Five Things I've Learned About America...

1. Refrigerators. We are obsessed with refrigeration! Something that was really weird for me was that eggs are sold in a regular aisle at the grocery store. It's not a big deal to refrigerate eggs here. My roommates just keep their eggs on the counter. And when you think about it... the egg doesn't come out of the chicken butt and into the fridge. No one in Ireland puts all their veggies in the fridge. No one in Ireland puts all their cheeses in the fridge. Last year in my house in Santa Barbara six girls shared one large fridge with a freezer and three mini-fridges. You know how many fridges 5 girls share in Ireland? One mini-fridge and one mini-freezer! That's right.

2. Preservatives. America needs to lay off the corn syrup, artificial favors, and preservatives. Soda here is made with actual sugar. It tastes so much better and makes a huge difference. Candy is a different color here because not as many artificial colors are added in. Why do we even need these colors? It tastes the same, no matter what color it is. Food goes bad here quicker--but it tastes so much better! I really do not mind going to the store every week to buy new food. The dairy here is SO good. I have never drank so much milk in my life. Guess cows aren't as happy in California as we think...

3. Cars. Petrol (or gas to us Americans) is really, really expensive in Ireland. We complain about spending 4 dollars a gallon. Well the Irish are spending about 1.40 euro per liter. Okay kids, time for some math. There's almost 4 liters to a gallon. That means that gas is about 5-6 euros per gallon. Now convert euros to dollars. Petrol/gas here is 8-9 dollars a gallon! This is why it is absolutely ridiculous to have a large car here.

Students do not usually drive until they're like 20-21 years old. Some of my roommates have not even got their licenses! Guess this is a factor in the drinking age being 18.

Driving on the left side of the road is not weird to me anymore... which is kind of scary because I have to get used to the right again once I'm back at home.

Jaywalking is acceptable here, no one is going to ticket you. Let's not even talk about how many times we've illegally crossed the street this semester.

4. School. Don't bring your laptop to class--people think that it is really rude. That was probably the biggest cultural changes regarding school that affected me. Before I came here, I took all of my notes on my laptop (I'll be happy to take notes this way when I'm back at UC Santa Barbara, haha).

People at NUIG skip a lot of school. People have asked me, "Why do Americans always go to class?" Attendance and participation do not usually factor into grades here. Why do we go to class? Probably because we have to practically sell our souls or bankrupt our parents to afford school. I dunno, I like going to class.

5. Lifestyle. America just needs to chill out a little bit. People are way too wrapped up in other people's lives. There is WAY too much stress in America. I feel like I've become a much calmer and rational person in the last four months. School was not as stressful for me this semester, so that probably had a lot to do with it. But the whole lifestyle of people living in Ireland is a lot different. Ten minutes late? Not a big deal. In Ireland, everyone is late together. Class "starts" on the hour... but the lecturer does not even show up until ten minutes after the hour. American life is a bit fast paced. I like it, but being here reminds me that we have to slow down sometimes.

Alright America, I love you... I really do. So here is some things I miss about you:

1. Posted street signs. It is so easy to get around in America. There is a sign on every corner. Here in Ireland... not so much.

2. Although I've gotten used to military time, I miss the 12 hour am/pm clock.

3. Mac n' cheese. Wings. A good burger. Cheesecake Factory. California's delicious ethnic food. Fancy (yet affordable) drinks. Boba tea. FROYO.

4. My family, friends, dog, and fish!

5. Having a job. It's nice not to work... but I miss it. Plus I don't feel as guilty buying things.

6. All of my clothes! It sucks living out of one suitcase. I will be posting a "clothes graveyard" soon. It will contain all of the clothes that I've ruined since being here.

7. The weather! Well I don't know. It's 50 degrees F here and I hear it is like 90 degrees F in the Bay Area. That's a 40 degree difference. Hopefully I don't catch fire or something.

So that's that! Just some things I find myself thinking about from time to time.

Anyways, I officially finished school this week!! Ahhhhhhhhhh! I'm really excited because this is the first break I've had since the summer after my freshman year. I had one last paper and it took forever to finish. I just lacked motivation. So my total word count for the semester: 18,171. NEVER AGAIN... until grad school. I'm so happy to go back to stressful test taking.

We cleaned the house this week and it isn't a chemical warzone anymore. I was telling my roommates here how I went from the cleanest house I've ever lived in to the dirtiest house I've ever lived in. Ireland is a very moldy place, so you're going to have a bad time if you leave something out.

Went to see a Connacht rugby game with a few friends! It was a lot of fun. We lost, but it was cool to see a game in person.

Great photography.. lol. Connacht Rugby. Galway, Ireland

We made tacos twice this week. I'd eat tacos everyday though, honestly.

Also had tea with Crystal! It was so good. I had darjeeling tea and a tasty slice of carrot cake. I will miss moments like this.

Delicious. Galway, Ireland

Since school is over and I still have a bit of time here, it's time to start travelling around Ireland!! I hope to be visiting somewhere in Ireland next weekend, but I really haven't planned anything yet.

Sending love x