Aran Islands Trip

The Aran Islands consist of three islands: Inis Mor, Inis Mean, and Inis Oirr.  Inis Mor, the largest island, is where we spent our weekend.  This island was like nothing I have ever seen before; it is just a big rock. The weather was not ideal for our stay. It was cold and rainy, nothing new there, but our hostel did not have much heat.  This made drying our very wet clothes for the next day nearly impossible. We were also unable to do the bike tours we were planning on. Instead we took a bus tour.  I would have preferred to do the bike tour, but taking the bus meant we got to see more of island.  The cold, rainy weather opened my eyes to what it would have been like to live on this island just 60 years ago.  They did not have power until more recently and the only soil they have is hand made.  The whole island is solid limestone.  This means any soil that the locals needed to grow their food had to be made.  They would start by making an even field. The rocks that they removed from their ground were then used for the hundreds of miles of stonewalls that trace along the land.  These walls are used as property markers and as fences for their livestock.  After they had a flat surface they would bring seaweed from the ocean and layer it on the rocks.  They would also dig into the cracks of the rock for any dirt that might have gotten trapped. This life style, paired with the cold, was not for the weak hearted. The people we met on the Islands were some of the nicest people I have met yet. Everyone we met was extremely proud of the history of their island and wanted to share their story with anyone that would listen. 

Finding a new routine

I have now been in Ireland for 17 days.  It doesn’t seem possible that so many days have already passed.  It seems more like a single week.  I have fallen into a new routine of day-to-day life here.  I live in cottage #5 with 2 other girls.  Which mean I get my own room!  All of the cottages are right next door to each other so we are always visiting our neighbors whenever we got bored of the conversation in our own. On a normal school day I am up around 9 to get ready and eat breakfast.  Then we have class from 10 till 2 with a lunch break in the middle.  When we are done with class we are free to do as we please.  Most days Sydney and I take a walk.  Spiddal is the nearest town so if we need anything, like milk or bread we head there.  The only groceries they have in Spiddal is at a gas station, so we go to Galway if we have too large of list.  We have to pay for the taxi into Galway though, so usually we stay in Spiddal.  If we do not need to pick anything up we explore somewhere we haven’t seen yet, or just go down to the ocean.  It is hard to get used to being only a five minute walk to the ocean.  On Monday of this week we found a beautiful little beach that was covered in seashells.  My seashell collection is starting to get out of hand!  When the weekend comes around we are free to travel if there is not a set field trip planned. We have only four weekends open to travel out of the 12 weekends we are here.  Two of them have already passed.  This past weekend we went to Kilkenny.   On our next weekend we have off four of us are going to go to London. This weekend we are taking our first field trip to the Aran Islands. The field trips are packed in tight now.  We hardly have time to get back before we are off to the next one.

Weekend in Kilkenny (not for a grade)

I learned three things from my weekend in Kilkenny:


1. Hostels  aren’t as sketchy as they seem, well kind of.

Staying in a hostel was a new experience for me. I was nervous about having to sleep in a room with other people who I have never met and who were from an entirely different side of the world than I am, but traveling with good friends that I trust helped put some of my worries at ease.  Also, never leaving sight my belongings and cuddling with my book bag as I slept assured I had nothing stolen.

2. How to get your group back together and to your hostel on time when a member of your group gets on the wrong train and ends up a town down the line in the opposite direction you need to be going.

Not to name names.. (Zayne)


3. Hiking a 5K trail that ends at the ruin of a 13th century mill at 7am is a great way to start a day.

We got a tip from one of the locals that there was a beautiful trail that goes through the woods following the river and decided it would be a great way to spend our last morning in Kilkenny.  We were shocked when at the end of the trail we found some 13th century ruins.  The roofs of the building had long ago collapsed allowing trees to over take the insides.  One of them even had part of the river flowing through it.

Getting used to the new home.

This past week has passed in a blur of cold wind, new chocolate bars, and an endless list of other new things. In the beginning of the week, the weather was cold, windy and the rain never seemed to stop. This weather did not slow us down though! We faced the wind and rain and walked the two miles into Spiddal. The walk was well worth it as soon as I had my first bite of the fish and chip special. This fish was by far the best I have ever had. 

The next day, we again, faced the weather and went into Galway.  This time however, we got took a taxi ride. In Galway we walked through the beautiful crowded walkways.  I enjoy walking around town, because it is very different from what I am used to.  Everything is much more crowded here.  The stores are about the size of a walk-in in closet.  I always get the feeling that I am in someone’s way, and usually I am.

Galways is the bigger city of the two towns we are between.  It is a 20-minute taxi ride to Galway and a 20-minute walk to Spiddal.  For every trip we make, into either town, Sydney and I have to stop in a store and get a chocolate bar that we have never seen before. So far, European chocolate has far exceeded even the best of American chocolate.  

Wednesday morning we woke up to an amazing surprise! The sun was shining bright and not a cloud in sight. I spent the afternoon at the rocky beach climbing the rocks and I even found a sea star and a hermit crab.  Sydney and I watched the waves crash on the rocks and explored the little pools for two hours, taking in the fresh air.

Leaving Home to Make a New Home

 Leaving home for three months is not an easy thing to do.  I
had some last minute regrets about missing family, packing the wrong things, and just simply what it would be like to be on the other side of the world.  In the end, the plane tickets were already purchased and there was no backing out.  I boarded the planes and said goodbye to the snow covered plains for the next 84 days.   
Flying into the Newark airport I received a pleasant surprise of seeing not only New York City, but also getting a bird’s eye view of the Statue of Liberty.  She may have been smaller than my pinky fingernail, but it still counts!   
And before I knew it I was “across the pond” and landing in Ireland.  Time change was a kick in the face when we landed at 7am and had to be ready to start our day even though we had lost an entire six hours of sleep.  I’ve been in Ireland for only four days and am already in love with the beautiful landscape and the powerful Atlantic.  I’m excited to see what next week will hold!