Weekend to Killarney

So I'm not lonely anymore. Hehe, I know they are just phases, just like I would get at home, but I think they mean more here and I am more aware of them.

Went to Killarney this weekend. It's a city in County Kerry. I went by myself and I'm veryy veryy glad that I did. Well not completely alone. I went with the International Club but I didnt sign up to go with anyone I knew. I tried to get friends to go, but really glad that I didn't. I sat next to this Finish girl on the bus. She also came alone so we talked and roomed together for the weekend. We had to be in houses of 6 so this french guy, Pierre, asked us if we wanted to room with the person he was sitting next to (Tim - the only other american on the trip) and his two girl friends. We did end up rooming with them for the weekend and we spend all weekend together basically and took pictures together and what not. It was really fun and they were all really nice. One of the girls was from Japan but studying in the US and the other from Poland (Yuki and Monika). There were a ton of French people on the trip and a buncha Italians. Italian people are just nuts. They were the life of the party.

The bus ride to Killarney was about 1.30. Once we got there we went food shopping and then to our Family Vacation Homes. Then into town for a bit just to walk around. The homes were really nice. It was a living room with a full kitchen downstairs as well as a bedroom with a double bed. There was a bathroom for them downstairs as well as a shower. Upstairs it was two rooms with single beds, one toilet and another room for the shower. So ya, was pretty sweet. There even was a backyard. Friday we all got together at the people's house who organized the trips and had a little party. They taught everyone flip cup and the Italians went nuts over it. It was Italians against French but friendly game. They started calling one French guy Zidane and an Italian one Materrazi so they took pictures of "Zidane headbutting "Materrazi" and then made "Zidane" leave the room. One of the Italian kids actually lives in my building so he Saturday he started teaching me Italian. We are doing one phrase a day and so far I know "Hi my name is Sheena. What is your name" and "How are you? I'm good. Thanks and you?" Also learned "cheers" in Finish and Swedish.

Saturday we rented bikes for the day and biked around the National Park in Killarney. We went to Torc waterfall and Ross Castle. Had another good party that evening. Sunday we did this bus tour that everyone does. It's called the Ring of Kerry and you drive around the coast. It's just suppose to be gorgeous views but it was raining and foggy so we couldn't see anything. I'm glad it rained on that day however because biking in the rain would have been miserable. So overall, great weekend. Met lots of cool people and it was fun.

This is the National Park. It originally belonged to some peeps and then was donated to the Gov. when they kurked out. Started as 11,000 acres, kilometers (I have no idea) of land and now it's 25. It was the first national park in Ireland. And yep, that is a boat. It's a rowing boat. It's a 5 person rowing boat! The cox could stand up in the boat like it was nothing. It had a much wider base and only 5 PEOPLE!!

My roomate, Anne, for the weekend at the Torc Waterfall.

Ross Castle.

This was also at the Castle. It's the amazing view if you have your back to the castle, and those are some of the people I lived with. Yuki, Me, Monika and Pierre.

At the Atlantic Ocean during our Ring of Kerry tour. It was so windy that you would get pushed when walking.

Earlier this week I was kinda getting kinda tired of hanging out with International Students but this was really fun. I was with a wide range of Nationalities and I think it was cool because it wasn't only French people that I was hanging with. Pierre also didn't want to talk French because he is here to improve his English so that was cool. Funny because when I first got here I found it soooo weird to be in Europe and talk English. I still like practicing my french but just hearing people only talk their native tongue seems a little silly considering they are here to improve their English.