Finally, a reason to post on my blog...

I'm in Ireland, finally. It was a long process getting here. Started out from home on Thursday at about 11 in Metro Airport. Left the airport at about 1:30pm. Landed in Boston at about 3:15. This is where it got confusing. I came in in the terminal that I was supposed to leave from, but then had to leave security to get my boarding pass, go back through security and then wait about 2 hours until I was to board my plane to Ireland at 6:15. I went to Borders and got a Sudoku book and a magazine. Then went and called my Mom to say that I had arrived. I sat for about an hour and half people watching and listening to music. We started to board our plane (it was green and had a shamrock by the way). I got a window seat and watched the moon over the ocean as we took off. I sat next to a woman from near Dublin and we chatted the whole way there (no sleeping). I tried to sleep but it never worked.

So we got to Shannon Airport at 5:15 am (their time which is 5 hours ahead, you do the math) and had to wait around until 1pm to leave on our bus to the village of Ballyvaughan. I slept for about an hour right before the man came to pick us up. I met a few people before we left but not that many. We left in this HUGE bus. I mean it's normal sized but felt huge because the roads here are not spacious at all. Think of a dirt road where one person has to stop and let the other person by, but subtract the stopping of one person and add a stone wall to the side of the road. I don't know how the bus made it but it did. It was about an hour and ten minutes on the road. The man that drove us knew a lot about the area and gave us some insight on how we should not ask for a ride (lift means ride, ride means something else that you probably don't want).

I think that I am still in awe of everything that I have seen. The greens really are greener. It was amazing weather yesterday when we got in, which all the locals thanked us for bringing with us. The sun was out, it wasn't too cold and wasn't raining. We saw castles and towns and people and old stone tables and everything that is cool about Ireland. There are palm trees growing next to aspens and moss growing out of the tiles on the roofs in the village. I am actually living in the house that is on my blog below. It's huge and great. The kitchen is amazing and our backyard is overlooking a huge hill with goats living on it. I'll post pictures at some point. The locals have all so far been really nice (maybe because we bring more business). Walking on the roads is a little bit crazy. There are so many curves and the walls prevent people from seeing us walking until right before they are there. And they're going so fast that it's scary sometimes. Haven't been hit yet (hopefully won't). Also, they drive on the wrong side of the road so it's confusing walking, I keep forgetting which side of the road is the side that I should be on to walk into traffic. I hope I get used to that.

Today we're in for a walking tour of the village and tomorrow we're going on an all day bus tour of the Burren. The Burren is the area that I am in. It literally means 'a stony place' which is what it is here. There are stones and rocks everywhere. Some of the areas are so stony that it looks completely barren but then you drive a bit more and you're back to green pastures. I don't know how to explain what I have seen so far. It's so spacious and green. There really are rolling hills just covered in greens galore, sheep and cattle. I think I am going to look into getting a phone that you pay as you go. I won't really be able to make calls because it uses a lot of minutes but will be able to receive them for cheaper. I also just got my address which is:

Emily Milton C/O
Burren College of Art
Newtown Castle
Ballyvaughan
Co. Clare
Ireland

Send me postcards, letters whatever. Also if you want me to send you things I will, just send me your addresses by email

emilyem@umich.edu

That's all for now. I hope to be able to update soon enough.