I wasn’t going to write a blog post until school started, because all I’ve really been doing is going to orientation events, getting a good feel of the campus, and walking a lot (it’s very strange moving from LA which is a total driving city to walking all around Castletroy to get places).
But I decided that I just had to write one today because it was sunny!
Yesterday, I came to terms with the fact that maybe the Irish sun was really just the light that shines through the clouds, but when I woke up this morning, it was to blue skies and sunshine. I was so happy. The sun made everything look more vibrant and wonderful (as if it isn’t already beautiful) and it made it warmer as well (and by warm, I mean it was 50 degrees). And beyond this, it made daylight that much more worth it – we get about 8 hours of sunshine and daylight, so any time in the sun is amazing.
Today, the main thing that all us international students did was get a campus tour. The tour of campus took 2 hours. The University of Limerick is huge! We could have toured Chapman University at least twice. It’s strange going to a school that is so big compared to my home university, but I think it’ll be a great experience for me. Our tour guide kept telling us places to go while we are in Ireland, and all the while was muttering, “it’s a nice little island,” so I couldn’t resist titling this post that.
The university is so big that it actually crosses two counties: County Limerick and County Clare. The Shannon River is what separates the two counties, and there is a beautiful walking bridge that crosses the river. Right now, the view is kind of drab, just because it is winter here, but with the beautiful blue sky reflecting in the water, I still think it is a rather nice view.
I really can’t wait for classes to start. That’s really all I’m waiting for at this point. Not only am I looking forward to having a regular schedule, and being back in school, but I’m also really looking forward to just see what classes will be like (and to start traveling)!
After an early dinner, we all headed to the concert hall for a Celtic Steps show. We had no idea what to expect, but it was amazing. The Celtic Steps are a group of musicians and dancers that play authentic Irish songs, while Irish Step Dancing. It was so cool. It’s hard to describe but the show was full of great music and amazing dancing. Some of the dancers are not only University of Limerick students, but also world champions in traditional Irish dancing. So cool.
Until next time!
Sláinte.