Well this is new!

Well my trip was long, very long. On the first leg of the trip I watch a total of 5.25 movies. Delta had a lot of new release movies! I watched: Maleficent, Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit, How to Train your Dragon 2, Draft Day, The Amazing Spiderman 2, and about 30 mins of Million Dollar Arm. Guess I still have to finish that one sometime. I was right to choose a Vegetarian meal. I got served first for every meal/snack. Seeing the sunset was amazing that high up. Then 4 hours later was the sunrise. I didn't know it but when I landed in Paris I was 9 hours ahead of Seattle, and Dublin is only 8 hours ahead. I did some serious time travel! :D

When I finally got off the plane (I was sitting in the back) I hurried to find a departure board for my connecting flight to Dublin. It was where I expected! All the way across the airport. Little did I know when I got to the Terminal I had to go through security again. I had just filled up my water bottle so they made me stand there and down the whole thing. I did it easily enough, I was thirsty. The french TSA lady was impressed. I had about another 4 min wait until I had to board the next plane. This one was three and three so of course I was in the middle between two guys. By this point I was so tired I could have slept for 10 years. I got maybe 45 mins with my eyes shut. I landed in Dublin and went through customs so quick it was amazing. I was the 2nd in line. Straight in front of customs was baggage and I could see both of my bags right there coming around the bend! I was soo excited! I prayed I would not lose any.  

I took the early Airport Hopper bus from the Airport to Maynooth. The stop was still a ways from campus. The bus driver told me that all I had to do was walk straight up the street and take a left at the light and campus was straight ahead. I did what he said in a daze because I was so tired. I was also really hot. I thought that it would be cold but 65 over here is like 80 at home. weird. Downtown Maynooth is adorable! I walked right down this cute cobblestone sidewalk and all the shops and cafes were so cute I could just die. It really puts things in perspective. In America all our shops and coffee shops are mostly bent on business. Huge franchises, not the small close knit community like Maynooth. Everyone looks so friendly and happy. It's amazing!

When I walked on campus it didn't even feel like it. There were so many trees and then a few buildings here and there. The air was so fresh and clear and the fall leaves blowing in my path, it felt surreal. Granted I was so tired I was probably seeing things that weren't there. :) My main goal was finding my bed. I asked some nearby students where the check in was and they thought they new but the were new on campus as well so we all wandered around until we found it. Picture this: One massive suitcase, a big duffle strapped to that, a full backpack on my shoulders and a laptop bag full of electronics across my chest and finally a neck pillow dangling in front of me bobbing from side to side as I walked close to 2 miles. Yeh, funny huh! When I got checked in I went straight to my apartment. I made so much noise coming up the stairs banging my luggage on every step. No wonder when I walked into the apartment two guys came out of the living area and gave me funny looks. First thing they said was, "Hi! What part of America are you from?" I thought that was so hilarious. I hadn't even said anything they just KNEW I was American! :) I told them who I was and where I was from then I dropped all my stuff off in my room and made the bed and PASSED OUT!

I woke up around 8pm. I didn't get up, I just read. I went to sleep again around 2:30am. This went on until my roommate showed up the next day around 10am. Her name is Virginia and she is from North Carolina. Confusing huh? Well we got acquainted a little and then went shopping and walking around campus. It was the first time I got up and around to see anything on campus officially. South campus is absolutely gorgeous! Huge gothic style architecture. Big beautiful buildings and chapels. I was in awe. I told myself I would definitely bring my sketch book here and live. Well I didn't last long. I was still so jet lagged I went to bed around 4pm. The coolest thing happened at 8pm that woke me up. The fire alarm. Yeeeeeeeah! NO! I was so sleepy, I got up threw on a sweatshirt and barely got to the door when it turned off. So I was instantly back to bed. I woke up around 2:30 he next morning and read until about 6 for a shower and a shot at actually being a part of Orientation.

Virginia and I share a room. Its about 6x10 with one bunk bed that is so short if feel claustrophobic. One desk and one closet. I didn't put anything away until she go here was we could figure out how this is going to work. It did, everything is stacked in the closet or still in suitcases or on the floor! Ahh very homie. By the time we got through the first day of orientation I was dead on my feet. I went ot bed again around 6pm. Then at 1:40 that magically noise came back. This time it was so long and loud I actually got all the way outside. I was up then so I read until about 4:30 then fell back asleep and got up around 8 for more orientation fun! :)

For those of you who know me well know that I get sick often. That part hasn't been at all fun since being here. I have had maybe 3 "meals" and some jerky and a lot of water. It hasn't been fun, I think once I can get though the jet lag and settle into classes I'll be better. I have read a lot so far though. I bought 3 new books before coming and now I have 1.5 left. gee what am I going to do! Well the Wifi is really good so I can stream movies really well. I might be able to watch the Seahawks next week!

I am having a great time so far. Don't get me wrong I went through the homesick paranoid panic attack on the first day but I'll be fine. I'm just constantly syking myself out! This is going to be great! Well classes start on the 22nd and we have a week to sit in on as many classes as we want before we actually register and pick the ones we want to be in for the semester on the 30th. Cool. I'm down.
I have 5 flat mates. One who lives in my room, Virginia. Two Chinese guys at the end of the hall in a bunk room, and two Irish fellows each in there own rooms. Things are different here but I will get used to it and I want to know so much about all the buildings around me.

So this is a lot in my first official blog post from Ireland. So I'll be done. I am still connected to Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Skype and here. I have a Whatsapp messenger on my phone for texting if anyone wants to talk I can still text all the time through that. Can't wait to hear from you! :)

Go dtí an chéad uair eile!
(Until next time!)