 |
| Putting things in perspective |
As you can see, Ireland is an island. The island itself is made up of The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Basically, Northern Ireland is part of the UK and The Republic of Ireland is not (a result of political tension.. google "The Troubles" if interested). The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland together are about the size of California (if we're talking about land). So I live in the Republic of Ireland, which is usually just called Ireland. Ireland has 4,487,000 residents and California... well, has 37,691,912 residents (both as of the 2011 census). Currently I'm sitting in Galway, right where the red marker shows.
 |
| Not that great of a map, but you get the picture |
This map shows city center. I live about a fifteen minutes walk from the center of town, right by NUIG University. It really isn't too bad of a walk at all and it's VERY convenient to go to school--I walk out the door and the entrance to Uni is right across the street. I do have to walk into town when I decide to get groceries, and this plays a lot into whether I really need to purchase certain items at the store... I think I've mentioned that before, but I'm just going to reiterate ("I can't buy juice and milk because I don't want to carry them both home" ... first world problems, weh).
Galway is named after the river that runs through town, which is called Gaillimh in Irish and the River Corrib in English. The River Corrib runs through town. It's a really crazy river. If you fall in... well just don't do it because you'll probably drown. There's also a series of canals that also wind through town--those are much more peaceful. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone when I say swans are pretty cool to see. Swans are rare in California, but they swarm the canals here. They are like the pigeons of Galway. There are also a lot of mallards around and I can't wait to see the babies in the next month or so!
So why Ireland and why Galway? People ask me that all the time and there's really not just one answer. I really like a sense of community & a college town feel and Galway definitely offers that. I wanted to be on the west of Ireland because I really love the countryside (when you think of Ireland... the scenery is definitely on the west side!). I also have roots here (insert red hair joke here) and my ancestors are from Ireland. It's an English speaking country and the accents are awesome! The people are grand. AND when am I ever going to get six months to live in a foreign country?! This is a bit of a laugh: I did not come to Galway because of P.S. I Love You .... I've been asked that at least 10 times (the Irish, at least the ones I've talked to, aren't a big fan of the movie because Gerald Butler does a really bad Irish accent--the more you know!).
There really is something special about Galway. I realized this after I visited Dublin, and even Edinburgh. Maybe it's the romance of the canals or the kindness of the people. Whatever it is, it feels like home now. My third home. I love it. I made the right choice.
I've realized that I'm actually half way through my journey here. It hasn't been the easiest experience, but it's not suppose to be. It's hard stepping off a plane, boarding a bus, and then trying to find accommodation. It's even harder to secure a house and put down a security deposit before even meeting the roommates. It's difficult to be 5,000 miles away from familiarity and everything you've ever known. I miss my family & friends, of course. But this is something I had to do. It's cliche, but I am apart of the most amazing experience. I'm not even at the end of my time here and I believe that this is one of the best decisions I've ever made. If you're reading this and thinking about going abroad--do it!
Next weekend will probably be my last in-depth blog for awhile (after all, it is St. Paddy's Day!). After that, I will be dedicating most of my time to focus on papers and exams. See you next time. xx
No comments:
Post a Comment