International Peace Day and naming my guitar...

Oh my gosh... what an incredible week it has been since the last time I wrote!  This evening has put me in a very "reflective" mood... just got back from celebrating International Peace Day on campus and can't help but feel humbled and thankful for this opportunity and the life I have been given.  So here I go "reflecting"...

It was barely a year ago that the seed was planted in my mind... that eventually grew into an overly-extravagant idea... that was fueled by my parents when I opened up my Christmas presents last winter and found a guidebook to Ireland... that turned into a mad race against time to overnight the study abraod application to Texas... that brought me here.  To Ireland.  Having the time of my life.  Who woulda thought?!

Last we spoke, I believe I ranted and raved about the Aran Islands and how they may very well be the BEST part of my trip so far.  Of course Ireland had to one-up me, and throw Bunratty Castle and Folk Park my way.  Mmmmmhmmmm... Imagine a fully restored castle, complete with hidden spiral staircases, an eerie dungeon looming below you, rooms full of medieval furniture and artwork, heavy oak tables lined up for a traditional feast, and trapdoors creaking below you, and you just might get a sense of what this place is like.  Once owned by the O'Briens (one of the most powerful families to rule these parts of Ireland.  BASICALLY my new life plan is to marry an O'Brien... for obvious reasons), the castle has been fully restored and is open to the public for tours and daily medieval feasts.  How fun!

so awesome!

what'd you do today? ...aw not much, just went exploring down some secret castle corridors

Bunratty Castle

The village surrounding the castle has been transformed into more of a folk park, where houses from all over Ireland have been transplanted so that you really get a sense of rural Ireland from all corners of the island.  Anyone ever smelled peat?  It's like molding campfire...mmm!  Common source of fuel and heat for much of Ireland.  And now I smell like it :)

The roof! Oh the roof! LOVE!

seriously? homemade apple pie? can she come home with me?

So many animals in the folk park... ducks, chickens, horses, foals, deer, pigs, and IRISH WOLFHOUNDS!!!!

So all in all, Saturday was a big win in my book!

But now it's back to school and being "responsible". Ugh.  Spanish is hard.  And so are ordinary differential equations.  Maple looks like jibberish, and 2500 words is a lot to write.  But no worries.... my music class has a practical every week, and I chose guitar, so guess what I did today?  Bought my very first guitar!!!! AHHHH!  It's beautiful. I'm in love.  And I'm pretty sure I've seen every possible youtube video there is to see on beginning guitar, but somehow I still can't figure out a D chord.  Eek!  Next on the to-do list: naming my guitar.  Something Irish....

Also great parts of this week that didn't make the cut for their own paragraph:
First football (soccer to you silly americans) match watched in a pub.  VERY Irish.
First game of darts in Ireland.  Guess who won???
Seeing a Seattle Sounders jersey.  Represent!
Skittles in Ireland are funny... like I actually think I can taste the rainbow more clearly....
Number one new craving: guacamole and tortilla chips!!!

Next up on the agenda:
Thursday is Guinness Day!  Drink a pint to celebrate the year the Guinness Factory officially opened its doors!
Dingle OR Galway... riding horses or listening to trad music? WHY do you make me make these decisions????
Dublin! Yessssssss.... Starbucks!  Wait, did I just say that out loud? 

I promise I'm almost done talking your ear off... and then you can go back to whatever you were doing with your life.  But before you go, I wanted to share with you one of the best parts of my week.  Of this experience, actually.  It's this little concept of "Service Above Self", and being abroad has made me even more aware of it than I think I have ever been before.  Here's my little plug for Rotary - it's awesome.  But more than that, Rotary has taught me the importance of Service Above Self.  On Monday, I attended my first Development Society meeting, where I met some of the most amazing individuals who were there to find ways of making the world a better place.  I'm talkin Amnesty International, Kiva, World AIDs Day, etc. Love em!  Hopefully next week I can make a connection with Rotary and the club can really take off!  And then tonight, with over 400 others, I participated in International Peace Day.  Today, 21 September, is the day that all countries honor a cease-fire.  The hope is that for just one day, the world can live without fear of the next bomb, the next hostile take-over, or the next act of violence.  Call me hippie, but how cool is that?  Even if all I could do tonight was light a candle and stand as one of the mass, at least I took a stance. I believed.  What have you done for your world today?  What are you going to do?  Make a difference.  Put Service Above Yourself and see what happens...