Hey Everybody!
I'll start with the end: I am here in my Galway flat with a glass of wine and some M&Ms, safe and sound and a bit chilly. Getting here was a 14 hour 3,500 mile journey that I wasn't even sure was going to happen due to weather conditions in Buffalo, NY. I think the hardest part of the whole thing was packing - flash to Monday 2am with me sitting on the floor next to a scale crying cause I couldn't get my one bag to way less than 50 pounds - but everything got better when my mom talked me into bringing two suitcases. The only problem being that I have a separated shoulder and could not (and still cannot) wheel two bags at the same time so again my mom came to the rescue in Buffalo and helped me get both the bags checked. Airport security was a breeze as they sent my injured self through an express lane where I could leave my shoes on and my stuff in my bags with the only catch being that I had my hands swabbed like 5 times but I'll take it. Thankfully I got out with only a minor 45 minute delay in Buffalo and an hour delay in Newark. Taking off from BUF was a little bit of a white-knuckle experience as we were flying right into the storm but once we were at the top of the troposphere it was smooth sailing.
 |
| Flying through, above, and next to the storm with safe and clear landings in Newark |
My four hour layover in Newark was made much better by the fact that I was meeting up with my roommate and bestie Marie (read her blog here) after not seeing her for three weeks (and two days - just sayin') this was very exciting stuff. We had some dinner and then got chocolate for the flight (because chocolate always makes everything better - even airport delays). I was lucky enough to score an outlet so I could charge up my phone before departing on my last and longest flight. In the end getting on that plane was just one big long waiting game - something I'm not always the best at.
 |
| Marie and I waiting to board the plane |
Alas we boarded our non-stop flight from Newark to Shannon and I could not contain my excitement. On this flight of 200+ people I would say that at least 80% of them were students heading to Galway - talk about overwhelming! Sadly Marie and I were not seated together for the flight but the two girls I was between were very friendly and we chatted on and off throughout the entire flight. One of my favorite things about international flights is all the free movies that you can watch, although this time I limited myself to just one with the understanding that after it was over I would sleep. So I watched The Butler (2013) which was much more emotional than I expected it to be but it was also amazingly well done. Then we received dinner (some wacko airline food that wasn't too bad if you didn't look at it while you were eating) and I fell fast asleep. I slept soundly almost entirely until "breakfast" was served. After a croissant and four pieces of cantaloupe I got up to visit Marie who told me a bit about the documentaries she had been watching. After several minutes of shark talk Marie introduced me to Lauren, the girl sitting next to her, and told me that Lauren was heading to living in the same apartment complex that we were in Galway and that there was no one else from her school there. I responded with a quick: "Well we'll adopt you!" - and we did but more on that later. I headed back to my seat where I visited some more with the girls on either side of me and we settled in for landing. I wish I could have seen our incoming to Ireland but the sun was not yet up - I imagine it would have been breathtaking.
After going through customs and gathering luggage (although Marie's suitcase is missing in action at the moment which we aren't going to dwell on) we decided that we would get a cab to our apartment in Galway because there were four of us (Marie and I with another girl from our school and our new buddy Lauren) with lots of luggage and let me reference my arm injury from before doing it on our own would not have been a good idea. Plus the next bus was in an hour and we just wanted to be at the apartment already. The driver was super friendly and helpful - something I am beginning to notice as a trend here. One hour of driving through some Irish countryside later we were finally at our apartment building! We met up with our landlord who was fantastic and got everyone in where they wanted to live - meaning Marie and I are now living with our super cool new roomie Lauren. By the way, the view from our stairwell is amazing!! Check it out:
No comments:
Post a Comment