It's a beautiful day...don't let it get away...

"If we never met again in our lives I should feel that somehow the whole adventure of existence was justified by my having met you." -Lewis Mumford

These photos are some of the people I work with at Crunch Fitness Premier!

Oh how time is passing! I cannot believe I only have 1 week left until I return to the States. Friday was a good day at work, I had an induction with a woman who was extremely nice so that was fun. Friday was also kind of sad for me...I had to say goodbye to Robert, who went on holiday for a week back home to Poland, and I will be gone by the time he returns to Ireland. He gave me a huge hug and I had to choke back my tears as he was telling me not to cry :) I am so thankful to have met him... I am inspired by his talents. "Dance and Love", he says. This was the first of many goodbyes I have yet to make......every good thing has it's end though, huh?

I worked until about 8, then came home and had dinner with Mary, Filippo, and Luca. We stayed around the table for hours, just chatting and laughing and enjoying each others company. I will truly miss these times.

On Saturday, I wanted to do some shopping and Filippo had nothing to do so we both went into the City Centre around noon. It was an absolutely beautiful day (yes, the U2 song kept running through my head all day! Oh and did you know that U2 actually owns a hotel right on the River Liffey here in Dublin?) so it was packed with people...especially Grafton street. I was able to buy a few things for some people, including my brother, whose birthday I will unfortunately miss this Tuesday. Filippo was so kind to put up with me the entire day...I really do not like shopping much and though I like buying things for other people, I am not the best at making decisions, I go back and forth and back and forth! Around 2:30, we headed over to Jacob's Inn, which is where the Irish Dance Party was being held. And yes, Filippo agreed to do this with me even though I told him he didn't have to :) I think he may have second guessed himself once he got there and realized there was about 40 women and he was the only guy... :) It didn't help that most of them were there from Scotland for a Hen Party (Bachelorette Party)...made things interesting for sure! We were taught a few steps and practiced to live Irish musicians. It was great fun! I also found a leprechaun and some four leaf clovers...but in a store, not in the wild, unfortunately!

We headed home on the DART around 5 because I needed to change and get ready because my work was having a going-away party for a few people that were leaving. Filippo cooked pasta (his specialty!) and pizza and him and I ate in the garden...the weather was lovely. I then headed into town to meet up with my co-workers. I will really miss them, my time there has been so rewarding and fun!

Around midnight everyone was kind of going their separate ways, so I headed down to catch the Nitelink bus home. Since the regular bus services end around 11:30, if you have to go anywhere after that, you must take the Nitelink, which comes every half hour. I wasn't sure where it stopped at so I asked about 5 people, who all pointed me in one of 2 directions. I finally thought I had it figured out, and right around 12:30, I saw the 7N bus coming my way. As I prepared to meet it...it zoomed right on by me! I started chasing after it, thinking it was stopping somewhere ahead...but no. I was really frustrated and confused and annoyed...and my feet were killing me. :) So...I ended up asking a taxi driver, who pointed me to a bus driver, who pointed me in the right direction. I hadn't been in the right place to board the bus, but I found the sign and waited there. While waiting, I started talking to a man from Dublin, he was very nice and we talked about many things and he kept me company on the ride home. I love meeting and getting to know random people that cross my path, it's delightful.

This morning, I went to Dun Laoghaire Evangelical Church again. I absolutely loved it...everyone is so warm and welcoming and it is refreshing to be surrounded by my family in Christ. The message was wonderful, it covered Romans 16. It was funny because that chapter is all about Paul sending greetings to his friends...so it would normally be one I would just kind of flip through, thinking it doesn't really apply to my life because it's pretty much a bunch of names. However, the pastor said that's what most people would normally do, but all scripture is God-breathed...so that means it is important, we just have to dig a little deeper. This chapter emphasizes the importance of the body of Christ and how we have to nurture those relationships, pour into and encourage each other, and make these relationships a priority. It also talks about the different types of ministry and how every part is valuable. God has each of us in a place to minister and love others, and it doesn't mean we all have to be pastors and that's the only way to do it...but each of us are in unique positions and roles in life to reach people of all walks of life. I think since I've been here, I've learned so much more about loving others like Christ loves us.

After church, they had a coffee fundraiser for some college aged students who are going to an island off the coast of Spain to reach out to other college aged students who vacation there. I ended up meeting a couple of guys my age, so that was neat. They had been to Kansas and to the International House of Prayer! They said they bought a car in California and took 6 weeks and traveled from the west coast to the east coast, zig zagging up and down and all over the country. What fun! :) Again...I love meeting people...like the quote by Edward E. Ford: "Meeting someone for the first time is like going on a treasure hunt. What wonderful worlds we can find in others!"

I can't wait to come back in May-ish (hopefully...right Mom and Joan!?!).

Today is an absolutely gorgeous day. We just had brunch in the garden and now I am going to catch up on a few things...like writing in my journal, I'm a few days behind...yikes! So yes...until next time...Cheers from the Emerald Isle!

"My dear brother and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work." -Philippians 4:1

No matter where you go...there you are...

"Our days are identical suitcases - all the same size - but some people can pack more into them than others." -Bits & Pieces

This photo is St. Patrick's Cathedral. Beautiful. :)

Ok...this one is gonna be short...and really random...I am really behind on a few other things but I'm always so excited to post pictures and write about stuff on here. :) So today was fun at work, long again, but fun. I was going to have my first 2 inductions but they both canceled :( So that was sad. Today was interesting because 2 different people asked me if I was Canadian?! I thought that was pretty random. I was walking by one guy who was working out on a machine and he literally looked at me and all he said was, "Canadian. No...Polish. NO...definitely Canadian." I just looked at him and said, "If you are asking where I'm from, I'm American!" So then we laughed and I ended up talking to him for a long while, he was so interested in the wildlife in Kansas?! He is a wildlife photographer and was asking me all sorts of questions...it was hilarious. He wants me to go home and take pictures of nature and send them to him...ha.

The guys here at Crunch are so interesting to watch work out. As I said before, they wear different clothes than gym members in the States...like polo shirts and popped collars, Timberland boots, wrestling shoes, etc. There are a select few blokes who are rugby players and they come in every day...I crack up every time because they always will try to catch one of us girls' eyes and then they will make sure we are watching, then they will literally flex their muscles. It's so funny...one guy even glanced over at us one day, pulled his shirt up, walked over to the mirror, and flexed his abs. It's not like any of us girls are impressed or get weak in the knees...come on...we are so over it, lol.

At one point in the day, I was talking to Ruairi and a guy came up to us and asked, "Sorry, but could I have a plaster?" Thankfully Ruairi was there, because I was completely confused....a plaster? Like for walls? I was racking my brain trying to figure out what he could possibly want...perhaps he wanted a plastic bag? All this was going through my head as I watched Ruairi get out the First Aid kit and hand the man a Band-Aid. I started laughing as I explained to Ruairi that I had absolutely no idea what a plaster was. He got this weird look on his face and was like, "You don't?!" So yes...though they do speak English here, I am occaisionally reminded that they have a whole different kind of vocabulary that I am still learning every day. :)

I got to talk with Ruairi quite a bit today. Turns out, about 5 years ago, he took a year and a half off to travel the world...Fiji, Thailand, New Zealand, South America...all over. That's the thing about Europeans...they travel SOOOO much more than us Americans, and it's completely normal. They go on holiday, or vacation, every few months and no one thinks a thing of it. They actually kind of make fun of Americans and say they would hate to have the daily schedules we have...too much work and not enough play! Here in the States, I feel like it is almost looked down upon for someone to take so much time off to "just travel". I don't know if it's because the "American way" says that you have to go to school, get a degree, get a job, get married, and then have kids...but it really is too bad that us Americans don't travel nearly as often as the Europeans. There is a whole world out there just waiting to be seen and discovered...and I fully intend on doing it, part by part...I really want to visit Italy and Australia next. :)

Cheers for now, I'm off to bed, long day again tomorrow.

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." -Psalms 90:12

First Row Seats at Riverdance = AMAZINGNESS!

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive - it's such an interesting world." -Lacy Mead Montgomery

The last few days have been utterly incredible. I don't even really know where to start, I'm really behind on journaling and updating this blog because we have done SO MUCH the past 2 days...though I briefly wrote about Monday already, so I guess I'll do Tuesday. We got up early and went into the City Centre to go on the Dublin Hop on Hop off Bus Tour. Best thing we could have done to see the highlights of the entire city! You just buy a ticket and there are 23 stops, a bus comes every 10 minutes so you can get off whenever and for however long you wish, then just hop on the next one. It's brilliant, really. Oh and did I mention the weather was sunny and in the 70's?!??!? It couldn't have been a better, more perfect day! We visited so many places, such as the St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Dublin Castle, Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, etc. It took us about 4 hours and we didn't even get off at every stop...but we did some shopping along the way so that took up some time. We were wanting to be on the train back home at 4...but it ended up being 5. It takes about 45-60 minutes to get from the City Centre to my house on the train, then walking...and we were already running late so we hailed a taxi and made up some time that way. We came home, ate really fast, changed, did our hair/makeup, and then had a taxi take us back down to the train to go back into town to the Gaiety Theatre to see Riverdance.

We ended up getting there about 30 minutes early, so that was nice. Our seats were okay...on the first balcony, the Dress Circle, in the last row. We were just so happy to be there. The Gaiety is not very big so we were able to see alright. The show was awesome! During the show we spotted some open seats in the first row of our section, so the seats were overlooking the ground floor seats. Right after intermission, we jumped up to snatch them but 2 other people go there first. We were kinda sad and contemplating what to do...Kristin said she had seen some open seats in the front, on the 2nd row...so we walked downstairs. I thought to myself..."this is crazy, there is NO WAY that there will be open seats in the 2nd row from the front, but whatever, I'll ask anyways". Kristin and I got separated midway through, and she motioned for me to ask the guy beside what we thought were 2 open seats. When I asked him, he said, "well these are taken but I don't think those are"...he was pointing to 2 OPEN SEATS IN THE VERY FIRST ROW. I was like...seriously?! So I asked the lady beside them and she said they were open!! So Kristin and I got first row seats for the 2nd half of the show! It...was...brilliant, so incredible! At one point, I realized I had my hands clasped to my chest with a gaping smile on my face just gazing at the performers. They smiled at us many times, so that was fun!

There were so many different parts to the show, so many stories were told through commentary and dancing. One of my favorite parts was where they had 2 African American guys who were tap dancers "from Brooklyn" and they met up with 3 of the Riverdance guys and they had sort of a dance off...they were mocking each other and going back and forth with their dancing...it was incredible and also really funny! We were both sitting there just awestruck during the whole show. Brilliant.

**Side Note: What happened tonight at the theatre with our seats reminded me of how God works in our lives. This may sound like a silly analogy, but stick with me here...When we spotted the seats in the first row of the balcony, we thought that was going to be so awesome and we rushed to try to get them. When they were taken and we didn't get them, we were both disappointed because those seats would have been so good and so much better than our original ones. However...soon we realized that there were incredible seats in the first row! Who would have ever thought that we would be lucky enough to get the best seats in the house?! So our original disappointment was replaced with something so much better than we could have ever hoped for. God works in the same way in life...I often think I know the best thing for me and when it doesn't work out, I sometimes get sad and wonder how it could get any better...but then God reminds me to trust Him...and He shows me His plan, which is beyond anything I could ever imagine...His plan is always perfect for our lives, even when it doesn't make sense at the time. So yes, kind of strange relationship there, but it made sense in my head :)**

Afterward, we met up with Luca and Filippo in the Trinity College area, then headed home on the bus. There was a man sitting behind us, he was deaf and also drunk...but he ended up communicating to Kristin and I for a good while about himself and how he has prayed for healing for his deaf ears, how he has been in fights and gotten shot, etc. It was really sad and the thought of him has been heavy on both of our hearts. Neither of us had a Bible with us, but Kristin gave one to Filippo to give to him, because they ride the same bus at the same time. It was just a reminder of how much hurt and sadness is in the world...

Anyways, that is a very brief overview of our day yesterday...Kristin left this morning, and I am back to the real world now...or I guess my version of the real world, being that I'm still in Ireland. :) It has been an unbelievable trip thus far...I have met so many people, experienced so many things...and I still have 2 weeks left!

"God is wise in heart and mighty in strength...He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without numbers." -Job 9:4,10

Now THIS is Ireland...

"There will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path...But this, far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb." -Sir Winston Churchill

Wow...the past few days have been amazing. Kristin and I went to visit Dun Laoghaire Evangelical Church, which was really fun....everyone was very nice and welcoming. Afterwards, we walked around Dun Laoghaire and visited a market that was going on in the People's Park down by the harbour. We bought some amber jewelry from Poland, so that was good. :) There was a Street Performance Championship event going on in Merrion Square, so we headed into the City Centre to check that out...but there were SO many people that we ended up visiting the National Gallery instead. It is an art gallery featuring the works of Irish artists from all time periods...pretty neat. We then headed home to eat dinner and ended up hanging out with Filippo the rest of the night. That guy...is...so...hilarious! We broke out our video cameras and documented most of the evening... by the end of the night my stomach was hurting from laughing so much. He has the most hysterical personality...I can't even explain it!

This morning, we went into the City Centre and took a day tour to Glendalough (pronounced Glen-da-lock). It was so pretty! We visited the Powerscourt Gardens, traveled through the Wicklow Mountains, stopped in Glendalough and the Wicklow Gap...where P.S. I Love You, Braveheart, and many other movies were filmed! Sooo beautiful. We came home and I dragged Kristin to do some freestyle dancing at my work...she wasn't too thrilled at first, but she admitted she had a good time :) I am so glad she is here visiting me...I am so blessed to have an amazing best friend.

Tomorrow we are going on a "hop on hop off" bus tour of Dublin...it stops at 23 different places and you just get on and off whenever you want. Should be an awesome time! Then...get ready for this one....WE ARE GOING TO SEE RIVERDANCE TOMORROW NIGHT! I am so so so excited, it's been a dream of mine to see them and now I get to! I can't wait. :) Until next time...Cheers!

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord...There He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths." -Isaiah 2:3

Yay for adventures!

"Friendship brings people closer no matter how great the distance between them."

Kristin arrived yesterday! It was actually kind of interesting because I wasn't sure what time she would get to the house, and she still wasn't here at 4:30...her flight got in at 2:45. Just when I was really wondering about her, I got a call on my mobile phone, and it was the taxi driver asking me how to get to 132 Glenageary Avenue. I may be mistaken, but I thought taxi drivers knew how to get everywhere! I'm just glad I had given Kristin my mobile number at the last minute in case anything happened.

I was so glad to see her! It's so great to have your best friend come visit you halfway across the world. :) After she unpacked a bit and we had some tea, we had dinner at the house and headed into town for an "intern social", organized through my internship agency. It was interesting...we met lots of other interns from all over the world...I met a girl from Kansas City, MO, so that was fun. Later on, we met up with some of my friends from work and the yacht club...it turned out to be a rather entertaining night. :)

This morning we got to sleep in...which was really nice. Around 2, we headed down to the train station to take the DART to a little town north of here called Howth. It is a quaint little seaside village, and Ireland's Eye island is right off the coast! We took tons of pictures...like the one posted :) Don't even ask how many times we had to try in order to get a good one! We were laughing so hard we were crying. :) We spent a good few hours there on the coast, we had some tea in a little cafe, and spent some time in the market where we bought some delicious cheeses and ice cream cones. Later on we headed back home again...we were going to go downtown tonight but I think we are opting to get some sleep and make up for last night (not the Irish way at all, mind you :). Tomorrow we are going to go to a church just right down the street from my house, so that should be fun. Welp...that kinda sums it up for right now. Until next time...Cheers!

"May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." -2 Corinthians 13:13

A beautiful day in Bray...

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in His way." -Psalms 37:23

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Mary, my host mother, came home and she is just delightful! We had tea, and I spent over an hour just talking with her about her holiday in Spain and everything else. Speaking of tea, I will never drink my tea the same again. The Irish put milk and sugar in their tea and it is soooo good! Later on, I got ready for work and stopped at the post office to mail some postcards, then headed in around 4.

It was a rather busy day with clients, so that was good. I took Ruairi's spinning class.....wow....! I have only taken spin a few times back home in the States but I have never really liked it much. I'm more of an step/kickboxing type of girl. Let's just say that after the class I felt great...but I seriously thought I was going to die while I was doing it! We were doing pushups and hand switches while pedaling at like 80%... at one point I was getting tired and decided to look at my watch, and only 9 minutes out of the 45 had passed. Oh yes..what a great workout :)

This morning, I got up early and went to Bray with Luca. He has an internship at a radio station there, so I got off at one of the stops while he continued into work. Bray is a small seaside village south of Dun Laoghaire. I strolled along the shoreline and took lots of beautiful pictures, such as the one posted above. You can't see it from this photo, but there is a cross at the very peak of the moutain. There were some really awesome stones/pebbles on the shore, so I found some I liked and packed them in my bag. I was really excited about them...they were all colors and really smooth! But...alas...my joy disappeared when I came across a sign that said "removal of stones from the beach is PROHIBITED!"...so I felt guilty and put them alllll back. :( Oh well.

I found a nice little coffee shop there in town, ordered a coffee, and sat down to write more postcards. It was a nice, relaxing morning. Around 1:00, I took the DART back to Dun Laoghaire to get ready...because Kristin is coming today! She will be here in about an hour...I'm so excited to share part of this experience with my best friend! :) I don't have to work Monday or Tuesday, so we will surely have a wonderful and long weekend. Oh...and the grand finale of Kristin's time here is that we are going to see Riverdance perform on Tuesday night! What fun, what fun...until next time, Cheers!

"Walk on a rainbow trail; walk on a trail of song, and all about you will be beauty. There is a way out of every dark mist, over a rainbow trail." -Navajo song

I love being a foreigner :)

"Savor little glimpses of God's goodness and His majesty, thankful for the gift of them: winding pathways through the woods, a bright green canopy overhead, and dappled sunshine falling all around."

I just had to post another picture from my weekend in Belfast...this is at Giant's Causeway. Incredible. I know...I know...you all keep asking for more pictures and at some point I will take the time to post some, but right now it just seems like a waste of time when there is so much to see and do while I'm here! Perhaps when I get home and am yearning to be back here in the Emerald Isle, I will relive my trip and post some photos.

The last few days have been pretty normal...I know I say this all the time, but I LOVE IT HERE. And...I LOVE BEING A FOREIGNER! Yes...it is true. I haven't met one single American and I like that. It's so freeing to be in a place where no one really knows you and you are just consumed by an entirely different culture. I wasn't sure how I would take to doing this trip alone, but I am so incredibly thankful that I did. I am learning lots of things about myself...some things good, some things I think I should change, but all in all, it's amazing. My heart is so free and joyful here, my spirit is alive, I am constantly in awe of God's incredible handiwork all around me, from the sky to the sea. I think I should do this more often.

"The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. Dave after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known." -Pslams 19:1-2

Just another day in paradise...

"He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of everyday needs to reorganize his life" -George M. Adams

Of course, it's not too hard when you see things like the Dunluce castle! This was from my weekend trip to Belfast. Well, yesterday I worked 9 hours, it was a long day but fun. At my internship, I sat in on a few more inductions, I will start doing my own next week...yay! This sounds crazy, but I love it when the gym members ask questions and I am able to help them out...like yesterday when a woman came up and asked me why her hip flexors were cramping/uncomfortable...we figured out that it was because she was cycling so much and not stretching enough. I showed her some stretches and she was very appreciative...the people are so nice here.

Later on in my shift, I took Ewelina's step class...and let me tell you what...I have NEVER done anything like it! It was a great workout but so different than I am used to in the States. They do more of very technical dance routine with the step, whereas we would do less technical movements and more repetitive ones...if that makes sense. I cannot even explain it, I felt confident going into the class because I have done step a million times, but this was so different. Needless to say, I was sweating buckets by the end!

Afterwards, I was in the changing room when one of the reception desk girls came in and said there were 2 guys at the front desk asking for me. I was extremely confused...until I went out and saw that they were 2 guys I had met in the train station in Dublin on Sunday night! On my way back from Belfast, I actually missed my train by about 3 seconds and had to wait 30 minutes for the next one. While I was waiting on the bench, these 2 came up and asked me a question about one of the stops. After we got on the train, I talked to them a bit and found out they were from Northern Ireland and actually worked at the sailing club on the marina, right down the street from my internship. The only thing I told them on the train was my name and where I worked, so it was so nice of them to actually come find me! They gave me their numbers, saying they knew I didn't know many people there in Dun Laoghaire, and promised they would show me the ropes of sailing...fun fun!

I figured out how to call people's cell phones via Skype, so I got to talk to a few people last night, one being Sarah. I haven't talked to her since her wedding a few weeks ago so I heard all about their honeymoon to Australia...that is the next destination on my list! :) Kristin is coming to visit me on Friday...I'm so excited! I know we will have so much fun traveling around the country :)

This morning I went downstairs for breakfast and found Luca in the kitchen getting his lunch ready for the day. I thought I would do some laundry, but they have a washer/dryer here...I have never seen one of those before, so I asked Luca how to use it (knowing me, I would blow the thing up!) He is hilarious...he said, "I never thought I would have to teach a girl to use a washing machine!"

Anyways, off to do some journeling, quiet time with Jesus, and get ready for the day. Cheers! :)

"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." -Philippians 3:8

A fabulous weekend in Belfast...

"Around me when I look, His handiwork I see; This world is like a picture book to teach His love to me" -Jane E. Leeson

Wow...what an absolutely incredible weekend! I left early Saturday morning to catch the train to Connolly Station in Dublin, then bought a ticket for the bus to take me up to Belfast. Emma met me at the station...it was so wonderful to see her! We went back to her place, had lunch, and then went to pick up Leoni...so great to see her as well! We headed to Giant's Causeway, which was breathtaking. I feel like words cannot even explain it....it was so majestic and beautiful. We also visited Dunluce castle which was near there, and where my photo above was taken. Magnificent. We ate at a nice place called the Smuggler's Inn...the food was delicious, but no surprise because everything I have eaten here has been fabulous.

We went back to drop Leoni off and I got to meet her grandparents and also try "yellow man", which is a sort of hard candy you suck on and tasted kind of like burnt sugar or molasses...I haven't ever tried anything like it but it was good! Later on that night, I went with Emma and her boyfriend to some of their friends' birthday party. I met lots of people there, and they all were talking to me about Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, tornados, religion, and politics. It was interesting... :) I also talked with some of the girls about foods I should try, including potato bread, soda bread, and honeycomb ice cream! I find the accent in Northern Ireland to be harder to understand than the Dublin accent, they just talk really fast and use different words than I'm used to...but I'm getting better at understanding it every day!

We woke up this morning and had a delicous breakfast. Emma and I talked for awhile and relaxed...their house overlooks the harbour and the Irish Sea...it's an amazing view. Afterwards, we got ready and headed to her parent's house for Sunday lunch. Her whole family was there, including her dad Pat, mom Helen, sister Judith, brother Owen, and his wife Dyanne. They were an absolute ball to be with...so much fun! The food was so good...I laughed and talked and had a great time. What a blessing it was to meet them!

After lunch, Emma showed me around Belfast and Queen's University. The city has so many beautiful buildings, and Queen's is very impressive! She dropped me off at the bus station and I made my way back to Dun Laoghaire...though I missed the DART in Dublin by about 3 seconds so I had to wait an extra 30 minutes for the next one! It was ok though, I met 2 guys there at the station that I talked to for awhile, one actually works at the harbour with all the sailing boats, which very close to where I work down on the marina.

That's about all for now...I work a long day tomorrow so it's off to bed! Cheers!

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies announce what His hands have made. Day after day they tell the story; night after night they tell it again." -Psalms 19:1-2

"Lucky for you, you look like an Irishman!"

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself" -Amelia Earhart

Ah...such a grand time I had today! I woke up and had a meeting with David Walsh, my internship coordinator, at 10:30. It was such fun talking with him, he pulled out a map and gave me the ins-and-outs of Dublin and the City Centre...where to go, where not to go, etc. It was so funny, when we were talking, he said I wouldn't have too much of a problem with pickpocketers because, "Lucky for you, you look like an Irishman instead of a tourist!"...I thought that was just too funny. :) I went to work at noon, and got to sit in on my first induction with a woman who had not visited the gym since September. We modified some exercises for her and ran through her workout with her so she could get the hang of it. It was a short day, and a rather slow one, so around 3:30 Robert and I went into the studio and he tried to teach me how to dance. Oh my...I look pathetic compared to him! It was lots of fun though...hopefully I will improve as time goes on. :)

I later met Luca at the DART station and we headed to Dublin to meet Filippo for the play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Before the play started, I had to go and buy a ticket, the guys already had theirs. Sadly...they were all sold out! Both of them offered to give theirs up to me, but I refused, since it was their idea in the first place. However...the sneaky Italians started talking to each other in Italian while we were walking down to the pub to grab some food, and so I obviously didn't know what they were saying, nor did I pay attention. All of a sudden, Luca said, "It is decided, Filippo will give you his ticket, he is tired anyways." I tried to argue but it was no use...they had already decided it in their Italian conversation! They are both so kind. We found a little pub and ordered fish and chips...this was my first experience with this famous "pub grub"! It was actually delicious...though if I were in the States (as most of you who know me, know) I would never order anything of the sort. But when in Rome...or Ireland... :)

After we finished eating, Luca and I headed towards Trinity College, which by the way, is absolutely beautiful. We met up with other Italian interns and though it was a bit chilly, we had such fun at the play...it was really funny! Afterwards, I headed home on the DART to pack and get ready for my trip to Belfast tomorrow. Oh what a day...so fun. I really am loving it here...I can't believe my time here is so short. :( Until next time...Cheers!

"I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken." -Psalms 62:1

Are you kidding me?!

Ok...seriously?! I just had to take a picture of this! Haha...I have no clue why it says this on the package...almost makes me want to buy it, but perhaps that's the point?

I don't have much to say right now, just wanted to upload this picture and laugh at it again. :) I just got home from work and am now hanging out with Luca and listening to country music (his internship is at a country music station). He is talking to his mother on the phone in Italian...it's so fun to listen to! Tomorrow Luca is meeting me downtown in Dun Laoghaire, where we will take the DART into Dublin and meet up with Filippo and some others to see the play at Trinity College...should be an interesting time!

RIP curling iron...

Yes...it has officially been one of those mornings...on Tuesday, my straightener broke (good thing I have a warrenty on it!), and now...my curling iron just melted! It must have something to do with the outlet or converter. I was just sitting on my bed doing homework for my class, when i decided it was time to curl my hair. I went to pick up the curling iron and the darn thing was literally melted. It folded in half, burnt my fingers, fell to the ground and burned a mark in the carpet! :( I picked it up, burning my fingers again, and threw it in the sink. Ugh. Kim, David's girlfriend was there and tried to find a straightener around the house for me, but Mary has taken it with her to Spain. I was going to buy one, but Kim said I can borrow hers until Kristin comes and brings me one from home. I have also had a couple close calls this morning...tripped over my computer cord and dropped a huge box of cereal on the floor. Perhaps I should just stay in bed today to avoid any major catastrophes?! :)

Strolling down the harbour...

Lord I want more of You, living water reign down on me...Lord I need more of You, living breath of life come and fill me up...

This song was going through my head as I was walking along the harbour in Dun Laoghaire. The sea is so majestic and awesome...and to think that our Creator made every droplet and every creature in every sea....amazing.

I didn't have to go into work until 5 yesterday, so I went exploring again. I went to the People's Park and down along the harbour. It was really pretty, and wonderful weather. It hasn't really rained much since I've been here, maybe 30 minutes of showers is all. There was a guy with his dog down by the shoreline, he kept throwing a tennis ball into the water and the dog would just jump in and fetch it like it was no big deal that the water was freezing!

At work tonight, Ruairi gave me a crash course in the Fit Linxx system. Basically, each client has a pin number and when they enter that number on each machine, it tells them the setting and range of motion that is right for them. That way, the client doesn't have to remember what setting they did last time, how much weight, etc...the system does it all for them, which is really convenient. I also took Marta's Crunch Combat fitness class...pretty much like kickboxing, so it was right up my alley. Marta is so fun, she is always smiling...and she used to participate in bodybuilding competitions when she lived in Poland, so she knows her stuff!

When I returned home from work and opened the front door, I immediately heard voices...Italian voices. I opened the second door and was greeted by about 8 Italian girls, 1 Irishman, and Luca and Fillipo. Fillipo gave me a hug, introduced me to everyone and exclaimed, "It's an Italian invasion!" :) It was fun talking to everyone, they are also interns in the Dublin area. Luca and Filippo are great, they are always happy, which makes me happy!

"I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free" -Psalms 119:32

What a gorgeous day...

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake" -Robert Louis Stevensen

Today was a beautiful day in Ireland. The sun was shining and it the weather was perfect! I spent some time out on the pavilion above Crunch Fitness, just admiring the harbor. I had a pretty simple day overall, went to work and had some testing done on me, which was fun :) I also spent a good part of the day just chatting with Robert and Marta, they are so fun to talk to. Robert informed me that when I am engaged in a conversation with someone else, I say "yeah" a lot...which is totally true. :) Him and Marta were trying to teach me a bit of Polish...yahk syeh mash? We also talked quite a bit about how different the gym clients in Ireland are from those in the United States, in terms of body type, exercise clothes, types of exercise they choose to do, etc. Later on in the day, I got to take part in Robert's body sculpt class, which was lots of fun! They offer so many different classes, I'm eager to take more of them.

When I returned home for the evening, Carmel had cooked some delicious dinner, and I ate and chatted a bit with Luca and Filipo. They invited me to go see Shakespeare's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" this Friday night at Trinity College! I'll have to make sure I'm off of work, but it should be fun. I also received a call on my mobile phone from my good friend Emma up in Belfast. I get to go see her and her family this Saturday and spend the weekend up north! I wonder how different the Belfast area is from the Dublin area. Guess I'll find out. :)

"I am guiding you in the way of wisdom, and I am leading you on the right path" -Proverbs 4:11

Follow the Sallynoggin Road...

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not" -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I woke up this morning around 9:00 and for about 1.5 seconds, was confused on where I was. Not only is my body not adjusted to the time difference quite yet, but it stays light outside until about 10pm, and the sun comes up around 5am. I called my internship coordinator to find out what time I was to meet him for my official orientation to Ireland, and he said that he could meet me anytime this morning, I would just have to ride the DART train to Malahide. However, Malahide is 45 minutes away...plus, I had no idea where the DART station was located. I found a map of where the station was supposed to be, and set out to find it. Along the way, I asked 5 different people where the station was...and they all pointed me in 5 different directions! After 45 minutes of walking, I called my internship coordinator, because I didn't think I would be able to make it there and back before I had to report to my internship. Luckily, he said he could meet me in Dun Laoghaire sometime later this week. At this point, it was around 11am, so I decided to just go down Sallynoggin Road (the main road that I take to my internship), and explore the surrounding area. There are many shops and cafes to visit, so that was fun. I found a little bagel/coffee shop and sat down to journal and enjoy downtown Dun Laoghaire. Things here are SO expensive. A bagel and coffee cost around 8 Euro, which is equivalent to $11...it's crazy!

After I finished at the coffee shop, I went to my internship...where I was blown away from the minute I walked in the door. The place is so impressive and professional, the receptionists and managers all wear black suits, white shirts, and black ties and shoes. I met Ruairi and Anna, some of the mangers, both from Ireland, as well as Marta and Robert, who work in the gym and are from Poland. Most of the employees are in their mid-20's, so that's fun :) and all are extremely nice...I know I am going to learn so much! I had a break from 3:30-4:30, so I left and bought a smoothie and went exploring some more down Upper George's road. When I returned, I actually took a Step class that was taught by Aga, who is also from Poland. It was a little tricky because it was a bit different than what I am used to, but it was a blast! I can't wait to take more of the classes, especially Robert's free style dance class. :) When the class was over, I was done for the day so I headed home. The walk from my house to Crunch Fitness takes about 30 minutes, so I will be doing quite a lot of walking while I am here.

One thing I am still getting accustomed to is the fact that they drive on the opposite side of the road here...I have almost gotten hit a few times because of this! I just love walking up and down the streets, enjoying the sites and sounds of Ireland, gazing at the adorable houses with stone fences around them...meeting new people all the time...ahh...it's a wonderful life and I am so blessed :)

Ireland, I am coming home...

I can see your rolling fields of green
And fences made of stone
I am reaching out - won't you take my hand
I'm coming home Ireland

This old Garth Brooks song was going through my head as the plane was descending into the Dublin Airport. I was so overcome with emotion as I looked down and saw miles of green in every direction, spotted white with sheep and goats and horses. It was incredible. I had dreamed and waited so long for this day...and it was finally here! The journey was tiring, but well worth it. I got up at 3:30am on Saturday morning, and was at the airport by 4:30. My flight left from KCI at 6:30am, and was set to arrive in Newark, NJ by 10. Following this, I had a 9 hour layover until my flight left for Dublin at 7pm, to arrive in Ireland at 7am their time. The flights and layover were not bad at all, I starting reading the book "The Pursuit of God", explored the airport, people-watched :) and met some others in the airport who were traveling to Dublin also. Many asked me if I was traveling alone, and were shocked when I told them I was. At first, I was a little nervous about going all the way by myself, mainly for the connecting bus and taxi I was to take when I arrived in Dublin, to get to my host family's home in Dun Laoghaire (pronounced "Dun Leary"). However, I actually really enjoyed being independent and making my own decisions and getting where I needed to go by myself. Everything went smoothly (besides the fact that I hope I brought enough warm clothes!) and I arrived at the Reynolds' home around 8:30am. The neighborhood where I am living is neat, located right on the coast... it is incredible.

My host mother, Mrs. Reynolds is actually in Spain for the next 10 days, as is her daughter Emma. David, who is 19, and his girlfriend Kim were at the house to meet me and show me around. The house is adorable, one of many consecutive cottage-like homes that all resemble each other on Glenageary Avenue. I have my own room, very quaint and overlooking the backyard that is surrounded by stone walls. Are you picturing this? Well, it's exactly the way I pictured it would be :) Also living with the Reynolds family are other students/interns: Jimmy is from Washington DC, but is flying back to the States tomorrow. Luca and Filipo are Italian interns in their late 20's, I have only met Filipo so far, he is a lawyer working downtown and is here to improve his English. He is very polite and kind, and I agreed to help him with his English if he teaches me some French!

After I arrived, I sent some emails home to let everyone know I arrived safely, then tried to start unpacking. That didn't work out so well, being that I was completely exhausted, and I laid down for "45 minutes"...that turned into 5 hours...ooops :) When I woke up, I unpacked a bit more, then David asked if I wanted to walk down to downtown Dun Laoghaire (I am living in Glenageary, which is kind of like a region of Dun Laoghaire), and buy a SIM card for the mobile phone I am using while I am here. It was about 1.5 kilometers there, so it was a good walk. My internship is going to be at Crunch Fitness (check it out, you won't even believe your eyes: http://www.crunchfitness.ie/dunlaoghaire.html), and I was going to take the train there everyday, but I think I will just walk instead. I begin my internship tomorrow...I am so excited!

When David and I returned, his grandparents, Tony and Carmel were at the house cooking dinner. They are really nice, Tony was asking me all about the Wizard of Oz while he was smoking his pipe :) We had a delicious dinner of broccoli and chicken, with lima beans and carrots and some potatoes of course. I am now sitting in my room, trying to organize it, just Skyped with Renee and Kristin (yay!), and just thinking of how blessed and thankful I am for this opportunity. The upcoming month is going to be incredible :)

I'm going to try to keep this blog up as best as possible...hopefully I can do that between working, traveling, and just experiencing the culture on this Emerald Isle! Until next time...