Greetings Readers 🙁

You might be wondering why I prefaced this post with a sad face. It’s because my time is coming to an end! I just took my last exam yesterday and now I just need to pack (Get ready for Pack Attack Pt. 2)  and then I leave on Sunday. That’s right guys: there are no more exams to take or papers to write. I’m officially  a free bird and a rising senior! Can you believe that the year has gone by so fast? It seems like just yesterday that  I was writing my first blog post about the mix of nerves and excitement that I had for spending the year in Cork. After 10 months of soul-searching, chefing it up, and combating a pinch of homesickness, I have officially made it to the other side of my study abroad journey.

Much like when I first arrived in Cork, I’m feeling a mix of emotions. I’m excited to go home and see my family again in person without having to use FaceTime, eat all of the Nashville food that I love, and be reunited with my car again, but I’m also sad to be leaving Cork and all of the people that I’ve met while here. Cork is so familiar to me now and it will be weird to not call this place home anymore. There are so many things that have made Cork such a great study abroad location. While Dublin might get all of the shine, the Rebel City is by far the best location in Ireland (I know, I’m biased). There are so many things that I will miss about Cork. Like the bustling stalls of English Market, the packed streets of Patrick St., the hot chocolate at O’Conaills Hot Chocolate, the ability to walk everywhere, and the main quad at UCC. I will miss going to brunch with friends and laughing about all of the cultural differences between us ( they hail  from places like Wales, France, and Italy) but all of the normal things that we share despite our differing nationalities.

Through this experience, I have fundamentally learned how to live differently. Unlike at Holy Cross where most of my time is spent jumping from class to homework to extra-curricular meetings, my time at UCC and Cork has been slow-burning. I made sure to not fill my time with as many outside activities, focused on gaining new skills that Holy Cross could not teach me (COOKING), and taking advantage of everything that this new city had to offer. I’d compare this experience to making one of my now signature dishes: pasta carbonara. You only need pasta, pancetta, eggs, and cream to make this dish. With the right amount of preparation and a little bit of patience and effort, you can make something that is made of few ingredients but tastes delicious. With this process in mind, I’ve been able to whip up one of the best years of my life in a  city that I’ve come to love so much.

Well,  I could probably  go on forever about how amazing my experience in Cork was, I will not bore you with every detail. I will say that if anyone is reading this who is thinking about going abroad, do it! Yes, you will be missing things at HC, but if you don’t go, you will never know what you missed out on. Going abroad is more than just traveling around and saying I’ve been here and I’ve done that, it’s about experiencing new things and growing as a person. I can guarantee that if you go abroad with an open mind, you will come back with #noregrets. Don’t worry readers, this isn’t my last post quite yet. I’ll post one more when I get back to the U.S. Anywho, I’ll end today’s post with a different slogan from one of my favorite tv shows: Friday Night Lights.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose

Elena

The Beauty of Cork

Hey Readers,

If you haven’t guessed from the the title of this week’s post, it’s officially exam time at UCC. Last week was the final week of classes. This was bittersweet for me as I was sad because it marked the beginning of the end of my time in Cork but also happy because I now have more free time in my schedule. Over the past week, I’ve been busy prepping papers, reading books, and writing essays! I’m also finalizing my plans next year at Holy Cross. We had enrollment on Monday and I’m happy to say that I got all the classes that I wanted (a rarity if you know anything about the HC enrollment system haha). I will be taking all sociology classes next year and they are all on Tuesdays/Thursdays back to back! It’s going to be a busy first semester back for sure but I’m excited as well. I’m also applying to be a student community organizer and a spring break immersion leader next year so stay tuned for more news on that.

Well, I should probably get back to studying so I’m signing off until my last exam, May 3rd. Until next time,

Keep Calm & Shine Bright Like a Diamond

Elena

Something to brighten your day!

Buenos Dias Readers,

You might be wondering why I greeted you guys in spanish. As you might’ve guessed, I rang in my 21st birthday weekend in Spain’s lovely capital, Madrid (I spent my actual birthday in Cork hamming it up with some pals though). That’s right guys, your favourite blogger is officially an adult! And if that wasn’t exciting enough,  I checked two more things off of my list: I secured an internship with the Office of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Nashville. That means that I’ll get to continue to explore the law and be a little bit closer to home. I also got accepted into the Sociology Honors Program, which means I got the green light to do my thesis next year! It’s been an exciting week, so without further adieu, let’s get into the birthday festivities.

I went to Madrid not only to explore the city, but also to visit my friends Arianna and Asha who are studying there. Since I haven’t introduced Asha on the blog yet, let me provide some backstory. Asha went to the school with Arianna, Allison, and I. She came to USN in the 3rd grade and we’ve had some great times ever since. She goes to Boston University and we’ll actually be interning at the same place this summer (what a coincidence!). Also Allison and Julie, Allison’s roomie and member of the Edinburgh squad, is also studying in Madrid so they both joined us for the birthday festivities.

I arrived on Friday afternoon and made it to the air bnb without getting lost (that’s a big accomplishment for me) and met up with the rest of my tribe. I was starvin like Marvin so we headed to get some Thai food (my latest food obsession) and to catch up in true Spanish fashion at around 9:00pm. In honor of my born day, we headed to a club to dance the night away and ended the night eating churros con chocolate (delicious!!).

The next day, we spent a good chunk of the day catching some rays in Retiro Park, Madrid’s central park. It was so nice to just bask in the sunlight (something Ireland rarely sees) and chat with some of my oldest pals. We visited the Prado Museum and caught a glimpse of Diego Valazquez’s famous painting, Las Meninas. We walked along the puerta del sol and the gran via and that night we actually met up with one of my friends from Holy Cross named Emily Winn. As it turns out she was also in Madrid celebrating her birthday! It was nice to see a familiar face.

The next day, we slept in and visited the Plaza Mayor (Madrid’s most famous plaza) and El Mercado de San Miguel (I’m a sucker for food markets). We also visited the the Reina Sofia Museum and saw Pablo Picasso’s famous painting, Guernica, depicting a bombing during the Spanish Civil War. I left late Sunday night and took the very last bus back to Cork at 12:30 am (it was a long night). Madrid was the perfect place to ring in such a monumental birthday and I had so much fun having the company of some amazing tour guides! This week is our last week of classes at UCC so now the only thing standing between me and summertime is 4 essays, 1 final exam, and my ICIP for Holy Cross. Wish me luck and I think my final trip will be to Galway, Ireland  so stay tuned. Until Next Time,

Keep Calm & Chase Your Destiny

Elena

Retiro Park!

The most central point of Madrid. Excuse the Random Leg!

Me at the Plaza Mayor!

El Mercado de San Miguel.

Hola Readers,

I spent the second week of Easter break traveling with my mom across 4 destinations in Europe. I hadn’t seen her since she said goodbye when I left for Cork so it was a well-deserved reunion. Her first stop was Cork, which she was hesitant to explore at first but I think she warmed up to it. It was Easter Sunday so most shops and tourist attractions were closed, but we did get a chance to walk around the city, go to mass, and kiss the Blarney Stone for good luck.

The next day we woke up early (that was a general trend on this trip) and headed for Cork airport. Our flight to London was delayed for a few hours due to a storm and then our flight to Barcelona was also delayed as well. If that wasn’t bad enough, the airline lost my mom’s luggage, which was carrying not only her clothes, but also some of my clothes that my mom was taking back home. They said that the luggage would be on the next flight to Barcelona, in approximately 1-2 days. It was a setback for sure, but we weren’t going to let that taint our view of Barcelona. We got some tapas and sangria for dinner, which made everything a lot better and went to sleep exhausted.

The next day we woke up early again and met our personal tour guide for the day, Ana. She gave us a private tour of all of the major sights of Barcelona like Montjuic cemetery, a cemetery on a mountain with some impressive mausoleums, Olympic Stadium, and architect Antoni Gaudi’s most impressive works Casa Mila Casa Batllo, La Sagrada Familia, my personal favorite. Gaudi drew a lot of inspiration from nature, which you can see in some of his houses, which resemble the waves of the ocean. La Sagrada Familia is still unfinished unfortunately but is expected to be completed by 2026. If it’s that stunning while incomplete, I can only imagine what it will be like when it’s done! We also got a chance to visit Montserrat, a mountain about 40 minutes outside Barcelona. It had special significance for me because it is what Holy Cross’s freshman year seminar courses are named after. St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits, chose this mountain in particular as the place to lay down his soldier’s weapons and begin a new life as man of faith. It was so cool to make that Jesuit connection and the views from the top were amazing. Later in the day, we walked down Las Ramblas, the most popular tourist street in the city and visited La Boqueria Market, which smelled amazing by the way. Barcelona really allowed me to embrace my inner childhood fantasy of being a Cheetah Girl (all my 90’s babies you feel me right). It was a beautiful city with such an amazing culture. I’ll be back (insert Terminator voice).

Our next stop was Florence, Italy. I was excited to get back to my diet of pizza and pasta and since Lent was finally over I planned on eating as much dessert as possible. After a much smoother flight and no lost luggage (thank God) we arrived in Florence and immediately began our tour of the city with our guide, Mario. We saw the famous David statue by Leonardo da Vinci, visited Santa Croce church (yes that’s Holy Cross for all you latin lovers), and admired the pleasant views over the city at the Piazzale Michaelangelo. The next day, we spent the day shopping for leather goods (per my mom’s request) and I walked up the top of Florence’s Duomo (463 steps). We also ate some delicious truffle pasta and ate our weight in gelato.

The next day we headed to our last stop of the week, Milan, Italy. It being my 2^nd time to the city, I acted as our tour guide while we stopped in the famous Duomo and browsed the shops near Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. After concluding the night with more pasta and gelato, my mom and I went to bed as we both had early morning flights the next day.

Overall, it was great seeing my mom after being apart for so many months. I think that was the first trip that we’ve ever taken just the two of us (no offense siblings). It was also a nice change of pace to stay in a hotel for once and not have to rely on public transportation all the time. Every girl needs a bit of luxury in her life (am I right ladies?). Now it’s back on the grind, with my birthday (that’s right readers, my born day is this upcoming week) and finals approaching, I know my last month in Cork will be busy. I just have to make the most of the time that I have left. So I’m logging off, until next time,

Keep Calm & Have a Cheat Day (or Week)

Elena

Me and Casa Mila.

Mom & I in the Montjuic Area.

La Sagrada Familia.

Moving Mountains

Me & St. Ignatius in Montserrat Abbey.

La Boqueria Market.

David!!

Florence Duomo

Santa Croce Church.

The walk up the steps was totally worth it. @ Florence Duomo

Chillin on the Ponte Vecchio!

Gelato!!

Mom & I at the Milan Dumo.

For those wondering why I used this particular title, see video above. Enjoy!

Greetings Readers,

I’m writing this initial blog post from a train heading to Milan. Lucky for you guys this week’s blogs will be a special double post since I’ll be recapping my adventures from Easter Break. There is so much to break down so without further adieu lets get crackin.

I spent the first week of my Easter break venturing into Eastern Europe, specifically Budapest & Prague with my frequent travel mate Arianna. It was my first time to this part of the region and I must say I enjoyed it. Our first stop was Budapest. After a long night (I had to take the 1am bus to Dublin airport) I finally arrived in Budapest. We did a free walking tour of the city (always helpful) and saw amazing sights such as the Danube Promenade and Fisherman’s Bastion, learned about the Soviet occupation of the city, and even learned a little Hungarian in the process (köszönöm means thank you). I learned that what is now known as Budapest, was once two separate cities, Buda and Pest, which were divided by the Danube River. Eventually they became one city and that is the Budapest of today. We admired the Hungarian Parliament building (I realize now that most of my pictures are of that building haha) and St. Stephen’s Basilica. We even made our way to the Buda side and caught some nice views from the top of Budapest Castle.

Since it was Easter time, there were a lot of Easter markets situated around the city; these had the same design as the Christmas markets but with a little bit springier colors. You know how much I love food markets so I was definitely pleased. I went tried Kürtőskalács, which has many spellings in different Eastern European countries but it is basically dough that is put onto an iron rod and rotated around a fire so that it turns golden brown. While this is happening it is coated in a layer of sugar and butter and then topped with things like cinnamon, walnuts, nutella, or whipped cream. They were delicious and I would highly recommend them. I also got to try a traditional Hungarian potato pancake with sausage, onions, and sour cream (While tasty, I think it was the greasiest thing that I have ever eaten in my life) and traditional beef goulash (it’s like a soup or stew). I think the pastries were my favorite though.

Our next destination was Prague or Praha as the locals call it. We took a seven-hour train ride from Budapest (yes 7 hours without wifi, how shocking!). After a long day on the train, we arrived at our air bnb, cleaned ourselves up, and made our way into the city for dinner. Prague was noticeably more touristy than Budapest, especially in the Old Town area. Arianna had already been to Prague last semester so she acted as my tour guide. We saw the Astronomical Clock, walked along the famous Charles Bridge, and took in the views above the city at Prague Castle. We of course went to some more Easter markets and got the Czech version of Kürtőskalács called Trdelník. We also walked to the John Lennon Wall, which was even more colourful than the Berlin Wall in my opinion.

I had so much fun in both destinations and they were both pretty cheap to explore (thanks to the Hungarian forint and the Czech crown). Most people spoke English, which was a blessing. I didn’t get a chance to go to the famous Budapest Baths, but gotta save something for next time right. Until Next Time,

Keep Calm & Expand your Palate

Elena

Blue Danube.

Hungarian Parliament.

St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Hungarian Pancake.

Astronomical Clock in Prague.

Views from the Charles Bridge.

Tredelnik being prepared!

Cathedrals & Easter Markets: The Life of a European Traveler

John Lennon Wall!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Readers!

Yes I realize that Patty’s Day was a few days ago but Cork is still celebrating haha. For those of you who don’t know, St. Patrick was the man who christianized Ireland and is its patron saint. In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday which means that UCC classes were canceled! I was very appreciative (we should get the day off in America too if you ask me). On Thursday, some of my friends and my roommate made our way to the city center to watch the annual St. Patrick Day Parade. Everyone was decked out in their green and there was a food market set up near the parade route so the aromas were simply heavenly! The parade began and we watched as street performers, dancers, sports clubs, and multicultural events walked along the street. It was a lot of fun and so nice to see the city all gathered together. After the parade , some of my friends and I grabbed a bite to eat and then had some nice conversations about life and cultural differences. After this refreshing chat, we headed to a few pubs and listened to the Irish traditional music that I’m going to miss so much when I go back to the U.S. Spending St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland was an unforgettable experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I’ve never seen the city center so packed in my whole time being in Ireland and I was thankful that the celebrations were not as chaotic as probably in Dublin. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m so happy that I picked Cork as my home for the year.

Anywho, it’s officially Easter Break here in the Eire. You know what that means: rest, relaxation, and two weeks of travel!! I will be traveling to Budapest, Prague, Barcelona, Florence, and Milan (I guess I just missed the Duomo too much). My friend Arianna will be accompanying me to Eastern Europe while my mom will be traveling with me to Spain and Italy! I’m so excited to have some time off. I won’t have my computer during my travels so I will have to update you guys when I return in two weeks. Have a Happy Easter!! Until Next Time,

Keep Calm and Take a Chill Pill

Elena

The Parade!

Hello Readers!

It’s beginning to be spring time in Cork!! It hasn’t rained in about a week, its’ starting to get warmer, and the sun is beginning to come out a lot more! It has been a welcome change and you can definitely tell the difference in just how everyone looks on campus, a little less bundled up and happier.

This week’s post will recap my recent weekend trip to Edinburgh with my friend Allison and her roommate, Julie. Scotland is often thought to be similar to Ireland because both of these nations are descended from the Celts and speak a form of Gaelic. Upon arrival, I was caught off guard by the Scottish accent. It was much thicker than I thought it would be and quite different from the Irish accent which I’ve grown accustomed to.

Friday was spent wandering through the streets of the city (and getting lost a few times) and settling in to the air bnb. On Saturday, we woke up and headed to a free walking tour of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Our tour guide was American but had been living in Prague for about a year. We began on the Royal Mile, a stretch of street equalling exactly one mile between royal buildings, Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. We winded our way through the narrow streets making stops to see Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral, Greyfriars Cemetery (where Tom Riddle’s grave from Harry Potter is located), Greyfriars Bobby ( a memorial to a loyal dog who never left his master’s grave once he died), and the National Museum of Scotland. We passed by the Elephant House, the cafe where J.K. Rowling allegedly wrote many of the Harry Potter books. Our tour guide debunked this myth and told us that she actually wrote the books in a different cafe that is no longer in existence. The Elephant House has none the less capitalized on the myth that she wrote it there (way to milk it Elephant House).

Next, after some refueling we headed to Holyrood Park where King Arthur’s Seat, the summit of a mountain/hill  is located. The peak is called Arthur’s Seat because it is thought to be one of the possible locations for King Arthur’s castle, Camelot. We began ascending the hill and faced some tough obstacles like mud, rocky terrain, and overall vertical incline, but after about 45 minutes, we finally made it to the top of the hill. Unfortunately there was no actual seat at the top, but there were spectacular views of Edinburgh! After snapping some pics, we made our descent which did not take nearly as long. Although we were pretty tired from our long day, we rallied for our final event of the day, a pub crawl. We made our way through Edinburgh’s New Town stopping at 5 pubs along the way and finally ending at a nightclub. I had an early morning flight the next day so we made our way back to the air bnb after a long day.

Edinburgh was exhausting but it was a really nice place to visit. It was a little bit more touristy than Cork, but had a certain charm that made it worth visiting. Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day and it’s a national holiday in Ireland so no school!! Easter break also begins at the end of this week so I’ll try to post one more time before I leave for break. Until Next Time,

Keep Calm and Ascend

Elena

Stunning

Half Way up the Hill.

Me outside Edinburgh Castle.

Tom Riddle’s Grave

St. Gile’s Cathedral

Allison, Julie, & I at the top of Arthur’s Seat!

Hey Readers!

I finally got my computer working again!! So I finally was able to post those pics from my friend’s visit in Cork, London, and the Ring of Kerry. Enjoy!! Anywho, nothing really to report this week. I had a free weekend so I spent most of it hitting the books working on my thesis proposal. I will be overjoyed when it’s done. I also had a Pancake Bake-Off with some of my international friends on Saturday. This idea came from a few months ago when it was what we call Mardi Gras in America but what Europeans call Pancake Tuesday. It’s the day before Ash Wednesday and back in the old days, families would be fasting on ash wednesday so they couldn’t eat eggs, flour, milk. They would get together and make pancakes to use up those ingredients and it’s now a tradition to make pancakes the day before ash wednesday. The European style pancakes were a lot different than the American ones. They were thin, larger, and eaten with nutella, chocolate, or just lemon and sugar. I introduced them to chocolate chip pancakes and maple syrup which they liked but noted were spongy and a bit too sweet haha. I couldn’t think of a better cultural exchange than through the medium of pancakes!

Going to Edinburgh this weekend with some friends so look out for that post next week. Until next time,

Keep Calm & Celebrate the Women in Your Life #internationalwomensday

Ring of Kerry! Who knew Ireland had snowcapped mountains?

Natural Beauty.

Me and my new friend! They really do baa.

ROK

Allison and I at tower bridge. Photocreds to the selfie stick

Tower Bridge.

Expecto Patronum!

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Clearly we haven’t changed at all since our middle school days

Cliffs of Moher!!

ROK

Hello Readers!

Sorry for the cheesy title, I’m a little hungry at the moment haha. Anywho, I’m finally back on schedule with the blog posts! I’m sure that you all enjoyed my double post last week, but it’s back to normal Wednesday postings amigos. So without further adieu, let’s jump right in!

This past weekend, I went on the Ring of Kerry Heritage Tours. It was a Holy Cross activity, meaning it was already paid for through our tuition,  so all of the HC crew boarded a bus en route to Kerry. The Ring of Kerry is a peninsula in the southwest of Ireland about 3 hours away from Cork. Along the way, our tour guide Maura told us little fun facts about the landscape as we drove. Our first stop was Craig Caves- a series of caves that date back to millions of years ago. We went deep down into the bowels of the caves and admired all of the stalagtites and stalagmites, some of which were only 20 years old others were hundreds of thousands of years old. It was only our first day, so after the caves we headed to the Ring of Kerry Hotel, which would serve as our home base for the weekend. We got dinner and dessert (I gave up desserts for lent unfortunately!!) and then got a history lesson on Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Gaelic Football from a retired footballer. After this we got a chance to learn some traditional Irish step dancing steps (I wasn’t that good but I gave it my best shot).

The next day, we woke up early and headed to our first step of the day Valentia Island off the coast and soaked up the rays of sunshine (yes it was sunny in Ireland for once!!) from a stellar lookout spot. Next, we headed to a local farm where we met and pet some calfs (they were a little smelly but otherwise adorable). We then headed to our most strenuous task of the day: Geoukan Mountain. The HC crew and I began our hike up the mountain, which seemed like a straight vertical incline at times! It was a quite a workout (gotta get those killer calfs), but we finally reached the top of the mountain and admired the amazing views of snow-capped mountains, lush green fields, and atlantic sea. It honestly didn’t feel like we were in Ireland anymore, I felt like I was in a weird alternate version of Ireland that is so much better than the postcards. We then met up with another local farmer who allowed us to pet and hold his lambs (Yes they do actually baa). After a long day, we headed back to the hotel and chilled.

On our final day, we rose early again and headed to Daniel O’Connell’s historical home. For those of you who don’t know, Daniel O’Connell was a freedom fighter that was a key person to help Ireland gain its independence. We then hiked to some ring forts (where the fairies live according to Irish folklore) and then drove about an hour and a half to Killarney National Park and got some views of a Tuc Roc waterfall.  After a long trip, we headed back to Cork, arriving safe and sound.

I really had an amazing time on this trip. I got to know some of my fellow Crusaders a little bit better, ate some food that I did not cook, got some much needed Vitamin D from the sunshine, and saw a whole new side of the Irish landscape. The Ring of Kerry is simple breathtaking and I would encourage all of you to go if you ever get the chance. Until next time,

Keep Calm and Move Mountains

Elena

Pics still not working. Stay tuned.

Hey Readers,

Since I was late on last week’s post, I will be gifting you guys with a special double post. This week’s destination was a quick trip to another island you might of heard of the United Kingdom. I went to London to visit my friend Allison (previously mentioned in the last post) who is studying at University College London for the semester. Back at home, Allison attends Smith College and is a chemistry major. Although I’ve known her since the 2nd grade, we really didn’t start becoming friends until the 8th grade. Anywho, UCL boasts famous alumni like the revered freedom fighter Ghandi himself and Ramsey Hall where Allison lives is where one of my favorite bands, Coldplay first met (can you say hallowed ground?).

I arrived at the Cork airport on Friday morning ready to take the hour flight to London only to be bogged down by flight delays. Our flight was so supposed to leave at 10:30am and we didn’t leave until 2:20am (Thanks a lot Ryanair). I received a 5 euro refreshment voucher for my time which was just enough to by a lackluster sandwich. We finally left and made it to London where I immediately started making the hour journey to Allison’s dorm. She picked me up at the train station and we met up with one of her friends from Smith who was visiting from Oxford. We got thai food which I had been missing a lot since there are no thai places in Cork. The next day, we headed to brunch at this place called Ottolenghi where they had some really great french toast! You know I never turn down brunch and this french toast was served with a yogurt and a blackcurrant compote rather than maple syrup (It was a great combo). After brunch, we headed to Borough Market, my personal favorite part of the trip. It is a giant and very crowded food market with tons of stalls with all different types of food, produce, and free samples! I was in food heaven and Allison and I wasted no time devouring the free samples. We then headed to the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral which was massive and then headed to King’s Cross Station to Platform 9 3/4, the entrance to the Hogwarts Express. My inner Harry Potter fan came out and we got to take pictures as if we were rolling luggage through the secret passageway like Harry and Co. We chowed down on burgers for dinner.

The next day we walked all the way to the famous Tower Bridge (aprox. 10 miles!). and browsed the mummy exhibit at the British museum. We went to Camden Market, another large food hall, for lunch where I got a philly cheese steak which I hadn’t had in a long time. We rested our aching legs for a little while and then we grabbed dinner with one of Allison’s new friends in Ramsey Hall and Alex, one of our mutual friends from our USN days who is also studying in London. I hadn’t seen Alex in a while so it was nice to catch up. We turned in early for the night since I had an 8:30am flight on Monday morning. I arrived back in Cork safe and sound and had 2 classes that same day :/

I had a great time in London and thanks Allison for letting with stay with you. I’m off to the Ring of Kerry this weekend, about an hour and a half away from Cork. Until next time,

Keep Calm and Explore

Elena

*Still having computer issues so pics to come: Stay Tuned