Stay Tuned...

So, here I am, back in action with the Gab. I am still going to update about Italy, and it's coming soon! In the meantime, have a little taste of Florence:


More touristy photos to come! Ciao!

Flight is delayed

I'm in Shannon Airport and my flight is delayed two hours. I should be going through customs in half an hour and instead I have to wait until 10:00. Highly unfortunate. I'm going to go find breakfast since I left my hard boiled egg on the kitchen counter...go me.

Ready?

I'm packed. I've got most of the loose ends tied up. And I've said good bye. I'm ready to go back to America. But is the Newark airport ready? That's the million dollar question of the night.

Blog Crack Strikes Again

I can't not blog. I tried, but I can't not make a post today even though I said it wouldn't be until after Christmas. So, this is just a quick study break.

Today we had our Christmas party complete with Secret Santa Gift Exchange. It was lovely, I got to wrap (and unwrap) my first gifts of the season. I think everyone had a good time. We sort of said our final goodbyes because Molly is leaving in a matter of hours and Annie and I are leaving tomorrow night. Kirsten, Laura, and Heather fly out on Monday so they still have some Galway part-ay time. But for me (the only one with an exam left...boo-hoo) the next 30 hours will be spent studying and packing. I'm actually almost 100% packed which is impressive for me. But there are still those troublesome things that are bulky and not conducive to being shoved in an overpacked suitcase at the last minute such as my toiletry case and my box full of phone equipment for some lucky new study abroad student who wants to purchase my Ireland phone.

Back to biogeography. Island equilibrium theory, here I come.

My last 30 hours in Galway. That's weird.

How to exit the study abroad program with as little insanity as possible (3 easy steps)

Step 1: Desperately cram for biogeography exam so as not to fail the best course of the semester.

Step 2: Begin packing in an orderly fashion, then panic and throw everything together at the last minute. Things will be lost for years in the depths of the suitcase, this is expected. It will be a happy moment when they are found next summer.

Step 3: Put blog posts on hold until a less busy time.




Sadly, I'm too busy trying not go insane in the next three days to write about Italy. Interested parties should check back after Christmas.

Chapter Thirteen: The End

I'm sorry to have to do this, but I'm going to breeze through the rest of our trip in one post. It has to be done...I'm leaving for Italy in literally two hours and I need the blog to be caught up on this trip for my own peace of mind.

So, here goes nothing...

On Friday night we went on a pub crawl Barcelona style. We got free food, free drinks, and a free show. The picture is Laura, Kirsten, and Molly with our crazy tour guide Martin.

Our free show was flamenco dancing! It was so cool, they moved their feet really fast. And the music was awesome too!

On Saturday morning, we decided to give ourselves a tour of the city. We found a Starbucks which doesn't sound important, but there are NONE in Galway, so it was awesome. I didn't actually get anything at the Starbucks (I'm saving my first Starbucks sip in 4 months for US soil) but it was nice to see it nonetheless.

Next, we ran into this weirdo building. I don't actually remember the name of it, but there was a line a mile long to get in and admission was not free, so we gave it a miss, deciding to take pictures from the outside.

Moving right along...next we came to Sagrada Familia, a church that has been in construction for many years and it's still not finished! I think the projected date of completion is 2025 or something. It's a sight to see though, very artsy.

Molly and I had been dying to try one of these magnificent-lookig Magnum ice cream bars. We got Mayan Mystery flavor and it was delicious. Exotic spices in ice cream...try it.

Finally we made it to the place we had been waiting for all day. Parc Guell is a design park with hills to climb, sights to see, and photo ops to take advantage of. Best of all: completely free. That alone makes it my favorite place in Barcelona.

There is a bench that surrounds one of the main points of the park and the bench is made like a mosaic. Different sections of the bench are different colors...it was so neat!

As you can tell, Tourist Kristin came out again in Parc Guell and had plenty of photos taken of herself. This is just another, larger view of the bench. (I chose the blue and white for IND.)

We walked a mile (literally a mile...there were signs) to the Metro station and hopped on it to go back to our area of town. We found a restaurant near the water and ate paella. It was delicious. I want some right now, in fact.

And we made it to the beach! We ended our stay in Barcelona with a trip to the beach to feel the Mediterranean Sea. It was freezing cold, but we all took our shoes and socks off and waded in the water. So worth it.

My last photo of Spain! The lights looked really cool on the water. I loved the beach!

So, that was our big trip. It was tiring but exhilarating and stressful and amazing all at once. Tomorrow marks another day and another adventure!

Chatper Twelve: Feliz Navidad Numero Dos

Barcelona (like every other city I've visited) is all decked out for Christmas. I can't let the opportunity to post Christmas photos pass, so I've chosen the best for your yuletide pleasure.

Barcelona's concept is the same as every other city, but each place uses a different light formation. This street was holly, candles, and trees.

Beam me up, Santa.

And then we stumbled upon the life-sized Bethlehem. The Three Kings were there.

A shepherd was there too, with his flock.

And obviously, the holy family made an appearance.

But the coolest part was the camel. Enough said.