New year, New beginning

The Cliffs of Moher!!
UNREAL

With the end of Early Start comes the beginning of Teaching Period 1. Surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole Archaeology experience. Initially, I was very disappointed that my summer was cut short  and that I didn't have the extra time to spend at home, but I have met so many great people throughout this past month that I can't imagine where I would be had I not done the Early Start Program.

This past week was a great end to the program. Our field trip to County Clare was last Wednesday and Thursday. As usual, we visited some unbelievable sites. Wednesday we visited the Burren, which is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. We saw Kilfenora Castle, Leamaneh Castle, a portal tomb, and a wedge tomb. Our final site of the day probably had some of the most amazing views I will ever have the privilege to see in my lifetime - the Cliffs of Moher. I hope you enjoy my pictures, but they certainly do not do the cliffs justice. Although the wind made it a little difficult to simply make it to the top, looking out onto the water from 300 meters up was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. It is a day like that which reminded me exactly why I wanted to go abroad in the first place. As if the day could get any better, we ended the night at Cooley's Pub for some traditional Irish music. Another great day!

Before we headed back to Cork on Thursday, we spent some time at Bunratty Castle and the Folkpark. A little similar to Sturbridge Village or Colonial Jamestown, the Castle is attached to a cute little village with an authentic looking schoolhouse, houses, and craft shops. There may be a gift heading home, but I will keep that a surprise! (:

I can officially call this the true beginning of my academic year at UCC. I guess you could say Early Start counted as school, but the vast amounts of students who have been moving in to Castlewhite this week and the rising energy on campus makes this weekend finally feel like the start of the 2010-2011 academic year. Usually, I'm not a huge believer in New Year's Resolutions, but I definitely want to use this opportunity of being in a brand new place to try some out.
1. Eat fruits and vegetables - I think this resolution always applies.
2. I have never called myself a procrastinator, but I am definitely going to stay on top of my school work.
3. I also want to step outside of my comfort zone. An obvious response to this would be that coming to Ireland, in the first place, is stepping outside of my comfort zone, which is true. But I want to try something I could never do back at Holy Cross. Maybe it's a club, a volunteer opportunity, an interesting class, or an unexpected friendship.

Tomorrow is certainly going to be a busy first day. I start at 9 AM and don't finish until 7 at night. Talk about a full schedule! UCC has a great registration system for visiting students. I can go to whatever classes I want all week, and don't have to officially register until next Tuesday. That way, I can get a taste of a bunch of different classes before picking exactly what I am going to stick with. Tomorrow, I am going to a 20th Century American Literature class, Sociology of the Middle East, Structure of the American Government, and Living and Social Habitats. I am very excited to take a few courses that focus on elements of American society so I can compare how the courses are taught and the perspectives of the professors. Aside from these classes, I am also looking into taking Spanish to fulfill my language requirement and a Social Theory class to fulfill a requirement for my Sociology major. Busy, busy, busy, that's for sure, but I am looking forward to it! As always, enjoy the photos and I will write again soon!


P.S. VERY exciting day in Cork today. We just won the finals in Gaelic Football against Down!

Cottage at the Bunratty Castle Folkpark

These pictures need no comment.
Their beauty is pretty self-explanatory.

Holy Cross on the top of the world!