This past week and some been pretty hectic for me. I left for a volleyball tournament on Wednesday, which ended Saturday evening. Then, I saw a few gigs (concerts) in Belfast on Saturday and Sunday. Then, had another match on Monday; the match was 1.5 hrs away. Then, I went surfing on Wednesday sponsored by the "Surfing Project". Yesterday was Thanksgiving, so the international students had a potluck. I made green bean casserole, and it's safe to say it wasn't my mothers... In about an hour or so, I'm going to be leaving soon to volunteer at the nonprofit Corymeela. In addition to this hectic schedule, I had two exams this week.
Some themes:
-I'm still not used to public transport; I still very much miss my car.
-The holidays aren't the same, but life goes on.
-There are only 24 hrs in a day, so I should spend my time wisely. In other words, if I'm feeling like going out and my pals aren't--- that doesn't mean I shouldn't. Traveling alone is a whole different, interesting experience. I should take advantage of that more.
-I can't believe I've never surfed before. I am a new person.
-I'm so thankful for my v-ball family.
We went to UCD in Dublin and played a v-ball tournament, representing all of Northern Ireland as Ulster University. It was a great experience, played a total of 7 games. We had lots of free time. Unfortunately, it was 45 min away from town center, so we couldn't site-see much. But during a 4 hour game break, I went on a run to the nearest lighthouse beach and had a great time. It was one of those eyeopening experiences where I lost in my thoughts and very thankful for this study abroad experience.
Our International, student-run Thanksgiving. I made GB casserole with my mom's recipe. They didn't have the crispy french onions or condensed cream of mushroom, so I fried my own onions and added flour to the mushroom soup... I was especially proud, but it did not taste the same. My pals didn't care or notice though. Left with my tummy and heart very full.
Some themes:
-I'm still not used to public transport; I still very much miss my car.
-The holidays aren't the same, but life goes on.
-There are only 24 hrs in a day, so I should spend my time wisely. In other words, if I'm feeling like going out and my pals aren't--- that doesn't mean I shouldn't. Traveling alone is a whole different, interesting experience. I should take advantage of that more.
-I can't believe I've never surfed before. I am a new person.
-I'm so thankful for my v-ball family.
We went to UCD in Dublin and played a v-ball tournament, representing all of Northern Ireland as Ulster University. It was a great experience, played a total of 7 games. We had lots of free time. Unfortunately, it was 45 min away from town center, so we couldn't site-see much. But during a 4 hour game break, I went on a run to the nearest lighthouse beach and had a great time. It was one of those eyeopening experiences where I lost in my thoughts and very thankful for this study abroad experience.
The surfing experience at Portrush!!! It was a whole day ordeal, left campus at 13:30 and got back at 17:00. They fed us dinner and gave us tea afterwards. It's run by the Surf Project, a christian, nonprofit community. I'm not especially religious but was very thankful for their generosity and surf lessons. The water was warmer than the air outside actually, so it wasn't as cold as I expected. It was exhilarating and addictive even.
Our International, student-run Thanksgiving. I made GB casserole with my mom's recipe. They didn't have the crispy french onions or condensed cream of mushroom, so I fried my own onions and added flour to the mushroom soup... I was especially proud, but it did not taste the same. My pals didn't care or notice though. Left with my tummy and heart very full.