even after unpacking a few things, I still needed a second suitcase.  The good thing is that I can unload a few things in Ireland, and I will hopefully be able to flatten the second bag so it fits into the big suitcase.  It took my roomie and I a good 45 minutes to come up with that idea when we realized not everything was going to fit!

At 12:08am on Wednesday, June 22, I am officially packed!!  And here's the proof...

I will be carrying on my backpack and the purple purse.  The two red bags will be getting checked!

So, off to bed for me.  Off to work in the AM, then picking up my things and headed to the train station. I can't believe the day has finally come!

Items Needed

This week I made a list of items I needed to get in order to survive abroad.  I visited the AAA store to see what items they had and to figure out what I needed.  At the AAA store I bought an extra luggage lock and travel wrist bands that help with motion sickness.  I was also looking at converters and adapters, however their converters and adapters wouldn't apply to all of my electronic devices AKA my laptop (I cannot go anywhere without my laptop!).  I also needed to buy Euros, so I had some cash on me when I first arrived, however their price for the Euro was not the best, so I headed to Columbia Mall.

The Columbia Mall is one of the best places to shop because they have absolutely everything!  I first went to Travelex Foreign Exchange where I was able to buy Euros at a good price.  I was planning on getting my adapter and converter from BestBuy, but I walked into Brookstone before leaving the mall.  While I was in there, I found an awesome neck pillow that will help me out on all of my long flights and train rides without getting a sore neck.  Also, I found a converter and adapter set that work for all the countries I will be visiting and will support the power needed for my laptop... so score!!  Brookstone also had a travel alarm clock that was absolutely perfect.  It has the time, date, and temperature, so I will be all ready for the day.  I also visited the Vera Bradley store where I purchased a hanging toiletry kit and a jewelry roll for all of my things.  I must say the Columbia Mall trip was a success!!

There are some things that I didn't need to get because my aunt was able to provide them to me on loan.  Since she and my grandparents did a lot of traveling, they had an assortment of travel necessities.  I was able to borrow their French-English and Italian-English dictionaries, a few luggage locks, and some foldable bags for whatever I needed.  So, now I have everything I need, I just need to start getting things into my suitcase.  My goal is to fit everything I need for my travels into my 1-big suitcase and my backpack, which will be my carryon.  We shall see if I succeed!

16 days and counting...

Today I looked at the calendar, and I started to freak out!  I have only 16 days to get myself together before I get on my way, and I have done absolutely nothing!!  Well not exactly nothing, but close to nothing.  The only thing I have done is get my plane tickets, train tickets, and book a hotel for Paris.  Have I put together my English lessons for my Italian family? No.  Have I started organizing what I need to bring and how I am going to bring it? No.  Have I put all my things in order before I leave my home in Maryland? No.  So, I have 2 weeks to get my butt in gear.  Therefore it is time for me to stop freaking out, and time for me to get a move on!