Hop, Skip & A Jig

Greetings to all from Belfest, Ireland!!!

     I actually made it and am getting settled in and adjusted as we speak. From the time I landed a week ago till now has been a whirlwind blur of fun, new experiences and lot's of laughter and entertainment. My room is not very big, but it has a bed, desk, closet, and sink . . . so it's all I need :) 

      My flight over to Heathrow was about 9.5-10 hours long and then I had a 3 hour layover and then a 1 hour flight to Belfast. I actually flew without tranqs and thankfully the peace of the Lord was with me and I was able to stay calm the entire time. It was truly a blessing. I wasn't in a place to sleep more than 2 hours the entire time, but I didn't panic once . . . so I will take it haha Then, from the Belfast airport it was an 18 pound, wrong-side-of-the-road/car, taxi drive to the University of Ulster Jordanstown Campus. That is where I currently reside and will remain for the duration of my stay this semester. 

     I am not the best at consistently writing updates, but I will make an extra special effort to keep updating this blog every couple of days so that you all can keep track of all the goings on here in Ireland! So, between the Saturday before I left and now, with the exception of 2 nights, I have gotten about 2.5 hours of sleep every night . . . so one night I got 5.5 hours and last night I got about 11 hours haha Hopefully soon I will be able to adjust to the new time zone and get some normal sleep. 

    The culture here is just as everyone has described it to me. Every single person I have encountered has been nothing but warm, welcoming, and in good humor. Even all the international students have been outgoing and up for experiencing new adventures right off the get go. It is definitely true that 6 out of the 7 days a week people will go out to experience the nightlife Belfast has to offer. I have only stayed in my room two nights since I have been here!!! Going to Pubs to drink with your friends and staying out until 3 am to dance the night away at a club are the most popular activities amongst people my age and the Pubs are definitely the place to be for the older generations. Going to the cinema, opera, and just hanging out at other people's flats drinking is popular as well.

     Yes drinking is the favorite activity here and I'm sure most of you are wondering . . . and no I have not drank yet. I don't think I am going to make it to my 21st because it is legal here. But seeing as I have a limited budget to live off of and am kind of the designated sober one I don't feel obligated to do so for a while yet. It has been fun though going out with all my new friends . . . they are all fascinated by the fact that I don't drink lol mainly because I am the only one out of about 18 of them hahaha!! 

    I live in a flat with 5 other girls . .  . 2 locals - Erin and Margaret; and 3 other international students - Marionella, Sara, and Kelli. All are super sweet, outgoing, respectful, and funny and never hesitate to include me in whatever they are doing. I will tell you about more of the students each time I post . . . but Donald is from the East Coast . . . Maryland I believe and him and I are pretty tight. We are shopping buddies and he lives in the flat next to mine. And one of the Dutch girls, Evelien . . . is about 2 inches taller than me and super cool; she has kind of taken me under her wing and has been an enjoyable woman to get to know. She is one of 6 Dutch kids that came together . . . I just call them the Dutchies haha They are all super chill and hilarious!! I might be going to stay with them in Amsterdam at some point.

     The metric system and the currency are a pain in the behind but I am slowly catching on . . . but the slang and accents have been so fun to listen to and figure out. I think I have the accent down lol . . . one of the kids here says if he didn't know any better he would have thought I was a local lol The main line they use is 'What's the craick?' (pronounced crack) and in US terms it's the equivalent to What's up? haha And instead of saying 'thank you' or 'have a nice day' they say 'Cheers!' They also curse like sailors here, which is hilarious when you add in the accent. 

     Well, for now that is what has been going on here :) I will continue to post photo's and video's and keep you in the know of my foreign affairs lol I love you all and appreciate the notes of encouragement, warm wishes and prayers. 

Always,

Breezy