Second day in beautiful Ireland!

I ate fish and chips.  For the first time. In Ireland.

I feel truly accomplished now.  I know the whole thing about fish and chips is it's mostly an English thing, but I figure trying the dish in Europe is good enough.  And I tried Bulmer's, too-- I know getting hard cider in Colorado is somewhat of a namby-pamby move given our rich history with beer (although I still love it anyway), but in Ireland, Bulmer's is pretty much second to Guinness.  And it's amazing.

Me, the gang from CSU, and Austin from Alabama in front of Temple Bar.

So, two wonderful culinary discoveries today, and although I haven't hit the pubs yet (I have an interview tomorrow, don't be ridiculous) me and a group of great people are planning on finding the local shouts so we don't end up at the touristy Temple Bar every night.

Tonight, instead of doing the local crawl, I'm studying up on the company I'll be interning at: The Writer's Guild of Ireland.  Tomorrow, anything could happen.  They could turn me down or everything could go fine; I'm trying to keep an open mind about it all.  I'm also trying not to focus on home too much, since dwelling on thoughts of Colorado and my family just make me homesick.  I am adjusting better today now that it's the second day, now that I've adjusted to the bus system, and now that I have an international phone plan (cue happy dancing).

I will be honest though, while culture shock hasn't quite settled in, there are still a few things that I miss from Colorado.  They are:

-The summer heat with bursts of rain (Here, it's all-day rain.  Annoying.)
-Using american currency
-My car (MY CAR! How I miss driving to the grocery store instead of walking home with my arms full of heavy grocery bags).
-Refrigerated eggs (you read that correctly).
-Chik-fil-A.  Oh, my beloved Chik-fil-a sauce.

Not that being here isn't great, because it's wonderful, and there are plenty of things I love about being here that I can't get in Colorado (the buses have free WiFi on them- WIFI!).  I figure, though, that maybe I'll appreciate these things more when I get back, so that I can return to Fort Collins with a new lease on life...and a greater appreciation for my Subaru.

Until next time!

One week left!

Well, it's almost here.  At this time a week from now, I'll be in New York getting ready for my plane ride at 9:00 at night.  It's scary to think that my journey is so close, but the weird thing about anticipation is that it's got it's good side and a thorny side.  I'm experiencing both.  

First of all, there's the stress.  I'm waiting for my renewed license to get here and if it doesn't by Wednesday, than I'm bringing my passport to every bar in Dublin.  I'm making sure I have enough money to support myself overseas without being a total burden to my parents.  I'm making sure I have my internet set up, my passport, my documents, my adapters, enough books, enough sanity to last me....

And then there's the good side.  I've already made friends with some people, I bought some kick-ass work attire to wear at my internship.  I'll start feeling useful every day instead of loafing around in my pajamas until 12:00 pm (I may or may not be in PJ's right now...)

With every adventure, there are pros and cons, and money always seems to be a con.  I'll be okay, though-- I know how to handle myself around an international credit card-- but everything just seems easier in your home country.  Even the littlest things become worrisome in an unfamiliar environment, things like cab rides or tipping waiters.  But I'll make mistakes, and I'll get used to the changes: this I know for sure.

For now, I'll just have to focus on the good side of anticipation, the kind that won't give me night sweats.