Day 1: Jet lag sucks, but Ireland does NOT.

Greetings from Dublin! I arrived this morning around 10 a.m. (4 a.m. central time). Starting today, the group is staying at a bed and breakfast called Ariel House. (http://www.ariel-house.net/) It's so cute and small! BUT, my perfume exploded in my luggage so needless to say, it's extremely difficult to breathe in my room. :(  Here are just a few pics I managed to take on the Aircoach, which drove us to a stop near our B&B.

JUST landed! First thing I see is a shamrock. That must be good luck!

This is Abbey Presbyterian Church. Breathtaking!

Upon arrival, I immediately showered and discovered my straightener does in fact work here (yay!). The group convened in "The Drawing Room" (adorbs, right?!) around 1 p.m. and met with our professor and our contact from University College Dublin (UCD), Enda. They distributed our local cell phones, too. I'm talking like old school Nokia brick-style phones from junior high. You know, the ones with the game Snake? I'm pretty excited about that. ;)

In an effort to keep everyone awake, our professor lead us to Dublin City Centre, which is about 1 or 2 miles away from our B&B. It reminds me of Greenwich Village in NYC... love it! We grabbed a quick lunch at a local deli (I guess you can call it that?). It mainly had pre-prepared sandwiches and salads, good for on the go. Then we walked to St. Stephens Garden, a beautiful park in the middle of the Centre, full of people and covered in the greenest grass, perfect for naps!

Then we walked around Grafton Square. We saw a TON of local musicians playing on the streets and it definitely reminded me of home. :) I took a video of a band called Mutefish, but I have no idea how to post videos on here. But here's one I found on YouTube! They're legit. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hi6w0m5bBg&feature=related ) I also carefully took note of a ton of shops I must visit before I leave. Shopping is a must here! Everyone is so well-dressed and put-together.

By about 4 p.m. everyone was getting extremely jet-lagged. Like to the point of becoming delusional. So we came back to our rooms a little while ago to rest. My feet are killing me and I'm exhausted. It's definitely time for a nap. Then a few of us are going to go grab some dinner and a pint at a local pub!

Big plans for tomorrow: Guided tour of Dublin! Professor Love said we'll be walking for at least 5 hours. Let me tell you, I really regret bringing flats I've never worn before. Smart move, Hillary.

I'll be more excited and optimistic after I get used to the time difference, I promise. I definitely underestimated the effect it'd have on me! It does not, however, change the fact that I'm ridiculously excited to be here! Skype me!

From Ireland with love,
Hillary