Travel
Adventures Abroad
I originally had a blog post all ready to publish. It was about being at a new school, and being stuck feeling like the new person. I keep forgetting that I am that person, that I’m the international student.
About how I’ve been called American multiple times, while Brittany has been called both American and Hispanic. We all thought that was pretty interesting, yet hilarious. But then some things happened that I would much rather tell you about.
I have become aware of how much I love this place and these people. And it’s only been two weeks.
View from the hill in Waterford, my birthday walk.
On Thursday, it was my birthday – my first birthday away from home. I didn’t want to do anything big, maybe some drinks with my new friends. But Brittany and I had definitely planned to go for a nice walk up the hill that morning. The view of Waterford was gorgeous. The sky was clear, and it was a great start to the day.
My internet wasn’t working that day, so I had to run around to the computer store to try to solve more technology issues. I met up with Brittany after, and we went grocery shopping.
We came back to a dark apartment, only to have all of my friends in the apartment with the lights off, jumping up to yell “SURPRISE” as I came into the room. It was awesome! They had been planning it in secret, and everything went really well (apparently, because I had no idea at all…). We had pizza, drinks, and cake, and we all just hung out. It was a great birthday, probably one of the best I’ve had. And I’m so glad to have met these people.
The Friday was pretty boring, including me sleeping in and just wandering around city center with some friends. We stopped in at a coffee shop that was really cute, and had great drinks.
That night was when the crises happened. First, I encountered more technological issues when I was charging my phone. It had been plugged in for almost 5 minutes when my adapter suddenly started sparking and smoking. I panicked. I quickly unplugged my phone and the adapter. The others were out, and I had no idea what to do. So I messaged the guys to come and help me. But it was helpless, so we just threw it out. Quick flash forward to a weekend of Brittany and I sharing her phone charger and adapter for our electronics.
The second crisis of the night happened when Brittany burned her hand, but she doesn’t really want the story told… again.
Saturday was a great day. We went on our first trip out of Waterford city, to Kilkenny. It was quite different. The bus ride was even pretty, as you could see the rolling green hills and fields for miles out the windows on either side.
Kilkenny was brilliant. Our first stop was Kilkenny castle. We wandered some of the gardens, taking group and fun pictures, before taking a guided tour around the castle. The history was so interesting, and it was fun to hang out with our group. (We had a very large group of 21, but we were quite disorganized… haha.)
 On the bus to Kilkenny, with Sarah, Hubert, Carlos, and Bert (and Bruna and Evelyn behind) |
 Kilkenny Castle, with all of it’s history. |
 Kilkenny Castle Grounds |
From there, we had lunch at a little restaurant, Petronella’s. Hidden away in a little alleyway, this restaurant was perfect. The owner told us of the interesting history of the building, and the food was amazing! It was a great find.
We wandered the streets of Kilkenny, through alleys and little passageways to find the Black Abbey and St. Mary’s Cathedral. They were gorgeous. St. Mary’s was being renovated, so we couldn’t enjoy the full splendor. But even the outside was a great sight. Black Abbey had an interesting history and gorgeous stained glass windows. A woman told us how it had been taken by Cromwell during his siege, similar to Kilkenny castle, but that Cromwell had actually slept for a night within the walls of the Black Abbey.
After wandering and sightseeing, some of the group wanted to go on a tour of Smithwick’s Brewery, while others did not. I was one of the latter. The group who went on the tour said that it was interesting and they learned a lot. I went with a few of the girls (Brittany, Evelyn, Sarah, Bruna, and Kitty) to a local coffee shop, where we ordered drinks and just had fun chatting.
 Girls in front of Grace’s Castle. Lovely ladies! |
 The Black Abbey. So much history in this town, it was amazing. |
 In the Black Abbey, this stained glass window presents the Mysteries of the Rosary in a breathtaking way. |
 St. Mary’s Cathedral in Kilkenny. |
 I kind of love these people I have met. Promised a friend I wouldn’t put this on Facebook, but I love this picture. Left to right: Sarah, Brittany, Bruna, Hubert, Carlos. Erasmus <3 |
 At the Cafe with these gorgeous ladies. We were all pretty tired after a day of exploration. |
We took the hour bus ride back home to Waterford. We were all pretty tired after an historical and entertaining day of being tourists. Some of us went out, some stayed in. But we all agreed that it was an amazing day, and we swapped pictures.
I cannot believe that it has only been two weeks, and I have already done so many amazing things. Not only that, but I have gotten to do these things with some great people.
I am quite thankful to have met all of them here. They made a huge effort to give me a great birthday away from home, and we all can laugh and enjoy ourselves together on outings like these.
I’m super excited for more exploring and adventures with these people.
May the road rise up to meet ya.
From
JH
P.S. – I am still having technical difficulties. It’s a dilemma actually. Not enjoying that aspect of my trip. But on the bright side, I had my first pint of Guinness (on tap) the other day, and really liked it!
Packing Process
Clothes are thrown over the bed in a mess. Shoes, bags, and jackets scatter the floor. Electronics, make-up, scarves, and more.
The packing process is full of stages. Disaster might be one.
The guest room of our house looks like the remnants of a battle…between everything I own.
For someone with slight OCD, packing is always stressful. But packing for 6 months of living and travelling, during three different seasons, well that turns into something entirely different.
I procrastinated packing for so long. Like a teenager puts off a project until the night before. But I knew that I couldn’t do all of this last minute.
With little room, I have to think so carefully about what I’m taking, what I’ll wear, what I’ll use. But the process of packing just makes me that much more excited about the adventure itself.
In a few days, I’ll be in Ireland.
Of course I’m nervous. But I’m super excited. This is the chance of a lifetime. I’m looking forward to living in Waterford and studying at their amazing university. Study abroad is a great opportunity.
First, I’ll have to get through the flights, something I am definitely not looking forward to. Especially being sick.
I’m going to miss my family, my friends, and the climbing gym I work and climb at. They have all made and changed my life in so many ways. This trip will allow me to grow as a person for the better, to learn exactly who I am and who I want to be. And I can’t wait to see what is ahead of me.
Thanks to technology, I’ll be in touch through every way possible.
May the road rise up to meet ya.
From
JH
Welcome
Hi –
My name is Julie Huff, and welcome to my blog.
I am a student, rock climber, avid reader, movie fanatic, and hopeful world traveler.
At least, that’s my usual tagline for social media and things. But can any one person be simplified by a few select phrases?
I love learning, about many different things. I enjoy the classics, whether it’s Shakespeare and Jane Austen, or more modern through the infamous Breakfast Club. I am a rock climber and hiker, often seeking adventure somewhere in the outdoors. And this next big change in my life is my attempt to become a worldlier person. I have always wanted to travel the world. And my opportunity came.
For my next semester of university, I will be living and studying in Waterford, Ireland. This is a once in a lifetime experience to immerse myself in another culture, learn and travel all at once.
And I couldn’t be more terrified or excited.
But that’s the best part of my adventure. Change isn’t something that comes easily to our human nature. We all seem to want to resist it. But fear is what makes something exciting, conquerable. That’s what climbing has taught me.
As Vanessa Redgrave quotes in a movie I love: “’What’ and ‘If’ are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? What if?” (Letters to Juliet, 2010).
Well, I didn’t want to be haunted by those words. And this was my chance to overcome my fears, and make a big change. Hopefully you are here because you are interested in my journey, or you just enjoy travel and the wonders of the world. I hope to provide all of that. It’ll be an intriguing ride for all of us as I find my way in a new place, both online and in the world.
From JH