These are a few of my favorite things

I'm no Julie Andrews, but lately I've found I have a ridiculous amount of favorite things.  And since it happens to be that time of year to be extra-thankful (because, heaven forbid, we're thankful ALL of the time)....
So here's my little diddy - don't even try to sing it Sound-Of-Music-Style.  Trust me, I tried.

* Friends. Abroad and at home.  You make it all worth it.
** Family.  For sending me pumpkin pie mix when Ireland grocery stores fail me, and for teaching me about slack-lining.
*** My Vancouver Olympics gloves.  Because I have come to the conclusion that it really is cold in Ireland.
** Tea.  My love for tea has quadruple-tripled since being here.  Yes, quadruple-tripled is a real number.  I'm a math major, so I know.
* Trad Music Sessions in the dorm common rooms.  Oh yes, that really DOES happen.  I was thoroughly impressed.
** Christmas Markets.  In Galway last weekend, I had the most amazing macaroon at the local Christmas Market.  I almost died.  Ask Sarah.

*** Harry Potter.  He really has taken over my life the past few weeks.  I may not have found a midnight showing in all of Ireland, but waking up at 6 am to walk to the movie theatre, hitting up McDonalds, grabbing a extra large cappucino, and catching a 9:30 am showing of the Deathly Hallows was one for the books :)

** Making cool patterns with *'s on my blog.  I'm having fun with this.
* Writing Letters of Rec for RYLA. Makes me fall in love with RYLA all over again.
** Saying "Thanks a Million!" when somebody gives me my change.  I love that that's a totally normal response here. 
*** Going to Catholic Mass in Ireland. 
** That awkward moment when you have to ask Europe to lend you 8 billion Euro.  Ok, so I don't love it necessarily, but I saw someone "liked" it on Facebook and I kinda had to giggle.  But then I realized, wow, that is actually really serious.  For all of those who are reading this and have no idea what is going on, please step out of your USA bubble and read up on your world news.  Ireland is having sort of a bad day. 
* Christmas Music.  Yep.  It's already started.
** Gort, Ireland.  Where the cafe owner of 25 years will sit and talk to you for 20 minutes about absolutely everything, and where the old church at the end of the block is actually a library.
*** Europe's idea of a "fashionable" winter hat.  This deserves a picture.

Really?  This is what's going to be fashionable?

** Buying milk that has more than a three day gap before its expiration date.  VERY hard to find here.  Milk and I have a love/hate relationship because of it.
* Kasey's Brita water filter.  Because without that, I would have shriveled up like a prune this semester.  Dromroe Village has the worst tasting tap water in the world!  And that's saying something, for any of you who have been to MY house in Lander.

So, these are just a few :)
I hope your holidays are wonderful, and that you all get to spend some time with your family... you sure don't know what you've got till it's gone!  I'm definitely missing my little family and my Denver family this Thanksgiving.  Next year better be EXTRA turkey-fied to make up for it!