Finally here!

This semester in Ireland has been long awaited and i'm so glad to finally be over here! I can't fully explain how beautiful it is in Ireland. Every morning i wake up with the view that one can only dream about. When I look out the window from my room on the second floor of the "man house" i can see the Greystones harbor to my right and then off to my left are the mountains that stand prominently in their place. Knowing that i get to look at that, makes makes getting out of bed a little easier in the morning. That and the fact that I'm in Ireland. It really is a weird feeling waking up in the morning and knowing that i'm thousands of miles away from home. It has taken a little while for me to finally get used to this "Irish culture" but i'm growing accustomed really fast. Everybody's so nice over here that it makes the transition easy. We've already spent three days touring around Dublin, looking for the best coffee shops, pubs, and places to eat. This past week of "school" (if you can even call it that) has been fantastic! We have literally spent everyday relaxing and enjoying the Irish culture. It really is a one of a kind experience. I know that academics will pick up, and we will actually have to study a little, but for now life couldn't be better! I am with the greatest group of people i could ever imagine (since miami). Everyone in our group is so laid back and easy going and that is for sure a praise! One of the things i love about this semester in Ireland is the fact that you have complete freedom to do whatever you want. You are free to leave the dorm at two in the morning and take a walk down by the harbor, or head down to the Beach House (our local pub right on the harbor) to watch a rugby game, go to Dublin, or do whatever you want. The directors are so laid back and it's fantastic.

We had our first site visit yesterday (Friday) and our group visited some really old ruins. We visited a grave yard that was covered in old celtic crosses that were hand carved thousands of years ago. It's amazing that they look as good as they do. My favorite is probably our trip to New Grange! That was incredible! I think it's absolutely incredible that there are structures from 5000 years ago that are still standing today. I mean, to us, a 250 year old colonial house is old. Over here something is old if it's been there a few thousand years.

Well i'm sure there will be many stories to tell later on! I miss you all and hope you all are doing well back in America! I'll try to keep you updated as much as possible. Later.