Hello, Europe

Let the adventure begin.

There were so many thoughts running through my head as the plane was gearing up for take-off, “Oh my gosh, why am I doing this?” or, “Please, God, help this plane land safely.” or, “Holy buckets, I’m actually doing this!” The flight seemed to last forever, though it was just over seven hours. Thankfully, I had an aisle seat and was able to stretch my legs and easily access the bathrooms, otherwise I would have gone crazy. I didn’t sleep much during the flight, so I utilized the complimentary coffee to my full advantage. I was determined to beat jet lag!

When I arrived at the Dublin airport, I couldn’t stop smiling! I was in IRELAND!! It took me awhile to figure out where the right bus was to take me to my hostel, but once I found it, the driver was extremely helpful. My hostel was awesome, and the guy at the front desk was super nice, it was like we’d been friends for years.

I spent my first day in the city mostly exploring. I strolled through the streets, visited The Science Gallery, and wrote part of this blog on a bench on Trinity College’s campus while a rugby match occurred in the background. The other two days, I visited churches and museums around the city center. Surprisingly, a lot of these were free, so I was really thankful for that. I also took a bus tour of the countryside and was able to see spots where P.S. I Love You and Braveheart were filmed. Plus, I caught some live Irish music in a pub just a couple blocks from my hostel. It was awesome. Only a few people looked at me as a tourist, the rest treated me as a local. A few people even asked me for directions! Thanks, Irish roots. Check me out at the Upper Lake, part of Wicklow Mountain National Park.

My flight from Dublin to Thessaloniki left early Friday morning, a time that apparently it is acceptable to drink beer at 5:00 am in Ireland. Count me out. The flight went well, and I was greeted at the Thessaloniki airport by one of the study abroad coordinators, Eleni. My first few hours in Greece were spent unpacking and resting, followed by a pizza night with my new study abroad pals. We all became familiar pretty quick and have done everything together since the moment we met. There’s ten of us total, which is a record for the program. We’re from colleges all over the United States, and two students participating in a 4-H program. So far, we’ve had coffee and lunch together in Thermi, a suburb of the city, gone to the supermarket, attended Oktoberfest, and spent the day at the beach in Halkidiki. Everything is absolutely STUNNING here, and I am so glad I decided to embark on a study abroad in paradise. Classes start tomorrow, which will be weird to get used to since most of us haven’t been in school since May, and two kids haven’t been for a few years. We’re all excited for this adventure, and have already begun to plan trips and excursions throughout the next few months.

Stay tuned! You can check out photos in my gallery, coming soon to a theater near you.

- Amanda :)