Happy Valentine's Day xoxo

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Valentine's Day :) Mine was really fun! A few of us girls and our guys friends (our new second semester family) went to an international student gathering. They had tables full of stickers, tissue paper, construction paper, slitter, buttons, confetti, and markers to make valentines with! It was great, I felt like I was in elementary school again! I suggested that we all make shoe-boxes and decorate them, but nobody had shoe boxes haha. We also made sugar cookies with chocolate hearts which were DELICIOUS. I had 3 and then a stomach ache. My friend's and I went to the student bar and watched people get auctioned off for charity. The highest bid got to take the person out on a date. My roommate Sergio signed up and got sold to a cute spanish girl!

Mom, thanks for my valentine! I love it, it was so fun opening it and having the heart confetti fall out. Love you!

I guess the only thing that was missing on my Valentine's Day was Alex :)

Also, happy belated birthday Kim! How did you celebrate? Hope it wasn't too snowy where you are.

I have a project coming up in my Food and Wine Tourism class. A partner and I are researching and presenting the food and wine of Southern Spain. I don't know much about it yet, but as soon as I'm an expert I will share all my wisdom and knowledge with you :)

Much love to you all!

Cork!

This last weekend 3 friends and I were band groupies! We hoped on a bus with some Irish friends of ours who are in a band and were heading to a music festival in Cork. It was great craic, on the bus ride there the band got their instruments out and played some tunes for us. I was so happy and it made me realize how much I'm going to miss Ireland when I leave. We all got to Cork, which is the very most southern tip of Ireland, and settled into our hostel (all 20 of us). Friday night we went to the bar that was having the traditional Irish band competition and listened to music all night! It was brilliant, I loved it. Unfortunately our band didn't win, but they should have!


Saturday Emily, Bridget, Joy-Lynne and I went exploring in the city. We found an inside market and took a bus to the Blarney Castle! The castle is famous for it's Blarney Stone at the very top. You are supposed to kiss the stone and you will have life-long eloquence. It was built in the 1400's and occupied by the Macarthy family. Queen Elizabeth actually made up the word as a way to be rude without hurting someones feelings. For example, blarney would be like asking a woman how old she was because you want to know at what age women are most beautiful. Get it? Sneaky huh :)As we walked around the grounds of the castle we kept discovering little underground passageways and what felt like secret rooms. It was such fun to try and imagine what the people were like who actually lived there. I like to imagine what went on during their lives. We climbed to the top on some VERY narrow, steep spiral stairs and kissed the Blarney Stone! We were literally the only people there because it was rainy, cloudy, cold, and in the middle of February when no tourists are in Ireland, therefore we skipped all the imaginably long lines that would have been there during summer months.
In order to kiss the stone, you have to lay down, side upside down while someone helps hold you, and reach down to kiss it. It's scary! But well worth it. Granny, Dad was saying that you've been there. Did you go upside down and kiss it? Wish we could have gone together!



Saturday night we went out to the Opera House and listened to more bands play. We struggled the next morning to wake up in the early and get back on the bus to head home Sunday. It's about a 7 hour drive, but didn't feel so long because I was entertained the whole time. After our long journey it was time for a much needed nap. Now school has started again and it's back to reality. It's not much of a reality though because I keep thinking of all the travelling left to do. I'm going to Poland March 10-13, Dublin for St. Paddy's Day, Edinburgh April 3-5, and London April 21-24. Whew, I'm going to be exhausted :)

One last thing before I go to bed: CONGRATULATIONS DAD!!! On starting a new adventure in Alaska! Like father like daughter. I'm so excited for you :) Principal Holcomb...it's got a nice ring to it.

Off to bed now, I hope you all are doing well and have a little adventure in your lives as well.

A Case of the Sniffles

I'm sick! I'm all feverish and achy, and my bed doesn't help at all. I made home made chicken noodle soup today, and I was more than pleased with how it turned out. Still nothing compared to yours, Mom. Plus it's a lot different when someone else makes it for you. I don't have that luxery here! Makes me miss home :)

This last Saturday my really great family friend, Paul, came up to visit me from Belfast. We did some touristy things like Bushmills Distillery, Giant's Causeway, walk on the beach, and a nice lunch in Portrush. What a treat it was! I found out I really like Hot Toddy. Thanks for a great weekend, Paul. Hope the rest of your trip went well.

In orchestra we're playing a peice by Richard Wagner called Siegfried Idyll. Youtube it, it sounds really beautiful but its extremely difficult to play in the key. It's growing on me though the more I listen to it. I hope all is well with everyone! Talk again soon.