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.

Anticipation.

I'm getting things ready- planning my flights (expensive), contemplating whether or not I need new luggage (expensive), and finishing off last-minute program costs (expeeeeensive).  Per my advisor's advice, I've been reading the Irish Times in order to get myself educated on where I'm going to be interning, so I'm learning more about Ireland, the culture, and the struggles they're facing.

It helps that I've finally found out where I'll be interning.  Of course, I still have another interview to do in order to solidify my place in the company, but I can't believe where they've decided to place me:

It's such an amazing company- it's the representative body of writers of the stage and screen in Ireland. I'm reading up literally everything I can get my hands on about this company before I go over: the website, facebook pages, twitter, news articles, etc.  I want to learn as much as I can before I leave for the summer.

There's still this undertone of nervousness underlying everything, but I'm sure that won't go away until my feet touch down on green Irish soil.  And that's okay!  I know it's okay to be nervous, but I have to remember all of the good things that'll happen once I get over there, too- meeting great work contacts, cooking in my apartment after a stressful Monday, and exploring the town.

I feel like I can finally let myself get excited for this trip, and that feels good.

So here's the deal...

I'm going to Ireland.

Here's the story: 

     It's always been my dream to travel to Europe.  Walking along the Seine in France, eating mounds upon mounds of spaghetti in Italy, diving into the clear blue ocean in Greece- are there even better dreams to dream?  Everything about travel always seems so idyllic and far away.  Then, I found the application. 

    Through my school, there was an internship opportunity where students could apply to work abroad in Dublin, Ireland.  It was an unpaid position, but I couldn't stop thinking about the opportunity, the people, the scenery- how could I pass something like that up?  So I began applying.  

    After a while, things started to get pretty overwhelming.  I couldn't stop thinking about the expenses; how much money it would cost just to take on an unpaid position for the sake of experience and to send myself halfway across the world.  I thought about leaving my family for two months, and how much I would miss them.  I decided, ultimately, not to apply. 

    Weeks passed by and I started feeling more and more guilty for giving up on my dream.  The Emerald Isle, the bustling city of Dublin, the culture and people and pints I would miss out on constantly cluttered my mind.  I'd do anything, I finally told myself, to make this happen.  

     The day before I decided to reapply, I got a pretty inspiring fortune (in the photo above).  It was the final push I needed- after all, wasn't it always my dream to leave the country?  My parents supported me, my sister supported me, my friends, my boss- there was really no one holding me back but myself. 

     So I started to apply again, I got my letters of recommendation and my forms signed and appointments made, and I sent my application off to be reviewed.  A few days later and I found out that I'd been accepted.  

     I still don't know what I'm going to be doing over in Ireland.  I have phone interviews, contracts to sign, and money to raise (see my sidebar!).  I have a lot of things to get ready but ultimately, I know I made the right decision.  Traveling is hard, expensive, and risky,  but I wouldn't want to spend my summer any other way.  

     Follow this blog for more updates on my journey as I navigate the crazy waters of preparation and gear up for Summer 2014.  Donate anything you can using the button on the sidebar and ease a little bit of my stress (plane tickets, program costs, and living expenses, oh my!), and I will love you forever. 

    Most of all, thanks to all of the friends and family who supported me and congratulated me after learning about my internship.  You make me feel loved!!

Until next time, 

              

               Madi 

(Glasses Girl)