2013 Ireland - Day Three - Guinness Storehouse

2013 Ireland - Day Three - Dublin Free Walking Tour

The other Clemson people that we had randomly run into on our first day in Dublin had suggested that we do the free walking tour offered by our hostel.  They had done the tour in London and said that it was really good because the tour guides were working hard for tips.  Our hostels, Jacobs Inn and Isaac's Hostel are brother hostels, so the tour was for both of them which worked out perfectly.  We started from our hostel, Jacob's Inn and then picked up the group from Isaac's Hostel.



Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name of our guide, but he was really entertaining.  He was very knowledgeable about the history of Dublin but was also sarcastic (most Irishmen I met were very sarcastic) and funny.

2013 Ireland - Day Two - Cliffs of Moher

The day we arrived, we booked a tour to the Cliffs of Moher through Extreme Ireland / Ireland Day Tours based on a brochure at our hostel.  The Cliffs of Moher was on my Bucket List, so the 45 Euros and full-day adventure was definitely worth it.  Though our Italian professor and tour guide, Giuditta, did laugh at us for visiting Dublin to then cross the country to the Cliffs of Moher.

We met our tour around the Temple Bar area.  It was about a ten to fifteen minute walk from our Hostel.  One of the incredible things that I learned when in Europe is that you can use the GPS on your iPhone.... without using data!  Just load the maps before you depart, turn your data off, and the little blue dot will keep up with you through GPS (this will be included in my advice for studying abroad which has yet to be written).

We were on a large charter-like bus.  We were told that the seats we chose were our seats for the entire journey (which is good etiquette anyway, according to my mother, Miss Manners).  Whenever the bus driver wasn't talking to us, about 90% of the bus conked out, myself included.  I just couldn't keep my eyes open!  It was weird, though, because the driver never turned his mic off, so you would hear him breathing into it when he wasn't talking.



Our first stop was at Blarney Woollen Mills for the bathroom and shopping.  I did a little exploring while the other girls browsed the gift shops.

2013 Ireland - Day One - Old Jameson Distillery

One trip that I took while abroad that I never really published at all (the photos stayed in my Lightroom until this weekend, actually) was to Ireland.  The idea of Ireland was originally brought up by my friend Alex a year before we even went abroad.  She was sharing that she would love to spend St. Patrick's Day in Dublin.  Unfortunately, in addition to St. Patrick's Day in Dublin being ridiculously expensive and almost completely booked up, it didn't really work with our school schedule.

We booked our round trip flight (required for our student visas) to Genoa before we knew the official dates for our program (so that we would be able to apply for our visas in time... see a problem here?).  Well the date that we were scheduled to move out of the villa was a few days before the date that we had booked our plane home.  So, it was decided that Dublin would be our last hoorah before heading back to the United States.  We booked a round trip flight from Genoa to Dublin through Air France (I knew at the time that I would not be traveling back with the other girls, but with my family, but the round trip flight was a better deal).

After much debating, it was decided that instead of flying back to Genoa with the girls that I would take a flight to Barcelona where I'd board the Norwegian Epic for a four-night cruise.  So, I had to bring ALL of my luggage with me (two large rolling bags and a rolling carry-on).  Well, our flight was a connecting flight (in Paris), so of course, my bags were lost.  Luckily, it only took a few hours before they were delivered to our hostel in Dublin.

I will admit that the entire time we were in Europe, we were somewhat spoiled when it came to accommodations.  We lived in a giant villa on the hillside.  When we traveled as a class, we stayed in hotels and bed and breakfasts that were almost always at least a 3-star property.  And then when we traveled independently, we either stayed in a hotel or booked a private room in a nice hostel.  We weren't your typical students backpacking around Europe - we never had to worry about sleeping with strangers or large, common bathrooms.  So when in Dublin, we stayed in a four-person room with a private bathroom at Jacobs Inn which has an 85% rating on HostelWorld (one of the highest for Dublin).  What I enjoyed about hostels is that the desks were almost always staffed by young, friendly, outgoing people who really wanted to make sure that you had a good time in their city.  Jacobs Inn was no exception (it was also a relief... and completely strange at the time... to hear people speaking English).

The first thing we wanted to do when we arrived in Dublin was eat.  So we set out to find food... any food.  So we wandered into a bar and just happened to spot a familiar face - one of the girls from the Clemson group in Paris that we had visited with earlier that semester.  She was staying at the brother hostel to Jacobs Inn called Isaacs Hostel.  We exchanged contact info with her so that we could meet up later.

2013 Year in Reflection

The year 2013 was a crazy (in the best way possible) one for me. After returning from a cruise to the Panama Canal with my family, I flew across the Atlantic to spend the semester in Genoa, Italy. While living in Genoa, I not only had the opportunity to explore Italy, but I visited Paris, Berlin, Dublin, and Barcelona.  I also ventured into Switzerland with my friends Derrick and Jennifer, and went on a Mediterranean cruise solo and with my family.  After returning to the United States, I had only a few weeks at home before I flew to New York City to spend the summer participating in a Clemson architecture studio.  I then tackled my third move of the year into a cute, new college community with my roommate, Sarah.

My fall semester at Clemson was my final synthesis studio and also the most demanding and exhausting I've ever experienced.  I did, however, get to travel to Chicago with the fourth-year architecture students and also managed to squeeze in a trip to Walt Disney World to celebrate my sister's birthday at the Food & Wine Festival (becoming annual passholders!).  And I got to participate in some monumental celebrations - Clemson School of Architecture celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Villa in Genoa during my semester abroad (how's that for perfect timing?) and the 100th Anniversary of the School of Architecture with a 50K Beaux Arts Ball in Lee III.  I also celebrated four years with my boyfriend, Max (awww!)..... in a tent, camping out for Clemson football tickets.  And speaking of Clemson football, I got to cheer on the team during one of our best seasons, yet.... and the sign I made for ESPN Game Day got a lot of airtime, thanks to my sister Rachel's hard work holding it up!

Over Thanksgiving, I traveled with my family to Mississippi to remember the life of my sweet MeMaw who passed away on November 23, but also to celebrate the birthday which I share with my dear Granddaddy (November 29 - he's 85, and I'm feelin' 22!).  I stressed over graduate school applications and portfolio (Want to see?  Visit my website!) along with my FINAL final review at Clemson.  But all of the hard work was worth it when I got to celebrate Christmas with my family during our cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the Royal Princess and ring in the New Year at my favorite place on earth - Walt Disney World!

2013 was an amazing year.  A year of exploration and adventure, loss and remembrance, and celebration of triumphs big and small.  It was a year of growing up - traveling and living by myself (and with some wonderful friends), and then contemplating and working towards my future (as uncertain right now as that may be).  I got to know a lot of amazing people and was touched and inspired by many.  And I've learned that no challenge is too big to overcome, especially when you are surrounded by people who love and care about you.... and believe in you.

Panama Canal (Christmas Day 2012)