March Madness

Captured with a selfie stick.

I'll admit it, I did miss some good college basketball and the way an entire country becomes infatuated with a sport to the point where people to call in sick or get excused from school to watch a game. However, March was mad in a different way:

In a pub in Howth,
learning how to say 'Sláinte'

We were blessed to have four groups of visitors from the US between the first weekend of March and the first weekend of April. In running order: Lorcan and his friend Fergal, who came for the Ireland-England rugby match; Brigid and Nick, whom we met in Barcelona; Stephanie, Kevin, & Stella, who were here in Dublin for a visit and Cathal's birthday; and my parents, who were here for Easter and with whom we traveled to Kerry. In between visits, we went to a wedding in Kerry, I presented at two local conferences for work, and I started my yoga teacher training program.  Le Sigh. So, I'm only just catching my breath now and catching up on life things, like taxes -- no worries I have and extension for being an ex-pat -- and emails/blog post updates to my loved ones back in the USA. So apologies if I've been a little out of touch. 

Brig & Nick at Gaudi site. 

Top of La Pedrera. 

Barcelona with Nick and Brigid was basically a dream come true. It was exactly 10 years since Brigid and I were there together. The city really is everything it's hyped to be; from Gaudi's architecture, to the beach, to Las Ramblas, it's just fabulous. We rented an apartment for the long weekend, did some touristy things, went to a Barcelona soccer match, ate way too much food everyday and finished every night with g&t's at " The bar on the corner where you meet your friends whom you love and want to have a good time" (that was our rough translation of the establishment's Catalan name). I'll let the real photographer, Brigid, give you a little insight to our trip, if you're interested: Barcelona!

Barce Game.
Messi gets hat-trick & sets record.

Sagrada familia with my fav's. 

After Barce, I began my Yoga teacher training program. I love it already. The first part was 5 days intensive and since I've been attending more classes, as well as reading about anatomy, philosophy, and physical practice of yoga. I'm so happy to be taking my practice to the next level. 

At the wedding in Kerry. 

The wedding we attended the following weekend was for a friend of Cathal from work, Johnny, and his wife Myra. It was small wedding down in Kerry with lovely people. Great time all around. 

The following two weeks we had my cousins and parents. We enjoyed playing hosts, but mostly spending time with loved ones. With Steph, Kev, & Stella, we enjoyed Dublin and nearby towns. Stella brought such energy and joy into our apartment in the week she was here. She also made the place a lot cleaner - seriously she enjoyed cleaning my floors with clorox wipes!  

With my parents, Cathal's parents, Seaghan, Mary, and Bernie's brother Eric, we rented a gorgeous house with spectacular views down in Glenbeigh, Kerry. We were fortunate to have beautiful weather for the 4 days we were there and enjoy the views, a few nice walks/hikes, and some drives. We had a few days back in Dublin together before they headed off, and left me and Cathal to return to everyday things. But the daylight hours are long, and we've been having a beautiful spring so far, so can't complain too much there! 

Rossbeigh beach.
Great for skipping stones,
and throwing phones in the ocean. 

Stella, listening to music on Grafton St. 

Dobbins for dinner. 

Beach near Dingle.

Dad and Sharon at a small lake
in a small mountain.

Seaghan & Mary, view from our house. 

Ross beigh Beach

A Wintery Mix

Hiking in Howth in January.
A bit chilly, but no snow. 

Hike from Sutton - Howth. 

The transition back to an office and work and real life in January was a tough one for everyone it seems. While the excitement of New Years and new resolutions were abundant, the reality of days of short sunlight and chilly temps were among us. However, the temps and snow were nothing quite like Boston/New England - and by that I mean there was no snow at all. One day there were a few flurries and in some parts of the country, a dusting stuck. People described it as a blizzard; I had to hold my tongue! 

My life in Jan - Feb:
In coffee shops, on weekends,
writing away.

While January and February was a period filled with writing grant proposals and scholarship applications (or more accurately begging people - to write letters of recommendation, to fund me to do my work, etc. - you know little things), I can, after coming through the tunnel, see the value in that challenging process: I refined my own thoughts and direction of my research, learned a lot in the process of putting together my proposal, and now have lots of text and references, which I can mold and remold. And at least one direct benefit has come from it: I did get funding to continue on the PhD for the next two years! Such a relief. And I'm going to brag about my husband a bit here for a second, so grab the bucket if you need to: he received a Marie Curie grant for his research and an award for best presentation at a conference. He's kind of a big deal. :) We did both have some rejections along the way, too, in terms of grants/journal papers, so it's not all butterflies and rainbows, but let's just focus on the positives here, people! 

An exciting project I started,
connecting my research group
with the National Gallery
- a fine arts museum.

In this time, I also continued in my role as a supervisor/mentor of student-teachers, which I really enjoyed. And I initiated what I think is an exciting collaboration between my group, Bridge21, and the National Gallery. I'm aiming to conduct my research in cool spaces, like art museums, when possible. 

During this this period, I also made a decision to pursue one of my dreams/goals I've had for the last few years: enroll in a yoga teacher training program! Yoga is something that has become increasingly important in my life, and I just love. I'm excited to learn more about the practice in the process of doing the training, and end with the ability to share it with others.  Over the next 7 months, I'll be embarking on the quest. I'm hoping it will be a nice 'balance' to PhD.  

Christmastime in the City

Outside Merrion Square.

Carolers in Farmleigh

Dublin truly does come to life during the Christmas season. From the Peace on Earth lights to Grafton street to the overly ornately decorated pubs, to the endless amounts of mulled wine, mince pies (fruit, not meat), and holiday parties the Irish know how to do Christmas. Cathal and I each attended about 6 Christmas parties - for work, fundraisers, and the craic (Gaelic for fun, pronounced like the 'crack' - lots of good puns there).  A highlight was perhaps my supervisors Euro-vision themed Christmas-party. While some went as Dana and Johnny Logan, Cathal and I went a bit more contemporary - Jedward. 

The Lovable Jedward,
as dressed for their hit
performance of Lipstick.

Just off Grafton Street.

 Lorcan and Lindsay were able to make it home for Christmas, which was great. We spent lots of time hanging around the house, playing spoons, drinking wine, and watching classics like Home Alone. Christmas Eve in Ireland involves not only a nice dinner at home, but an evening out at the pub catching up with everyone who made the trip home -- or in my case meeting old friends of the Kearney family. 

Yes. We stopped for
cokes and hotdogs and
ate lunch outside, mid-mountain.

The Views! 

After Christmas, Cathal and I headed off to San Anton, Austria for a ski holiday with Cathal's brothers, their partners, and Mary's (Seaghan's wife) sisters and partners. We were 10 in total. It was the first time I've skied in Europe, and the Alps truly are spectacular. The conditions were okay - but the views from the tops of the mountains were unreal. We were able to take a lift up to the 'Valluga' - a view from 2811m/ 9222ft. I also enjoyed 'off-piste' skiing; it's not like in NE where that means through trees and sketchy areas, it just means ungroomed. It was like skiing on powder, but there was also the real potential of losing your ski in 3 feet under snow.  

We also celebrated New Years in San Anton, which involved a visit to the Krazy Kangaroo -- a bar that is 90% of the way down the mountain, but closes at 8pm, because things there are Krazy from about 12pm -- and a street party in the main street of San Anton. The one major downside to the trip was poor sister-in-law Mary had a fall and tore her acl, on the first day of skiing. She wasn't doing anything crazy at all. The poor thing. She was such a good sport and tried to make the best of the rest of the week. 

Valluage at 9222ft.

T-7 Days til T-Day!

I can't believe that this time tomorrow, I'll be on a plane to the U.S.! The time is just flying by, but that's probably because the past month+ has been filled with wonderful things: one of the best surprises of my lifetime, great work opportunities, a fun trip to Bruges, and great days/nights out around Dublin.

So far, my 30's are pretty awesome. They began with a wake up to an amazing compilation of video messages from friends and family all over the world (message me if you'd like to see yourself in action). Then, I got the most amazing surprise ever: Everett, Christina, & Matt ringing the door

With Everett at Powerscourt
Waterfall (above) and Fitzpatrick's
 Halloween extravaganza (below)

bell. I screamed so loud, I made poor Everett cry! I knew Mom & Dad were coming, but it was a multi-family effort to keep the other 3 a secret and prepare for their arrival. Seaghan and  Mary (my bro & sis-in-law) let the Humphreys and Ferruccis basically take over their house. They also organized everything for Everett, from a pack-n-play to babysitters.



Surprise!

We had just the best few days, weather included, while they were here, which permitted lovely hikes, walks, and a few good nights out! And the surprises didn't end with Everett, though - Cathal threw me a surprise party at The Boar's Head, a pub; once again, had no idea. People from work, new friends, and family members all came to celebrate. Needless to say, I felt and continue to feel very blessed and fortunate.



Research at Fota House with one hundred
17-year-old girls!

After this amazing visit, things at Trinity got switched into high gear. In the past month, I've submitted applications for grant money; travelled to the beautiful, historical mansion, Fota House in Cork twice for research; and participated in conducting a few research projects in Dublin. I'm also working part-time as a supervisor for English student-teachers, and as an extension of this, I even gave my first lecture at the college level last week: "The Art of Reading and Teaching Strategies the Novel."  And some how, I also have become a member of the Executive Board of the Graduate Students' Union: I attend meetings with big wigs around campus and help organize pub nights for graduate students.  





Bruges. Markt Square. Top of Historium.
See the rest of our photos: Bruges Photos

Among the busyness of research, work, and campus life, Cathal and I managed to sneak in a trip to Bruges for the weekend. It's a short, cheap trip from Dublin, so we went for it. Good news -- it lives up to the hype: as you stroll the streets you are transported back to the middle ages and feel as though you're in a fairy tale.  Out weekend consisted of food (mussels, waffles, and chocolates, mainly), incredibly tasty beers (blondes and browns, we didn't discriminate), and even a few historical and cultural tours - well, one was a brewery, but the other was a legit museum. We highly recommend.


Dublin Marathon Finishers:
Kara, Cathal, & Kim!

Prior to Bruges, was the Dublin marathon, which Cathal ran and completed (yay!) but also brought another visitor: Kara (one of my best friend from Providence). She came with a few friends of hers, and it was so wonderful to have them here. We've been blessed with visitors in these first few months!!
And while the past two weekends, haven't been quite as glamorous, we've really enjoyed Dublin and the surrounding areas. Hiking new spots, strolling villages, attending the US-Ireland Soccer match, and a concert Pat (Cathal's dad) organized.


The Aviva Stadium. US vs Ireland.
Ireland wins 4-1. Yikes, USA.

 
 I am so excited to see many of you, catch up in person, and of course partake in some good old Thanksgiving Day overindulging!!


What's in your wallet?

Our living room &
the Royal Canal - just steps away. 

When I left Boston, I pretty much emptied my wallet, figuring my Charlie Card, expired Blue Cross card, and City Feed frequent flyer card (on which I was speedily working my way up to earning one free, giant delicious sandwich) wouldn't be useful in Dublin. When I emptied out my wallet the other day - and being honest, this was in a hasty panic after misplacing my AIB bank card for the second time - I briefly noted the contents of my wallet: my GNIB card; Trinity ID; PPS (social security) card; valued customer cards at Fixx coffee shop and Tolteca Burrito; Dublin city library card; Dublin bikes card; and some Euro. Essentially, a compilation of what I've been up to for the last few months - already 2.5 actually! [English teachers, please take note: this could be a very fruitful writing exercise: How do the contents of your wallet reflect you?].

Abby & Eugene at O'Neil's Pub.

Cathal and I moved into a 2-bed apartment a couple of weeks ago, right near the canal, in the heart of the city, and a short walk/run to Dublin bay. The apartments in Dublin come furnished, so we didn't have to buy beds, a table, or couch, but we did need things like a coffee maker - we decided to go European and get a French press - and pillows, so we made the obligatory, yet soul-sucking, IKEA trip, after which we promptly rewarded ourselves with an ice cream cone. Cathal and I both walk to work in about 15 minutes, which is amazing. Sometimes we are even lazy and cycle in, using the Dublin bikes system - similar to NYC or Boston, where you pick up a bike in one location and drop it off in another. We also love being able to walk to pretty much everything - from museums to parks to restaurants. We even had our first visitors, Abby & Eugene, from Boston in our new place! We had a great time showing them around...well, maybe it was mostly showing them the pubs around.

Dublin Bay via a run. 

Things at Trinity are generally great; the summer holidays are over and like the rest of the
educational world, September is crazy. I've been attending many general graduate student orientation sessions, but I also feel already in the thick of the PhD work. I've been working with other members of my research group and teachers to help them set up projects with their students; attending various workshops and presentations; volunteering as a mentor at Bridge21, where I'll also be conducting my research; applying for funding; and reading, reading, reading. My research group is friendly, active, and optimistic, but also straightforward and constructively critical. I'm also considering getting involved on campus with the Graduate Students Union and maybe even taking some of the free Irish Language classes offered at here. And I'm beginning to start some classes this week, which I suppose I'll have to fit in somewhere in all this!

Alongside the exiting things happening, my mother-in-law, Bernie, has been suffering from an infection that came from a bite from unknown insect she got while sleeping a couple of weeks ago. She was in the hospital for a week and has been out of work for what's going on 5 weeks - pretty much the whole time Cathal and I have been in our new apartment. She's on the mend now, but of course this has been extremely difficult for her. This serious infection, however, did not stop the hostess with the mostess from having a feast for Abby & Eugene when they were over!

Homemade veggie burgers.

People keep asking, and yes, of course I miss home: mostly I miss my nephew Everett. He's just so darn cute. See below. But I try not to dwell on other things too much - like the fact that the veggie burgers just aren't standard practice or that good here. In my best moments, I make efforts to see things like this as an opportunity and I made my own veggie burgers. Must be healthier than the frozen kind, right? This is not always easy, and yes of course, I'm dying for Formosa's all-you-can-eat sushi for $20.

The cutest baby ever.

So, if you made it this far down this post, and if you were curious, yes, I located my AIB bank card; I am actually a Capital One costumer; and it's still in my wallet. No foreign exchange fees. Totally worth it.

At the Gaelic Football Semi-Final Game.
Dublin vs Donegal. Not the results we'd hoped for,
but we ended up at the Kerry v Donegal
All-Ireland Final after winning tickets in a raffle!
Kerry won!

Run out to Poolbeg light house.

C̄hạn mị̀ farang ting tong

Trinity's Reading Room
(attached to the WWI memorial).
Used to film parliament in
the Michael Collins movie.

While I aim to find pleasure in learning new things (and laugh at the inevitable mistakes which come with that process), it's not always easy -- especially when I already know how to do those things in the U.S. Sometimes, I want to walk around with a sign around my neck that says, "I swear! I'm a real adult in America!" In Ireland, however, I can't drive (never mind own a car), I live with my mom and dad(-in-law), I'm still really unclear how things like dental/medical insurance work (so, I'm praying I don't need a root canal until I figure that one out), and oh, yea, I'm technically a student again. I've also been looking into buying a used bike so I have more 'freedom.'

Maynooth's campus, where I attended
the Letters 1916 Project Workshop
for teachers and educators.

Naturally, I've been questioning the concept of adulthood and the markers Americans, maybe mid-upper-class westerners, use to distinguish adulthood, as well as the idea of shame. While reflecting upon these subjects as a swam laps in the pool at Trinity, I began violently choking on some water and shamefully had to cling onto the rope as I coughed and caught my breath (and this was after only shortly before entering the gym by stumbling into a locked turn-style gate, rather than the wide open passageway I was directed through, to the amusement of the people working the front desk). Thus, with God/fate/karma's sign, I took this exposing moment to remind myself to laugh and to give myself a break. So what if it took me a half-an-hour to deposit cash in an ATM machine at the bank the other day? I ended up meeting and having a lovely conversation with a Irish guy moving to Washington, D.C.  And even though I'm not well-versed in Irish history, Gaelic football, or the questions and point system of the Leaving Cert, I am slowly learning.

The Royal Antiquaries Society of Ireland,
outside and in. Field trip was a part of
History Week at Bridge21 

I then channeled 21-year-old-Sharon, recalling one key Thai phrase I learned while living and working abroad: "C̄hạn mị̀ farang ting tong" - "I am not a stupid foreigner." My personal and professional experiences led me here and are not wiped clean by a relocation; moreover, there's something valuable in having an outsider's perspective. And in the past two weeks, I've had the opportunity to attend workshops and conferences with teachers, academics, and other professionals working in education, which have been reinvigorating, exciting, and reassuring that I'm in the right professional field, and I do have a lot to offer to it, as well as gain by being here. That whole, inside looking out, outside looking in thing...




While I'd love to end this reflection with a prophetic insight onto the meaning of adulthood, does anyone really have one? Yet, I think it must not mean being settled or having it all figured out, for if it does, then that means I've stopped trying new things, and I'll miss so many good things in life that I've yet to discover. And lucky for me, I have my buddy to help me through it all and enjoy the process of discovery with:

View on the walk from Bray to Greystones.

St. Stephen's Green

Delicious food and drinks at Ely's.
Hanover Quay, Dublin.