What’s Good Readers,

Sorry I’m a week late on my post, it’s been pretty busy around here. I’ve been traveling, looking for a summer internship, working on my thesis application, and trying to have some fun in between. At this point I’m just trying to keep all the balls in the air.

Anywho, enough about my stress levels, this week’s post will be a recap of my friends Arianna and Allison’s visit to Cork. It was so nice to catch up with them and show them around Cork. I picked Arianna up at the bus stop on late Friday afternoon. After chatting for a little while we headed out for dinner at Quinlan’s Seafood (I got a shrimp sandwich that was delicious). We went back to my apartment afterwards and went to bed early since she was tired from a day of travel and I needed some rest too. The next morning, Allison arrived from London and I made pancakes for breakfast (Shoutout to my mom for the pancake mix). It had been so long since any of us had eaten American pancakes so we were definitely happy to be chowing down. After breakfast, we made our way through Cork city to the Tower of Shandon at St. Anne’s Church. Allison and I walked up the tower and rang the bells ( we played Amazing Grace & Here Comes the Sun haha). We then headed to the Cork Butter Museum for a lesson on the impact of Kerrygold butter on Ireland and the Cork Butter Market. Later that night, we went to my favorite pub, The Franciscan Well, for some wood-fired pizza and a pint. We then headed to the Oliver Plunkett for a taste of some Irish traditional music. We turned in early for the night since we had an early wake up time the next day for our cliffs of moher tour. We boarded a packed bus  warm and headed to the cliffs. After stopping for lunch, we finally made it to the cliffs. It was my third time going there so I was an expert at this point. It was probably the best weather conditions for a visit since it was sunny and not as windy for once (truly shocking), but it was also really muddy. We took pictures and boarded the bus back to Cork. We made an impromptu dinner of pasta, spinach, and chicken (All of my previously bought stir-fry ingredients expired!). Despite an uncomfortably warm bus ride, it was a great trip to the beautiful Cliffs of Moher (I think 3 times is enough for me though haha).

I’ve known Arianna and Allison since my lower and middle school days (USN Tigers forever!). Even though we didn’t go to high school together, we’ve always kept in touch and it was such a pleasure to show them my new adopted city of Cork. Anyway, I’m visiting Allison in London this weekend and I think I hear my thesis application calling me so I’m signing off. Until Next Time,

Keep Calm and Stay Balanced

Elena

(Having computer issues so I will post a separate post with the pics on it when I get them resolved)

Salutations Readers,

As you all know, this past weekend was the Super Bowl aka the most-watched sporting event of the year. If you know me, you know that I don’t really concern myself with watching sports (I’m usually to busy watching scandal), especially football (it’s too long and too much starting/stopping). Every February, I tune in to the halftime show only and then I go about my business (I make sure I know who wins just for conversational purposes). This year’s halftime show was no different except the time difference played a significant role in my viewing. I didn’t feel like staying up to watch the show so I had to watch it the next morning. I was excited that Coldplay was headlining (have you heard their new album?? Its got some gems on it)  and even more excited that Bruno Mars and Beyonce would be accompanying them.

I loved the show!! Beyonce stole the show and her performance of her new song Formation was amazing. For those who missed to, not only did she pay homage to the King of Pop, MJ himself with her attire,  but she also honored the 50th anniversary of the Black Panthers by having her backup dancers rock their natural hair and berets. She was unapologetically black and sprinkled a little bit of black girl magic on the field (I’ll post a link below if you don’t know what that is).

Little to report this week overall. Tried a vegetarian restaurant in Cork on Friday night. I was initially a little skeptical because my last vegetarian restaurant experience involved a veggie burger that was not meat like at all and had an odd mixture of seeds/beans in it. I got a veggie lasagna and some pasta salad that actually weren’t that bad. It was a nice change of pace from my usual carnivorous choices and it was a healthier option that I’m sure my body will thank me for later. In other news, two of my pals from Nashville are coming to visit me in Cork this weekend (Shoutout to Arianna and Allison)! They will be my first visitors to Cork and I’ve got some great things planned! Look out for next week’s blog for a recap. Until next time,

Keep Calm and Ladies Let’s Get in Formation

Elena

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-is-black-girl-magic-video_us_5694dad4e4b086bc1cd517f4

Hey Readers!

Sorry I’m a little late on delivering this blog. I normally update my blog on Wednesdays, but I had to go on a field trip for one of my classes and it ended up taking a little bit longer than I anticipated. Between that and classes, I just didn’t have time to write it. But fear not, I couldn’t let you guys go a week without an inspirational word from your favorite globetrotter

Last week, I went on a little adventure with a new girl that I met recently in one of my classes named Mary. She’s from France but has also lived in Germany. Mary and I spent took the train to Fota Wildlife Park, a wildlife park about 15 minutes outside Cork city. What makes Fota a little bit different from your average zoo, is that the animals enclosures are much larger and more  open. So much so that we even saw some kangaroos and a peacock outside their enclosures!! We spent the day walking around the 75 acre facility admiring all the animals. We saw butterflies, giraffes cheetahs, and every animal in between. It was pretty chilly outside, but it was nice to see something new in Cork and embrace my inner kiddo again. Mary and I rounded out our trip with a visit to my favorite hot chocolate place in Cork, O’Connells.

Not really much else going on this side of the pond. I’m applying to the Sociology Honors Program, in which if I’m accepted, I will conduct my own research over the course of my senior year and write a thesis. I’ve secured an faculty advisor and I know that I want to research some aspect of the black millennial travel movement (If you don’t know what that is, I’ll post a link below), but I’m struggling to narrow down exactly what I want to research. The application is due sometime in early March so I’ve really gotta get moving on it (I guess it’s time to release my inner sociologist). It’s 1:19am here in Ireland, so I think that’s my q to sign off for now. Until next time,

Keep Calm and Run Wild

Elena

Just trying to be as tall as the giraffes.

Strut like you mean it.

We turned our wait for the train into a photo shoot!

What’s Good Readers,

It’s official guys: I’ve got the travel bug. I’ve been back home in Cork for a little over 3 weeks now and while it’s been nice to get some r & r in, I’m itching to hit the pavement again and explore some new places. I was proactive this week and started planning some trips! One of my friends from Nashville (shoutout to Allison) is spending the semester in London. She’s coming to visit me!! She will be my first official visitor to Cork and I’ll get to show her all the things that make Cork the best city in Ireland (tough noodles Dublin & Galway). I guess I’m becoming a true Corkonian after all! I’m also gonna go visit her in London soon too. While I’ve been to London once before, there’s always more to explore (One can never have too many pics with Big Ben). We’ve also got a trip on deck to Edinburgh, Scotland planned (maybe I’ll see a guy wearing a kilt)!! It’ll be nice to be back on the road again, discovering new places.

Nothing much happening on the home front. Still adjusting to my new classes and having to show up for class again haha. My roommate and I went to see a movie last Friday night called Room (it’s Oscar nominated) and it was definitely an emotional roller coaster but also a quality film too (you should all go see it). The Holy Cross advisor in Cork is taking all of us out to dinner and a show tonight! It should be pretty fun but I’m most excited for the free food part (a girl’s gotta eat right).

Last Saturday, I tried out a new workout class called Step and Tone! We had to do all of these different routines on the step and then we ended with a toning session. It was a little difficult at times to keep up with the instructor but I felt good afterwards. Now for those of you who know me, my version of working out usually consists of walking up and down the hill at HC. Ever since I got to Cork, I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands so I decided to start doing something productive with that time. Last semester, I just went to badminton practice (if you’re really moving around the court you can break a sweat) and the gym once a week.  I’m not really well versed on how to work the gym machines which is probably why I previously didn’t go that often (those machines are more complex than you think). Now, I’m gonna try to go to a different class each week as well. While I would’nt say that I enjoy working out, I do feel extremely productive aftwerards and I know it’ll be good for me in the long run. Hopefully I keep it up when I get back to HC (fingers crossed). Until next time,

Keep Calm and Change the World,

Elena

Salutations Readers!

It’s officially only the 2nd week of classes and I’m officially ready for my Easter break in March! While I’m adjusting to my new classes, sitting in a 2 hour lecture can be a bit boring at times. I guess it’s just part of the job description ( can I get an amen from my fellow students out there??!!). That’s probably one of the things that I miss most about the class environment at Holy Cross: the interaction between the student and the professor. As weird as it sounds, I miss being called on in class, I miss raising my hand, and even weirder I miss the required reading (gasp!!). I miss that overall participation aspect of the class that UCC just doesn’t have. The classes here are more just the professor talking at you then having a 2-way conversation. Despite having 1 semester under my belt, that’s something that I probably will never get used to.

Anywho enough of the realness. The rest of the blog will just be a random collection of my thoughts from this week. It’s still a little slow around here since the semester just started. I’m still figuring out my new routine and working on meeting new friends since most of my pals last semester were only in Cork for the semester. Over the weekend, my new roommate, Amber, and I took a stab at baking salted caramel brownies! Yes readers, I’m becoming even more domesticated in Ireland.  Not only have I been working on my chef skills, but also my baking abilities! Just call me wifey material. We made them from scratch and I think they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. I’ll post a pic below.

In other news, I joined the feminist society at UCC and attended their first meeting yesterday. It was fun meeting new people and hearing about what the feminist society is all about. While I’ve always championed woman empowerment (and strong female led drama on tv), I’ve only recently started identifying as a feminist. Inspired by Beyonce (I am a card carrying member of the bee hive) and her song Flawless which samples Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s speech Why We Should All Be Feminists (video below)

I started to apply some of my sociology skills to learn more about the topic. I’ve always known that being black and a woman might make life a bit more challenging, but I hope that one day we as Americans can all be on an equal playing field. I think openly acknowledging my feminist identity is a good start to making that happen. Until Next Time…

Keep Calm and Go Learn Something New

Elena

Salted Caramel Brownies!

What’s good readers?

Things are heating back up on this side of the pond, the 2nd semester of my study abroad experience has officially begun! WE BACK SNITCHES!!!!! Can you believe it? Time really flies doesn’t it?  Seeing my new roommates trying to figure out the lay of the land around Cork reminds of when I first got here and how overwhelmed I was. I’ve certainly  come a long way since then and I’d say I’m definitely adjusted to Cork now. It’ll be interesting to kind of relive my initial experience in Ireland through my roommates eyes. I’m ready to tackle this new semester and continue to grow and experience new places!

Anyway, back to the good stuff. My schedule is a lot more open this semester compared with last semester. I don’t have classes on Wednesday or Friday! That’s right ladies and gentleman, ya #1 blogger is a free bird on those days! Whatever shall I do with all of my newfound free time? Do my laundry? Watch The Good Wife on Netflix (my latest tv obsession)? Work on homework (definitely not)? Travel (my 1st choice)? I don’t know yet, I’ll figure it out as I go I guess. Anywho, I’ll post my new class schedule and a funny and or heartwarming video below. Things are pretty slow around here since it’s just the beginning of the new semester so this week’s blog is a shorty (just like me haha). Until Next Time,

Keep Calm and Hustle Hard

Elena

New Classes:

European Cultural Identities 2: Cultural Capitals

Exploring Irish Traditional Music

Cities of Diversity

Celtic Women

Citizenship & The Global Community

(This is both inspirational and funny. Sometimes you just gotta let out your inner Cookie Lyon. Enjoy!)

Greetings Readers!

Did you miss me? I hope the holidays were as fun and relaxing for you guys as they were for me. As you know, I went on a 2 week trip around Europe to several destinations with one of my good friends from HC (shoutout to Quynh). I just back on Sunday and I had so much fun. School starts back up next week so I’m savoring my last few days of freedom. This week’s blog will be a recap of my longest European trip to date. Enjoy!

Malta- “The Golden Girl” The 1st word that comes to my mind is sunshine. Compared to Ireland, Malta was so much warmer and sunnier. It was such an interesting island filled with so many different influences due to its unique location between northern Africa and Italy. I even got to try a local delicacy dish which is rabbit stew.

Rome- “The Old Soul” I think Rome was my favorite city. There was so much to see in terms of the ancient attractions like the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain,etc. It was awesome to see where the empire began and live out my inner childhood Lizzie McGuire fantasy (only my 90’s babies will get that reference). Also the food was delicious, A+ for the pizza and pasta.

Venice- “The Mysterious Merchant” By far the most unique city that we got the chance to see. We took a gondola ride through the canals of the city and saw St. Mark’s Square. It is an island which made it a bit difficult to navigate since you have to cross so many bridges. I think my least favorite city, but still definitely worth seeing and a nice Christmas destination.

Verona- “The Hidden Gem” Situated between Venice and Milan, most people would think that it doesn’t have a lot to offer. It’s smaller than it’s two shadowing cities and is mostly known for its Romeo and Juliet connection. Not only was it Shakespeare’s muse, but modern day Verona is still a force to be reckoned with. It has a chiller vibe than the other cities and it is quite charming. It looked the most Italian (probably due to the colorful balconies).

Milan- “The Chic Citadel” This city was by far the most modern of Italy. While the other three relied on history to bring in tourists, Milan relies more on its current status as a fashion and finance capital of the world to draw its crowds. The best part was its Duomo which literally translates to cathedral. It was ornate and huge and amazing! We also got to see Da Vinci’s famous painting The Last Supper.

Paris- “The Magical Metropolis” I couldn’t have picked a better place to spend New Years. Despite the recent attacks, Parisians are staying strong and enjoying life despite the circumstances. We rang in the new year under the Arc di Triomphe on the Champ Elysees! I tried escargot for the 1st time (it was actually delicious), climbed to the top of the Arc, and ice skated on the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower. It was an epic way to end an epic trip.

I’ll post pics below. Until next time,

Keep Calm and Bless Up

Elena

Malta Harbor!

Colosseum.

Views from the Gondola (no there was no singing)

Where fore art thou Romeo?

The Duomo!

Happy New Year: French Style

Merry Christmas Readers!

It’s almost time for one of my favorite days of the year: Christmas!! While I’ll miss my family and our Christmas traditions, I’m so excited to be spending Christmas with my friend Quynh in Venice. I leave for Malta tomorrow (the 1st stop on the trip) and there is only one final exam standing between me and my Christmas vacation. I got a chance to go to a Cork Christmas Market over the weekend! There was a ton of food and lights which really put me in the Christmas spirit. My friend Emily and I even went on the Christmas ferris wheel! I’ll post pics below.

Anywho, I just want to take this opportunity to thank you guys for reading this blog! Thank you for rocking with me over the past semester and allowing me to share my study abroad journey with you. Shoutout to my parents for letting me go for a whole year!  I’ve been so blessed to get the chance to travel and learn more about the world and myself along the way. I’m signing off until the new year.

XOXO

Elena

(Shameless Gossip Girl Reference. I’m on the final season on Netflix haha)

Me & Emily at the tope of the Ferris Wheel!

Cork Christmas!

Views from across the River Lee

Pinnacle

Hi Readers,

I’ve got one week until the end of my first semester in Cork!! Can you believe it? Time really flies when you’re having fun. It feels like August wasn’t that long ago but it’s already December. That means that the Christmas season is officially upon us. I’m definitely trying to get into the Christmas spirit by bumping Michael Buble’s xmas album on repeat and sipping hot chocolate in between writing papers/studying for my exams. One of the big European traditions around the Christmas season is attending Christmas Markets where people sell knick knacks and there is a ton of food. I’ve been trying to go to Cork’s christmas market but Ireland has been hit with 2 big storms the past 2 weekends so its been to rainy/windy to go. I’m hoping to make it this weekend though. Hopefully the weather is in my favor.

As many of you already know, I’ll be spending my Christmas break traveling through Europe with Quynh, my friend from Holy Cross. So far our itinerary includes Malta, Rome, Venice for Xmas, Verona, Milan, and finally Paris for New Years. I’m so excited for trip and I’m so blessed that I get the opportunity to travel and live in a different country for a year. While it can be difficult at times, I’m so lucky to get to spend a semester in Cork let alone a whole year. I’ve already learned so much in my time here and I cannot wait for what’s to come in the next semester. Anywho, I gotta get back to studying/writing so until next week readers.

Peace,

Elena

For anyone out there who’s struggling through finals: You got this. Also if you haven’t caught the amazing production of The Wiz Live on NBC, I’d highly recommend it! And I couldn’t talk about finals without posting the DJ Khaled video. Enjoy!

Salutations Readers,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with food, family, and some well-deserved rest. On this side of the pond, I had the privilege of attending not 1 but 2 turkey day dinners. On Wednesday, my UCC advisor took all of the Holy Cross crew out to dinner at a hip Great Gatsby-esque restaurant called  Electric. We indulged in a three course meal and by the end I was stuffed. The next day, my 2nd thanksgiving meal took place at the home of Frank and Jo Peters, advisors to the Christian Union. While they are originally Canadian, they did live in California for 12 years so they are honorary Americans in my book. I was tasked with bringing a dish, so I decided to make a throwback  from my childhood, carrot casserole (so domestic I know). Every year the Peters invite as many American/international students over to their house for thanksgiving dinner and while I did miss seeing my own family this holiday season, it was nice to be amongst such lovely people. We stuffed our faces with all the fixins (turkey, mashed potatoes, bread, and so much more) and after dinner we unwinded with some party games. It was an all around great Thanksgiving, the only thing that would’ve made it better would’ve been some time off, I still had class day!

In other news, this past weekend, my friend Bethany and I went on a Game of Thrones Tour! As many of you know, I’m a big tv-watcher and ever since I binged watched 2 summers ago, I’ve been hooked. After an early morning bus ride to Dublin (3am) we arrived in Dublin and waited at local McDonalds (they did not have bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits 🙁 until it was time to meet our bus at 7:45. We headed to Northern Ireland where 90% of the show is filmed. Our first stop was Tallymore Forest National Park where the scene where the Starks find the direwolves was filmed. Our tour guide would show us a screenshot and then tell us where the scene was actually filmed. We then stopped for lunch and we got to actually meet  2 dogs who played direwolves (Summer and Greywind) on the show and their owners, 2 heavily bearded men  with long hair who have worked as extras on the show (they were perfect for the roles). Our second stop of the day was supposed to be the castle that is used as the Stark stronghold, Winterfell but due to high winds we could not go into the estate. Our next stop was Inch Abbey where the real fun began. The tour company provided cloaks, swords (Needle and Longclaw included), shields, and a crown so that we could all dress up as Starks. This was the highlight of the tour for me as I got to bring out my inner Arya Stark! After our dress up session, we headed back to Dublin (a 2 hour journey) and Bethany and I headed to our 3rd bus ride of the day back to Cork. We ended our night in true European fashion with a kebab and some good conversation. The tour was definitely one of the most interesting tours that I’ve been on so far and I can’t wait for GOT Season 6 (April get here already).

Also classes are officially over and this week marks the beginning of study week. I’ve got 2 papers to write and 2 actual exams to take so if you find my body its probably buried under a pile of books haha. I can’t believe the semester is almost over, time flies. Anywho, I think I hear a paper calling my name until next time…

Keep Calm and Remember Winter is Coming.

Elena

Direwolves

Queen of the North!

Waiting on Jon Snow

I think we’re officially Starks!