All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

Well, here we are. It's December 21st and at 9:15 tomorrow morning I will be on my way back to America. I wish I could put into words what I'm feeling right now, but all I can say, is it's emotional. And by that I mean I'm literally feeling about 800 different emotions right now. Sad, happy, excited, thoughtful...so many different feelings.


I've spent the past few days wandering Prague, this place that only four months ago was literally a foreign country to me, and somehow has become my home. This past week every time I've gone to Staré Město I've found myself choked up, utterly confused by the thought that in just a few days, I would be saying goodbye. I've gone there almost every day the past week, unwilling to accept the fact that I'm leaving. Ever since the first time I went there, that square has been my refuge in this city. No matter how crazy everything gets here, the drama that always seems to unfold, I can go to Old Town, and escape it all.

Sunday night Araceli, Ata, and I went for a roomie dinner. We went to a Mexican place, and my god was it delicious. We ate until we could barely stand. But I sat there at the table, talking with these two girls who four months ago were complete strangers to me, and realized just how luck I was to get them as my roommates. I couldn't have handpicked better people for me. I'm not even sure that either of them read this, but if you do, I love you girls. Thank you.

Last night was the first night of Chanukah, and to celebrate, Rachel came over and we made latkes and lit the candles. Ata got to try some latkes and loved them! It was my first time making them, so I was really proud.

Later, it was time for one final night out with everyone. We went to Legenda and I swear almost everyone on the program showed up, which was really nice. I had a ton of fun and it was a really good way to say goodbye to Prague nightlife. And at some point during the night, we realized it was snowing outside and a bunch of us ran outside to stand in the snow for a few moments. Of course it didn't stick, but it's the best we'll do it seems.

This morning, we had our lovely graduation ceremony. And by lovely, I mean Iwantedtokillmyselfitwassostupidandboring. They literally read each name out loud one by one and had us each walk up and shake the hand of every professor (yes, even the ones we've never seen before) and then receive our certificate. Yup, you heard me. Certificate. Who are they kidding?!?!

After the graduation though we had a fantastic lunch buffet. It was really good and it was nice to just sit down with everyone and enjoy one of our last meals together. Looking around the room, it was crazy to realize that that lunch was the last time I will see most of these people. It's all so bizarre.

After lunch Ata and I went out for one final walk through Prague. We went to Staré Město for a final time so that I could say goodbye to the square, and to the clock. It still doesn't feel real that I won't be back there. I'm glad to be here at Christmas time though, and to have my final sight of the square be filled with Christmas Markets and such. It was beautiful.

Then it was off to the bridge for one final walk across. As we walked across the bridge, Ata pointed out the appropriateness of the dark cloud looming over the castle. I haven't written about it yet (will be later in this entry), but Vaclav Havel died on Sunday, and today his body was at the castle for the people to visit. It's as if the weather just knew.

And then we strolled up to the castle. As always, the view of the city took my breath away, and I was glad we made it up there for one final visit. As we rounded the corner near the church, we saw some people walking into a room guarded by soldiers. We were curious, so we walked inside, and what greeted us was unbelievable, and I found myself instantly tearing up.

I couldn't be happier that we found our way to see Havel. In a way, being here for so long, I feel as if I to a much lesser degree, understand the grief this country is feeling right now, and the awesomeness of the man who was Vaclav Havel. I feel so privileged to have gotten to see him speak and to sit behind him back in October. He did so much for this country, and for the world as a whole.

"Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good."--Vaclav Havel

With this as a fitting end to this journey, we headed back home to Pod Karlovem. And now I write my final post from here. It's so unreal to me.

To Prague: I feel like the luckiest person alive. Through the ups and downs of living in a foreign country away from friends and family, I found another place in my life to call home. I've met people I will never forget and done things I never thought I could or would do. I learned more about myself in four months than I've learned the past 21 years. I lived in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and traveled to some of the most amazing places. In every way possible, this has been a once in a lifetime experience, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thank you.

And thank you guys, those of you who read this. I wish all my loved ones in Prague safe travels and the happiest of holidays with their families. Thank you for everything.

Na shledanou Prague. Budeš mi chybět.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (Dec. 8-11)

Now, don't get too excited here. Unfortunately the snow I'm referring to is NOT in Prague. However, it was in Switzerland, aka the best weekend of my entire abroad experience. So get excited.

This was my first view of Interlaken, as we approached the town via bus. But I can't forget about the bus trip, so I'll include that in here.


We boarded the bus to Interlaken at 9 pm on Thursday, December 8th. The bus was a whopping 11 hours, so we really got the whole Bus2Alps experience. Luckily I was able to sleep a little, so I wasn't TOO exhausted upon my arrival.


So we get to Interlaken, and I had finally convinced myself to sign up for skydiving. Yup, you heard that right. Skydiving. My trip was supposed to leave the hostel at 12 pm, giving me 4 hours to mentally prepare myself, relax, take in my surroundings. But as I sat at breakfast, one of the guides shouts out "Who's going skydiving today?!" And when I replied that I was, he asked if I wanted to go at 9 am instead, as the weather was better and they were worried about getting in the 12 pm trip. Of course I said yes. And then it hit me. In just 30 minutes, I was jumping out of a plane.


As I left my hostel room to board the bus, I ran into Rachel, a girl I'd gone to camp with several years ago. Not only was she staying at Balmer's with us, but she was staying IN my room. What are the chances?!?! Seriously weird. And, she was going skydiving at 9 as well! So Rachel, her friend Nicole, and I piled into the van, along with a bunch of other kids, and off we went to the field.


I wish I could explain the 800 things that I felt at the time, but mostly, it just didn't seem real. Even once I'd put my jumpsuit on, (stylish photo included), I still refused to believe what I was about to do. It wasn't until the plane was literally in front of me, and my tandem, Hans, was telling me that we wanted to get into the plane last, so that we could jump first. He told me this as if this was a privilege, like I should feel LUCKY for getting to jump out of a plane first. Sure Hans, sure. Instead, panic mode kinda set in.


But then it was time for the plane ride, and I gotta say, for at least the first ten minutes, all nerves faded. It was all too beautiful; to mind-boggling to even worry about what was about to happy. I've included a photo of the view out the window of the plane. Rough life, huh?


And then I hear Hans tell me to lean forward, lift up, and scoot so that I'm sitting on his lap. At this point, he attaches us to each other. And the nerves set in again. I'm not sure I'd describe what I felt as fear, as I felt oddly safe attached to Hans. But it was worry, nervousness, and anxiousness. Then he said "Okay, Sam, I'm gonna open the door". Casual sentences. The gust of wind as the door opened was shocking. At that point it hit me: I'm about to jump out of a plane. WTF AM I DOING?! I put my feet on the ledge of the plane, and I hear Hans ask me if I'm ready. "Well, my feet are out of the plane, so I guess so!" And with a final count of three, we were off!

I can't put into words what that first second feels like. You can't breathe, you're upside down, and your 11,000 feet above the ground. And it feels...just like that. Free fall was the best few seconds of my life, and a sensation that I will never forget. I felt overwhelmed trying to take in the scenery, the feelings, meanwhile Hans and the camera guy shouting at me to smile for a photo (ARE YOU KIDDING I'M FLYING! SCREW THE PHOTO!), and yet entirely relaxed, a sense of calm I haven't really ever felt before. A once in a lifetime feeling.


The rest of the trip down was the most remarkable experience of my life. Everything was so beautiful, and just flying over the Swiss Alps...I mean, who gets to do these things?! It's times like these when you gotta realize just how lucky you are to be alive. And I've never felt so alive in my life.

And before you know it, it's all over and you're landing safely to the ground on your butt. Not gonna lie, I felt sooo dizzy when I landed, what with the air pressure and just a complete overwhelming-ness. I'm sorry Mom to say this, but it was so worth it, and I recommend EVERYONE to try it.


So basically anything I mention the rest of that day or the entire trip will pale in comparison. But here goes trying, because the entire weekend was amazing.


That night Rachel, Nicole, me, and two girls we met at the hostel headed off to a Chocolate Show. Yup. The only proper way to finish a day starting off with skydiving is obviously to watch and learn how Swiss people make their oh-so-famous chocolate. And of course, get some yummy samples. Delish!

I got back to the hostel, only to turn back around to head out to dinner with kids from Prague. There were 10 of us which was really nice, and we went to a fairly nice restaurant. Kelly, Molly, and I split some Swiss Cheese Fondue...best. decision. ever. It was sooo good and I seriously couldn't stop eating it. Absolutely fantastic.


After a day like that, it was time for some seriously deserved sleep. Most of the girls were waking up at the crack of dawn the next morning to go skiing, but Mara, Nicole, and I got to sleep in a little later. Then it was off to Jungfraujoch!


What is Jungfraujoch you ask? It's the place also known as "The Top of Europe", the highest place you can get to without needing to hike some serious mountains. It's almost 12,000 feet up, and you take a 2-hour train ride to get there. Sounds long, but with views like that, it feels pretty quick.


The train is also really cute, looks very old, kinda like the train in Polar Express. After taking the train all the way up the mountain, we finally arrived at the top. Unfortunately, to get the true view, which includes the mountains of Italy and France, the weather needs to be PERFECT, since you are literally in the clouds already. We were not so lucky, but it was still really cool. And the absolute coldest I have ever been in my entire life.

After a brief look at the view from the top, we ran back inside to the warmth. We then went to check out the Ice Palace, which to be honest, I was skeptical of. No reason though, it was awesome. The entire thing is made of ice, which yes, I know, sounds obvious, but like even the floor is ice! And for someone who sucks at ice skating, this was a slight challenge.

After the Palace we wandered around Jungfraujoch for a bit before heading back to the train. We took the train down a few stops, before getting off and exploring another section of the mountain. We got a DELICIOUS meal, and the view was unbelievable. The meal was this Swiss dish of cheese, potatoes, and tomatoes, which was soooo good and the warmth was very welcome from the outside. Outside, we couldn't stop taking pictures everything was so unbelievable beautiful.

After lunch it was back to the train to head the rest of the way down the mountain. While the view was still spectacular, we were all so tired, we could hardly notice it! 


When we got back to the hostel we met up with all the post-skiing crew, who were unbelievably exhausted. But they rallied and we headed to the pizza place next to the hostel for some yummy pizza. Then we headed back to the hostel, put away our coats, and headed to Metro Bar.

Metro Bar is an entirely odd experience. It's a bar located beneath Balmer's Hostel, and is apparently the top bar in the town of Interlaken. So locals come TO the hostel to go to the club. Weird, huh? We were there for happy hour though, and two for one drinks is always nice. We hung out for awhile, people watched, danced, but by around 12:30-1 am we were all pooped, and headed upstairs to bed.

The next morning we got up early enough to pack up our stuff before heading to the lake. Interlaken, meaning between the lakes, has two lakes, one on each side. We headed to the closer one to see the view and take some pictures, and oh my god was it worth it. When we turned the corner around the lake, the view was actually breathtaking. We stayed there for about half an hour just taking photos and taking it all in.

About 3 million photos later, we headed back to the hostel and relaxed before getting back on the bus. We got back into Prague around 1:30 in the morning and were back in our apartments safe and sound by 2 am. What a weekend!


A perfect final getaway on an amazing abroad experience.


Well guys, I've got two more entries in me. Gonna do one tomorrow to sum up the trip, and I'll hopefully end on back in America. For now, na shledanou!

Barca, Barca, Barca (Dec. 1-5)

Well, with just 4 days left in Prague, here goes another update. 3 weeks ago I traveled to Barcelona with Elyse. I gotta say, it was so exciting to see her face upon my arrival at the airport!

So Thursday night we got in really late, so after finally figuring out where the bus was to take us to downtown Barcelona, we got to the hostel and passed the fuck out. Before sleeping we met Jandro, the owner of our hostel who was so sweet and helpful.

Friday morning we woke up and met with Jandro so he could give us an overview of the city. He pointed out to us where everything was we would want to see, and was extremely helpful. Then we were off! Our first stop for the day was Parc Guell. I always knew I loved Gaudi's work, but this weekend proved it all to me.

After wandering the park for awhile, it was off to the Sagrada Familia. I gotta say, at this point I am DONE with churches. Once you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. LIES. The Sagrada Familia is entirely different than any church I've ever seen. My only disappointment was the construction, which is has been under for years, and will continue to be for years. But both the interior and the exterior are mind blowing. A true testament to Gaudi's genius.


After eating at a little cafe on the street, it was off to the Casa Mila. While I actually didn't find this overwhelming, getting there at sunset was unbelievable. The colors of the sky as we stood on the roof were absolutely breathtaking. It was as if this was the time of day Gaudi wanted people to see it.

Later that night as we were wandering Las Ramblas, we passed La Boqueria and decided to wander through. Oh my god, one of my favorite places. So many delicious looking foods, beautiful colors, and such vibrant culture! We stopped to get a cup of Sangria, in a plastic cup, straw and all. Delicious! Everything looked so fresh and yummy...heaven.

Before dinner we had a bottle of cava at some outdoor cafe on Las Ramblas, and then went for dinner. We had tapas, so we tried lots of different things. It was absolutely delicious!

After dinner, despite our valiant attempts to rally, we were wayy to exhausted to go out. So it was a night in the hostel, and a wonderful sleep to prepare us for the day ahead.

The next day it was off for some more Gaudi, and the Casa Batllo. Now THIS place, I loved. The outside of it is beautiful, and stands out amongst the other buildings on the street. The inside is fascinating, although I'm not quite sure that I could really imagine wanting to live there myself.

We did some more wandering, as well as another stop at La Boqueria. (We both seriously loved that place). We had a fantastic tapas lunch at a restaurant along Las Ramblas. Then we did some wanderings of the Gothic Quarter. We stopped in a really cute shop where I bought shot glasses for Ata and myself. Very Gaudi-esque. After a wonderful day of wanderings, it was back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and the night.

To make a long story short, the rest of the night was a giant fiasco. Fun at the start, but ended with me getting mugged on a side street by Las Ramblas. I'm fine, but lost my cell phone, hence less pictures in this entry than in others. The next day we were such wrecks that we stayed in bed all day, and at around 9 pm Elyse headed off to the airport. The next morning, I was off too, and back to Praha!

More Greek Yogurt Than One Person Should Consume in a Lifetime (Nov.17-21)

Okay. I'm determined to get every weekend in here before I leave in a week. I think I can do it. So here goes.

For our "Fall Break" (and by this, CIEE really means one extra day off), I traveled to Athens, Greece. I arrived there very late on Thursday, November 17th and upon my arrival to the hotel, passed out immediately.

On Friday I started off the day at the Acropolis. Going to Athens NOT during tourist season was one of the best decisions I've made abroad--there were really very few people up there with me, and it was nice to not be mobbed by tourists. The gov nerd in me absolutely exploded at the Parthenon, and just how much of these buildings still stands will continue to blow my mind.

 I won't bore you all with the history of these amazing buildings, but it really was amazing finally seeing all of these places after reading about them in textbooks my whole life.

After the Acropolis, it was off to lunch, the first of many absolutely unreal meals in Athens. The olive oil, the olives, the feta cheese, OH THE FETA CHEESE. This weekend and last weekend (Rome) clearly beat every weekend foodwise. Absolutely phenomenal. At lunch we tried a selection of Greek dishes: spanekapeta, Greek salad (the first of about 500 this weekend), tzatziki, etc. Everything was sooo good. I could easily move to this country.

After lunch we headed to Plaka, to wander around the streets there. I absolutely LOVED this area of Athens, very cute, small little, tucked away stores. Stopped in a few jewelry stores (of course) along with some other cute shops. Bought a lotion made with olive oil that smelled like heaven (only to have security confiscate it from me at the airport a few days later).

After wandering Plaka we headed up towards Syntagma Square to get to Parliament for the changing of the guards. I have to tell you, I haven't laughed that hard in awhile. The guards in Athens look ABSURD. Here's a pic from the middle of the changing of the guard. Really? You expect us to take these guys seriously?!

Later that night it was off to dinner. We ate at a restaurant with a GORGEOUS view of the Acropolis. We sat on the roof terrace with the Parthenon looking over us, and ate an absolutely scrumptious meal of even more Greek salad (with yummy yummy feta cheese) and other delicious Greek foods. We sat and relaxed for awhile, and then headed back to the hotel for sleeps.

The next day it was off to the Ancient Agora. I have to say, this was substantially better organized than the Roman Forums, and my kindle helped a lot with guiding us through as well. Even though it's a remodeling, it was cool to see this stoa as it once would have looked:
The Agora was fascinating, and huge. There were so many things to look at, and it was really amazing once again to see how much of this stuff is still there. The most impressive in this regards is the Temple of Hephaestus, which stands almost exactly as it did so many years ago. It's absolutely spectacular:





After the Agora we wandered the streets of Plaka and Monastiraki again. There was a flee market going on which was really cool and entirely chaotic. I tried this hot Greek drink (no idea what it was called) on the streets, and I gotta say, it was disgusting.

We then headed to the Ancient Roman Forums. These are by no means as impressive as the ones in Rome, but they're still really cool. Being partial to any kind of library, I really liked Hadrian's Library. It was really cool to stand there and realize that this is where the great thinkers may have once stood and researched and studied various subjects.

Now for the title of this entry. Greek Yogurt. Now, many of you may know my normal love for this food. Absolutely delicious. But here. In Greece. NOTHING LIKE IT. SERIOUSLY, I COULDN'T GET ENOUGH. Ask anyone I was with, this was absurd. Around the corner from our hotel was this Greek Yogurt shop. I loved everything about it. The store, the man who owned the store (I in fact sang a whole song about him), and of course, THE YOGURT. Here are some pictures of my love:












That night we had a fantastic dinner once again. I'm telling you, the food in Greece is phenomenal. Other than Rome, no other food abroad came close.

The next day I head home, after of course enjoying one more delicious yogurt. The trip was phenomenal, and I'll definitely be back to Greece to spend some time on the islands some time in my life.

WHEW. One entry down! 6 days left in Prague...begin the countdown!

When in Rome...(November 10-13)

Mommy and me at the Colosseum

We're catching up! So three weekends ago I headed off to Roma to meet my Mom for a fantastic Italian weekend. This weekend was JAM PACKED so if I leave things out, it's just cus I'm trying to get the main highlights in.

I got to Rome late Thursday night and met my mama in the hotel. After throwing down my things, we walked around the corner to the Pantheon and had some delicious food right in the piazza. We split a delicious caprese salad (the first of about a million that weekend) and a pasta dish with alfredo sauce and ham. And the view was spectacular! On the way home we stopped for some gelato and then it was sleepytime for us.

Roman Forum

We woke up bright and early the next day and headed to the Colosseum. It really was amazing, just as awe-inspiring as I always imagined it was. Just to think about the fact that it was built so long ago, and yet still stands today...unbelievable.

After the Colosseum and a quick bite to eat right next to it, we were off to the Roman Forum. While this was also unbelievable, it was incredibly confusing. There are very few signs and so thank god we had a guide book that kinda walked us through for most of the sights, although we were definitely lost at some point. The ruins really are amazing though, and it blew my mind how much of these buildings built so long ago were still standing. How much of what we build today could possibly last so long?

View from the top of the Vittorio Emannuelle Monument

Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument

After the ruins we went to the Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument. The monument was built to honor the first king of the unified Italy, Victor Emmanuel. I can't explain why, but I really liked this monument, and was glad that we had to pass it so many times on the way back and forth from our hotel. It also holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and has a changing of the guards every hour. The view from the top is amazing!

Then it was off to the Piazza del Campidoglio. You walk up the huge ramp and are greeted by a huge statue of Marcus Aurelius, but the real one is even more impressive, and is held inside the Museum in the piazza, which we went to. The museum was cool, but the piazza at sunset was absolutely beautiful. After the museum we walked over to the little overlook area next to the piazza and looked at Rome all lit up at night.

After the Campidoglio we went back to the hotel to change for dinner. Now, here's my quick little rant on our hotel in Rome. The location was phenomenal, and the hotel itself was very nice. But the staff were unhelpful and rude and as a result, we got lost EVERY TIME we went somewhere using their directions. So of course, we got lost going to dinner the first night. We went to a delicious little restaurant on a side street by the Roman Forum (a recommendation from Ata) and the food was amazing. We had pasta, prawns, and artichokes. Yum! The dessert was delicious as well, and we went to bed quite satisfied with the day.

The next morning we woke up and headed off to Vatican City. It still confuses me how the Vatican is it's own country, but we got there with no problem and headed off to the Vatican Museum. While all of the artwork is beautiful, of course the Sistine Chapel takes the cake. I must say, I have NO IDEA how Michelangelo did it, because I got so dizzy just LOOKING at the thing. Here are a few of the illegal photos I snapped of the ceiling and also of Raphael's "School of Athens" which I really loved.

After the Sistine Chapel it was off to St. Peter's. We did the church first before climbing to the top. The inside of the church was truly spectacular. Once again I found my AP Art History knowledge creeping back into my brain and it was really cool getting to see some of the stuff I learned about so long ago. After the church we waited on the very long line to climb to the top of St. Peter's, and then climbed the long and extremely claustrophobia-inducing stairway to the top. I gotta say, it was totally worth it. An incredible view! After taking in enough of the view, we headed back down and rested on the lower part of the roof of the Vatican for awhile, where I wrote a postcard to Mike before we headed back down to the street.

The basilica itself is architecturally amazing. I could've stayed there for awhile, but both Mommy and my tummy's were rumbling and it was time for yet another delicious Roman meal. We stopped at a cute little street cafe in the Vatican city and had more yummy mozzarella and other such Italian food before heading back to Rome.

After the Vatican we headed back to the hotel and were greeted by a HUGE celebration outside our hotel. Our hotel was located in the same piazza as the Italian parliament and Saturday night was the night Berlusconi resigned, and there were camera crews, celebrations, and lots of Italian songs being sung. The gov nerd in me LOVED every minute of it, and insisted we keep our windows open while we got ready for dinner. After a nap, we we headed out to dinner, which of course we got lost on the way to. Our dinner was in Trastevere, a cute little neighborhood further away from downtown Rome. Dinner was delicious yet again, and then we wandered the streets of Trastevere and stopped in some little shops and bought some gifts for ourselves before heading back.

On the way home we finally stopped at the Trevi Fountain. I'd been waiting for this the whole time in Rome, and it did not disappoint. The fountain is truly breathtaking, and of course Mommy and I took our coins and made wishes into the fountain. We sat there for awhile before turning back to the hotel and calling it another fantastic night.

The next day we headed out early again to go see the Moses sculpture at St. Peters in Chains. I wasn't looking forward to this anywhere near as much as my mom, but the statue was really impressive, and knowing the whole story behind Moses having horns made it a lot more interesting. So a worthwhile little trip. 

Then it was off to the Piazza Navona to see Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiume. This was really cool and I loved how walking around the entire fountain had so many different angles and different things to look at. A really impressive masterpiece. We sat down and had a really yummy lunch at a small cafe outside in the piazza and watched all the street performers and people wandering around. A great last meal in Italy!

As our last stop in Rome we headed off to the Spanish Steps. This was yet another time when I was really glad we weren't there during the height of tourist season. The steps weren't mobbed and we were able to sit towards the bottom and people watch and just enjoy the piazza. Along with the steps, that piazza has the fountain which is rumored to have the sweetest water in Rome. Of course, we tried it. (To be honest, couldn't tell the difference, but it was fun to try!)

Then it was off for one more delicious gelato before heading home to Prague! A wonderful weekend! 

Galway Girl

Ahhh so here comes the update of the best trip during my time here. Galway, Ireland. I'd been dreaming of this trip for months, and I was so happy to experience it and realize that my dreams of Ireland were EXACTLY as it was, and I loved every minute of it!

So I got into Dublin Thursday night of the first weekend in November. I took a bus from the city to Galway where Tory came and picked me up, and after a quick dinner at her apartment, we were off to a pub. I got my first Guinness!

We headed in early though, because we had an early morning ahead of us. Aran Islands in the morning!

Friday morning we woke up bright and early and took a bus to the ferry docks, where we then took a ferry to the Aran Islands. When we got to the islands, we went to get some food before renting bikes to ride up to the cliffs. Seeing as I hadn't ridden a bike since I was oh, about 10, I was a little nervous, to say the least. But we all were great! The bike ride was so much fun, and we passed tons of sheep, cows, and BEAUTIFUL rainbows on the way.

Partway through our bike ride, it DOWNPOURED.  But, as it does in Ireland, it lasted about 2 minutes before stopping, but of course we were all soaked though. Rain-lover that I am though, I loved it.

The cliffs themselves were BEAUTIFUL. I really just have no words, so I'll just throw you a few pictures.

Loved loved loved them! After spending some time up there, we headed back so as to not miss the ferry back to Galway. We relaxed in bed for a LONG time and watched P.S. I Love You, because Galway wasn't enough Irish for us haha. And then it was off to another bar. Friday night was by far the best night, and we all had a really good time. The band was PHENOMENAL and we just all had a great time listening and dancing and singing.

Saturday was my day in Galway, and Tory and I explored the open markets and stuff in the downtown area. We bought each other Claddagh Rings, because apparently to buy one for yourself is bad luck and means you won't find love! I also bought some other jewelry and such, and then we had the most fantastic falafel I've ever had. Afterwards we headed to a bar where we sat outside for about 2-3 hours and enjoyed hot whiskey and Irish coffees. So yummy. Then we had a yummy dinner of fish and chips and shepherd's pie. Mmm-mmm good. 

I got to see some BEAUTIFUL views of Galway along with enjoying a walk on the beach with Tory. The sunset was beautiful. After our wanderings, we headed home to relax for a little bit before going out for the night again. 

Then we were off for our last night in Galway. We had a great time but headed home early, since I had to be up super early for my bus back to Dublin. I was so so sad today, but I KNOW that I'll be back to Galway someday. I had so much fun, and a very belated thank you to Tory for taking me around. 

"I've traveled around I've been all over this world 

Boys I ain't never seen nothin' like a Galway girl"