December 13, 2010
I’ll be home for Christmas…
So let’s see, last time I wrote a blog it had been a quiet snowy weekend. My how times have changed. It is now Monday. I have been to Paris. And I will be home on Saturday. I still have so much to do this week. Where has the time gone? It feels so unreal that it is almost time for me to go home. I have come to the conclusion that I do not want to leave Ireland but I really want to be home. I have also come to the realization that this ideal situation is not possible. So I am left to enjoy Ireland as much as humanly possible in the next five days and also very very very excited to go home. Like I have said many times before I absolutely have fallen in love with Ireland but now that going home is so close, I cannot wait. I miss my family so very much. I cannot wait to see you Mom, Dad and Chad. Also soon I will get to see Adam, Lisa and the dogs. The very thought brings such joy to my heart.
Other than realizing the lack of time I have left here I went to Paris this weekend. Surprise, Surprise, I loved it. Jackie and I departed very early Saturday morning for our last adventure. After doing the usual wondering around to try and find our hotel (yes we actually stayed in a hotel and not a hostel…living large, I know) we began to see all there is to see in Paris. We first went to see the Arc de Triumph. It is really cool! Prior to going I had this notion of “What is the big deal about a giant arch?” Needless to say that notion is gone and I love that giant arch. We then meandered down to the Eiffel Tower; which is just as majestic as one could imagine. I really could sit there all day and people watch and admire the tour. I loved it. There was a Christmas market right near the tour that we walked around for a while, watched some little kids ice skating and then headed off. We ate dinner near our hotel and then watched TV in French; it is incredible how entertaining TV still is even when you have no idea what they are saying. At this point we were both very tired and called it an early night.
Sunday brought the usual, roaming about the city seeing most of all there is to see in one day. We began with a walk to the Louvre. On the way we stumbled across some very beautiful monuments and plazas. We got croissants for breakfast at a stand in the park of the Louvre and as we sat down to eat them we were swarmed by birds. After making a quick escape we decided it is better to eat on the move. We managed to get free admission into the museum. Maybe that happens a lot but we were both pretty impressed with ourselves for getting in with no cost. As you may know the Louvre is huge. One could literally spend all day, probably two days in the museum. We only spent about three hours. I felt like we saw a lot but in retrospect we probably saw a very little portion of the whole museum. We did, however, see all of the most famous pieces of artwork in there, and of course that includes the Mona Lisa. I have heard stories about when other people have seen the painting so I was not all together surprised to see a relatively small paiting on a rather large wall in the middle of a room. The funny thing is the painting opposite the Mona Lisa, a piture of Jesus at the wedding where he turned water to wine, is HUGE. Literally the biggest painting I have ever seen and it is just across from the Mona Lisa; a very small paining. After the Louvre we began to walk again, we saw Notre Dame. The cathedral is just a beautiful as you would imagine. It felt incredible to actually get to see it. The rest of the day was filled with wondering about Paris seeing all that the beautiful city has to offer. What a wonderful day.
Like I said, I really enjoyed Pairs. I was a little skeptical with all that one hears about how rude the French are and how high end the city is, but I really enjoyed it. I did not feel that the people were rude but it is for sure a very high end city. Perhaps my favorite part of Paris was just getting a baguette and walking around eating it. Sounds weird but it was incredible. Of course the bread was delicious and it was not cold outside so it made for a great day. The crepes were also to die for.
As wonderful as Paris was I really was glad to get back to Dublin to enjoy the last few days here. All of the “lasts” are beginning to happen and all of the loose ends are beginning to be tied. Stacie and I already went to the YSI Christmas parts; it was SO much fun to get to go and just hang out with the great people we worked with. The CIEE program already had our farewell dinner. And I only have 2500 more words to write and a presentation and I am done with school. I have begun to think about packing and how in the world I am going to get everything home (some of you know that this is always a challenge at the end of the semester). I look back at my time and I would not change a thing. It has been the most incredible three months. When I think about all that I have done I am overwhelmed with gratitude. It is sad to think that I will have to say good-bye to my new friends and my roommates soon. Oh how time flies! I must admit that I am getting a little apprehensive to come back to the states. I am afraid it is going to be hard to adjust back to living in America. I have grown so much and life in Ireland has become so normal, I do not even feel like I am in a foreign country anymore, I am just a litte nervous for culture shock. I am sure it will all be okay though!
I hope that the Christmas season has brought you all joy. I am excited to see you all. Thank you all for being a big part of the last three months. They have been so very good.
Cheers,
Keely
