Classes in Ireland

After attending classes in Ireland for over a month now I have noticed many differences between Irish and American classes.

1. Silencing cellphones isn't a requirement or an expectation. Phones go off in classes and the professor continues to speak not saying anything about it. The average phone interruptions per class period of 2-3 hours is about 3-4 times.
2. Going to the pub with students after class is permissible and something that happens quite often in the semester.
3. If a class says it will start at 10 a.m. don't expect it to start until about 10:10 a.m. or 10:20 a.m. Professors have a tendency to be late as do most of the Irish students.
4. A class that is supposed to take 2 hours will only take about an hour. This is because the class will start about 15 minutes late then about 45 minutes in there will be a 15-20 minute coffee/cigarette break then it usually will end about 20-30 minutes early.
5. Professors don't like to teach, they like to read--read from handouts and read from PowerPoints. Most classes don't have much dialogue between the student and the professor.
6. There is no homework. The only thing students are graded on are either one essay the last week of the semester or an exam.
7. Every course is in some way relatable to democracy or something democratic and the professors reference it often.
8. Professors swear in class saying words like 'Feck' frequently.  

US Could Learn Shipping Manners From UK

For some 22-year-old females, moving to a different county may change their online shopping habits. I am not most females. After moving to Ireland in early February, I continued to shop online and have been extremely impressed. However, placing my first order in a different country did worry me at first. 

For starters, the address system works here a little differently than in Wisconsin. I didn't know if I would get my address right so my package would come to me on time, let alone at all. My first order was 3 movies from the UK Disney store which is located in London, England. Having the package come from a different county worried me a little too. 

Within a week, I realized I shouldn't have worried at all. It actually made me think about American shipping & online shopping and after doing a bit of reflecting, I think the US could learn somethings from the UK. 

Here are a few of the things I really appreciated about my ordering & shipping process:

Cool thing #1: When I ordered my 3 movies it didn't give me the option to have them shipped individually. The only option was one box. This cuts down on delivery costs, fuel emissions & wasteful packaging. When I order things in the US even if I pick the option: ship everything in as few packages as possible (doesn't even have a 1 box option) they products still come in different boxes, sometimes on the same day!

The single box my movies were delivered in.

Cool thing #2: I did of course screw up my mailing address BUT the company didn't send my package back to the company in London and refund my money (this happened to me and my fiancé who moved shortly after Black Friday and our whole Best Buy order got returned to the company instead of being forwarded with the rest of our mail). The shipping company (DHL Shipping) instead emailed me saying the package was being held at their Ireland shipping facility and could I please contact them to update my shipping address.

Cool thing #3: When I submitted my order online the estimated delivery time was 5-7 days from the time I ordered it. Even WITH my screwing up the address I got the package in 5 days. In the US, it seems most packages come between 7-12 days and it's usually at the end of the estimated time of arrival, not the beginning & those orders are coming from with in the same country. This order came from a different country!

Cool thing #4: When I opened my box the packing plastic inside was 100% recycled plastic AND biodegradable! I have never (not even once) seen any form of plastic in the US that says it is biodegradable. Ahh! This made me so happy!

The BIODEGRADABLE packing cushion. It made me so happy.

In conclusion, after my first online ordering experience in Ireland & the UK I am EXTREMELY impressed and will continue to order things online until I move back to the US in June. I really think the US could try to be more eco-friendly & revise how they ship things to their clients. A little bit of a change could go a long way!

High Wire Artists

I listened to a speaker today who related religion to the art of 'high wire artists' in the sense that it sometimes takes a lot of risk and literally a leap of faith to believe in God. The man himself, was a nonbeliever but the way he talked about these artists intrigued me. I had no idea about this form of 'art' or sport until today but I am finding it extremely interesting. People have been attempting and succeeding this feat all the way back to the 18th century. Some solo, others carrying people on their backs and some performing tricks as they walk across the wire. Now days, it seems the art form has evolved to include other more daring additives but is still equally as fascinating to me.

No Wedding Ring...No a Surprise

Since my recent engagement in January, I seem to find myself gazing to people's left ring finger as I talk to them. Not that it makes me think more or less of them in most cases but now that I'm jointing the almost-married-world I find a little comforting common ground in knowing the person I'm talking to has also found that special to love them and that they are indeed married.

There are however, the people I meet who I talk to for five minutes, look down and see a naked finger and think, well that's no surprise. The professor that's proven to be a nightmare for me in Dublin is exactly one of those people.

This certain professor is an American. Aside from this fact, he seems to think he's better than every other American and enjoys making American students feel like shit while he talks about himself as though he is an all knowledgeable European. He also enjoys making comments about students, like myself, who he deems not intelligent enough to pass European journalism classes--because 'we as American students, lack the proper education to not fail.'

Are you kidding me? I am a senior in college. I am just shy of three months away from graduating with a BA in International Journalism and a double minor in Advertising and Multimedia with a 3.5 GPA. I've had two journalism internships and completed all of the core journalism classes at my university in the United States as well as gained entry to your 'prestigious Irish university' and you're going to tell me I'm not 'intelligent' enough to pass any 'true' journalism classes at your institution. Thank you for not only insulting me but also proving my point.

Mr. Want-to-be-European-professor, I can see exactly why you are NOT married and I'm sure every other student and woman can see it as well.

You are a pompous asshole.

my engagement ring

Man, If My Kids...

I hope when I finally get the nerve to pop out a few kids that those little buggers appreciate the shit out of me for what they'll be putting me through in labor...But. I'm sure they won't have a clue. In that case, this has inspired me and my fiancé for the not-so-glorious days of raising teenagers in the future.

Enjoy.

Pollination Up Close

"Nothing lasts forever. Everything in the Universe wears out. Reproduction makes us a link in the evolution of life."

The footage included in this talk is so beautiful. A short & very worthwhile watch!

2012: A New Life...Literally.

Well, hello Internet world. I haven't sat down and typed out anything in so long so we have heaps to catch up on. January brought many new things for me this year. I've never asked for so much in my resolutions and gotten so much in return.

January 1st brought me the 'official' title of fiancé from the love of my life, keeping January interesting. Every day after that was spent packing and unpacking, shopping, crossing things off lists and making new lists so I wouldn't forget anything while getting ready for my BIG move to Ireland.

Now as I sit typing on my laptop in my flat, I find myself actually living--successfully, mind you--in Ireland for a week already. Arriving in in Dublin proved to be less challenging than I had feared but arriving at my apartment was less than satisfying.

The place I moved into had not been cleaned by anyone before I'd moved in so I was welcomed with molded onions, bread, croissants, tangerines and liquefied potatoes, a moldy bathroom and a kitchen that smelled awful. So far, I've spent under 5 hours cleaning and feel a little better about calling this my 'home' until I return to the United States in June. However, walking around in my flat without flip-flops or moccasins will not be happening, probably ever.

I have two countdowns going...one until I move home in June and the other until my fiancé comes and sees me for 2 weeks in March. Even though the one to March is much sooner, it seems to be taking way longer. I am not sure how that works.

I am completely baffled by my neighbors up stairs. They started to party last night at 10:30 p.m. and didn't stop until 6 a.m. this morning. I miss living in the dorms and having our 'regulated' quiet hours and RAs to enforce them. Being an RA at heart, it took me a lot of will power to not stomp up to their floor and tell them to shut the hell up like I would have been able to do in the states with my old job. I guess what they said was right, 'once an RA, always an RA.' I suppose it will always be a gift and a curse.

So far I have used my free time to complete a wedding website for my fiancé and myself and start to plan our holiday when he comes to visit me. At least it's keeping me busy so far because it looks like classes will not be too demanding until the last weeks of term. I am unsure what to do with myself for countless hours until I get to go to bed every night.

The 6 hour time difference to my family in the states has made it impossible to communicate as much as we'd like and it's very hard to find an app on my iPhone that works all of the time with texting/IMing or anything else that is crucial to my existence and talking to my fiancé and BFFs.

So far, if I don't kill the neighbors, living abroad is something I think I can handle for the next couple of months. I am looking forward to traveling around Dublin and Ireland and also venturing to other countries to see other parts of Europe and of course, my camera will always be my travel buddy!

Me outside of Trinity College. Dublin, Ireland.

Cheers. 

Written Freedom.

I wrote this poem last year in February 2011 to be entered in a contest to be published on campus. It was selected and printed.  

Written Freedom.

I write to free myself from the feelings that hurt.

I write to take away the tingles and the tears.

When I write I don’t think of the lack of cuddling.

I don’t think of the lack of butterfly and Eskimo kisses.

I forget the smell of his cologne.

I don’t remember how it felt to fall asleep in the cuddle position.

Or to wake up in his arms.

When I write I’m free.

I didn’t fall asleep in another man’s arms.

I didn’t let him kiss my neck and my breasts.

I didn’t let him hold me against the wall.

Or lay me down on the floor.

When I write, things are simpler.

There isn’t the pressure to make up my mind with what I had.

Or what I might have.

I’m not thinking about what I know I threw away.

I’m not feeling sorry for myself because it was my choice.

And now I’m alone.

They were my actions.

His kisses on my lips.

When I write I am free.

A Hunter's Journey

Hunter. The new addition to my family.

I woke up to a text from my boyfriends mom. "Boy does your cat have a story. Call me when you get this." This was not the day to get a text from his mom saying anything remotely along these lines. She'd dropped Hunter off at the vet earlier this morning to get spayed and to get her front claws out--the last steps in making her our domesticated house pet. 

I called his mom on my way to class. 

She started the story off by telling me how she'd gotten a call from the vet this morning saying when they shaved Hunter's tummy to open her up, there was already a scar on her stomach--looking like she'd already been spayed. I instantly thought to myself, that's impossible. Hunter is less than a year old and is a stray. My boyfriend's mom was right there with me, not skipping a beat. She'd asked the vet to make sure it was the right cat. Twice. It was. 

The veterinarian decided to take a shot in the dark and wand the cat to see if there was anything else he could determine about our new and interesting pet. By using the wand, he found that our cat had a micro chip and was registered a family in Arizona. 

By the time he'd called my boyfriend's mom to tell her all of this, he'd already contacted the people who had owned Hunter before. Their story went something like this: They'd both gotten called for active duty in the army and put their pets up for sale on Craig's List. Hunter was sold shortly after that to another family in Arizona. The family who'd listed her had no idea how Hunter had made it from a household in Arizona to being a stray more than half way across the United States in just a few months. 

My boyfriend and I have no idea what our kitty went through on her way to us, but after showing up on our doorstep this summer, it's obvious that this Hunter's journey from Arizona to Wisconsin brought her to exactly where she needed to be.

Can a Goldfish Drown?

On my way home today, I found out that a very good friend of mine was in a horrible car accident. Her and her children were both flown to the closest hospital to be taken care of. My home is almost three hours away from where I go to school, so the drive presented me with an the great opportunity to think about my day and the things that have been happening in my life.

By the time I'd made it to the gas station about 30-minutes into my drive, I still hadn't cried yet. I had teared up taking to my boyfriend, but the worried water works hadn't been unlatched yet. As I was paying for my gas, the gas station worker told me to have a great day. 

I caught myself and just stared at him for a second. A part of me wanted to scream in his face, "How dare you say that!! Do you know what just happened to my good friend?? She might be dead before I get to see her again." But, I did not say a word. I just stared in to his dark brown eyes, turned around and headed towards my car. 

As I exited the gas station a bell on the gas station door rang and it startled me. I looked into the parking lot at the people filling up their cars. I wondered what had happened to them this morning. Did one of them get fired? Did their grandfather just get diagnosed with cancer? Did one of them land the job of their dreams? Was filling up at this gas station just a stop on their way to something greater than they've ever known?

I reflected on my recent interactions with my family and the still freshly severed ties I now have with my mother. The flesh is such a thin and transparent part of our bodies and yet, so much is hidden from the outside. I thought of my appearance that morning and wondered if anyone had not just looked at me, but actually looked at me. Could they see the pain I was in?

As I fumbled to get my key into the ignition, my thoughts scattered in a million places, a question came to mind. 

Can a goldfish drown?

"Stay hungry, Stay foolish."

As I am preparing for the real, post-college world, this speech makes me believe even more in myself as a writer and photographer. Thank you for the advice, Mr. Apple.

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Steve Jobs. 2.24.55-10.5.11

Thank you.

A Song with A Great Message

Nickelback: 'When We All Stand Together'

Link to Song on YouTube


One more depending on a prayer
And we all look away
People pretending everywhere
It's just another day
There's bullets flying through the air
And they still carry on
We watch it happen over there
And then just turn it off

We must stand together
There's no getting even
Hand in hand forever
That's when we all win
That's, that's, that's when we all win

They tell us everything's allright
And we just go along
How can we fall asleep at night?
When something's clearly wrong
When we could feed a starving world
With what we throw away
But all we serve are empty words
That always taste the same

(Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

We must stand together
There's no getting even
Hand in hand forever
That's when we all win
That's, that's, that's when we all win

The right thing to guide us
Is right here, inside us
No one can divide us
When the light is leading on
But just like a heartbeat
The drumbeat carries on

And the drumbeat carries on
(Just like a heartbeat)

(Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
We must stand together
There's no getting even
Hand in hand forever
That's when we all win
(Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
That's, that's, that's when we all win
That's, that's, that's when we all win

The 'L' Word

The word 'love' is one that makes each person feel something different. To me, the word love can be defined by butterflies, kisses on the forehead, holding hands, slow dancing without music, candle lit bubble baths, phone calls for no reason, kissing in public and holding each other at night. I find it fascinating that people struggle so much to tell the person that's making them feel this way that they think they love them. Let's be honest here, if you were dealing with a person you didn't get a long with you'd have no problem getting up in their face and telling them to piss off. But when it's someone that means the world to you, you hesitate. You choke. You wait for them to [hopefully] say it first.

Until when?

What kind of occurrences must happen in order for you to think--THIS IS IT. This is my moment to tell him all the ways hes been making me feel? That every time I see I have a text from him I can't wipe the smile off my face? That when he kisses my forehead and squeezes me tight that I feel like I'm going to be carried away from all the butterflies in my stomach? That when I zone out and get that dreamland-look in my eyes it's because I'm thinking about us on a beach in some far away tropical place--feet in the water--rings on our fingers? That that stupid grin I get on my face in public when he reaches for my hand is really because of him, not because the woman in front of us wearing something ridiculous.

So then you think about it more...are you really in love with this other person or are they just that much better than the last jerk you dated?

And then finally it happens. Your heart and your brain have argued enough over these feelings that you have finally let your heart win. Yes, you're in love. But, this isn't where the problem ends. Now that you're convinced, yes you are in love with this other person. He or she is so special to you and you want nothing more than to be with them but now that you're convinced you ARE going to tell them--you still don't know how to tell them. So you go and talk to every friend of yours. You tell them how you feel about your other half. You ask them what they think you should do. They give you an answer that makes perfect sense but then you go talk to the rest of your friends until every person knows you're in love--except for the person you're in love with.

Then he does something simple. Something Romantic. Something so unlike every other guy. So like him. And the words flow from your mouth without a thought.

I. Love. You.

And his response comes just as effortlessly.

I love you too. 

Relationships

Not that I ever really understood it before, but now that I am in a relationship that's throwing around the 'M' word, I don't understand why every guy that I meet seems to think that he--for whatever reason--can get with me. Really? For starters there are a few very OBVIOUS reasons why you can't and should know better.

Reason A: We are friends on Facebook. This means you see the profile picture of me and my boyfriend. You see that I am in a relationship. You see that he posts on my wall that he misses me and can't wait to visit, take me to dinner, etc.

Reason B: When you drunk text me, I tell you that you're an idiot. Just because we used to hook up, that doesn't mean anything now.

Reason C: You are currently trying to get with someone else (or already have a girlfriend yourself!) So shouldn't you already know what a relationship is supposed to be about?

Oh, and I also think this is so funny. As if all the sober clues don't work, when it's made public knowledge that I've been drinking all of the guys who think they missed their chance, are entitled to having a chance or just want to jump on the bandwagon seem to think they've hit the jackpot of an opportunity. They see me on my phone, so they text or call me asking me to come over, saying I look good, etc. What they fail to notice is the person I'm talking to is my man because it's him that I'm missing and him that I wish I was hanging out with right now. Not you and your fantasies. Sorry boys. Your opportunity doesn't exist. 

Why Some Professors Should be Paid More

I'd been struggling with the idea of going abroad for a few weeks when I decided to go talk to one of my professors from freshman year. He is in charge of leading the travel study to Ireland, where I have been contemplating spending the last semester of my now senior year before graduating in May. For the longest time I have known I've wanted to travel, see the world, tell people's stories, capture their lives with my camera and show people things they never thought they'd get the opportunity to see.

With all these things in mind, when applying for graduation came around and trying to plan out my last semester of school I got more than freaked out and started arguing with myself about going anywhere but staying at my institution. Shortly into my argument with myself in front of my professor, he looked at me seriously and asked me what I wanted.

His simple question took me completely off guard and I actually had to sit there for a minute slightly dumbfounded by his simple question. I managed to tell him what I'd just told you and he looked me in the eyes and said, "I have known you for a while. You're not the kind of girl who takes shit or makes excuses to avoid what you want to do." And you know what, he was right. I was making excuses for myself and why would I want to talk myself out of something that would change my life forever and help me get the job of my dreams, and above all, what I've always wanted to do?

That weekend I went home, booked my plane ticket for Dublin, paid off the security deposit on my flat and had a huge heart to heart with my boyfriend over a bottle of wine and a bubble bath. This is one of the greatest professors I have ever had. Even from two semesters of a lecture hall of 150 other kids he could look me in the eyes and call me on my bull shit. Thank you for choosing to teach because you alone have helped change my life.

The Thanks of a Hunter

Over the summer my boyfriend and I acquired a cat. We moved to our new house in June and when we moved in the house came with a few extra items than when everyone checked it out before signing the lease. An orange and white cat who was quickly was named 2x4 was a frequent visitor at our new address. 

He was hated by our roommates unless it was a Friday or Saturday. These days were exceptions because these were drinking days. They would bring him into the house and let him sample a line up of soup bowls filled with different kids of beer... Guinness, Bud light, Keystone and whatever else filled our fridge. I would sneak the cat left overs after dinner and bring him into the house when all my roommates were sleeping.

After about three weeks, 2x4 started to being around another cat. The roommates also hated this new cat but every time they were sleeping after work the boyfriend and I would bring both cats into the house. We quickly named the female cat Hunter because of her keenness of murdering and then feasting upon the flies that would sneak into our living room. 

The reason all of this is important is because after about 2 months, Hunter stopped fending for herself and we knew something was wrong. Either 2x4 was a greedy drunk bastard of a cat or Hunter was sick. I watched her for a while and decided that she needed to be taken care of. Through some cute question asking, I convinced my boyfriend to let me take her in and get her, her shots and get her feeling good again so she could be our pet. 

This leads me to my final and most recent interaction with the cat. Last week we took her to the vet to get her shots. On the way home from the vet, she was sitting on my lap in the car purring. At one point, she intently looked me in the eyes, stopped purring and proceeded to piss all over my white sweatshirt and jeans. I guess that's the thanks we get for giving her endless supplies of food, toys, a warm house with a litter box. 

Thanks Hunter.