What a day it is.....

I made it! I am in Dublin! The latter statement still to this moment seems so surreal. I can almost still feel the brisk Colorado air and see the vibrant gold Aspen trees. I have gone from one beautiful place to the next. Looking out the airplane window as I landed in Dublin was absolutely amazing. It was everything I thought it would be.

                Today has been one incredibly long day. For starters, I left Denver around 11:30 a.m. yesterday and landed her in Ireland around 9:00 a.m. today. After going from Denver to Huston then Newark then finally Dublin, I am simply exhausted. After landing it was so easy to go through customs, get my luggage and find the person who was picking everyone in my program up. There were four of us (people in my same CIEE study abroad program) that arrived around the same time and we were then bused to campus. I was so relieved to make it to my apartment.

                The apartment is very different than I expected it to be. They are very nice; the setup is a bit strange though. Still I am so very grateful to have my own bedroom and bathroom and a full kitchen and living space. It is very nice but different, but once I adjust I think I will really love the living situation.  I have met a few of my roommates and they were very friendly and welcoming (I would expect nothing less from the Irish). I look forward to getting to know them better over the next three months. I had the opportunity then to catch a few hours of shut eye before we took a short tour of campus and a trip to the shopping centre.

                The shopping centre is a ten minute walk from campus. I was excited to see more of the city of Dublin. Everything that I saw was almost just as I imagined it would be. Do not get me wrong, I have definitely already experienced culture shock. For example, it was very confusing at first to cross the street because I look the wrong way first. Needless to say I learned my lesson quickly. Many of my friends from the program and I rushed to Penny’s (not like J.C. Penny’s) to find some bedding.  I was pleasantly surprised when I purchased a full set of bedding, a clothes hamper and a bath mat for only thirty euro. As we ventured back to campus a friend and I went to the convenient store on campus and I was very happy to find Coke. What a joy!

                After getting settled into my room, a few of us decided to go out and meet some of the other students. Tonight I was introduced to true Irish students and culture. Today has been so long but so wonderful in so many ways. I can say with confidence that this will be a great semester filled with great memories. I am excited to only get to know Ireland and its people better.