All good things come to an end...

Well it has to happen eventually. But first, a quick recap!

This week I finished finals. They weren't bad, a bit of a hassle since each one of them was the first real legitimate work I had done in the classes all semester, but barring that each one was not very difficult. We did flip a bit about our International Financial Management, but that all turned out just fine, no worries. 

In any case, this weekend I traveled to Belgium. I went by myself which scared the hell out of me, but nonetheless I braved the storm and had a fantastic time exploring a very fine country indeed. On Friday night I stayed with my professor's mother, and the entire evening consisted of her telling me awesome stories about World War II and her time in Belgium. Good food too and a very homely atmosphere made that night very enjoyable.

Saturday I spent the day in Brussels. A very fine city indeed, the churches and buildings were fantastic. Later at night I grabbed a train to Antwerp where I was spending the next night. There I met two Canadians and we basically chatted and laughed all night, which made for a very good time. The hostel was great as well!

Sunday was spent in Antwerp. I saw mass at the Cathedral, which was fabulous, a very nice experience. The rest of the day was actually rather boring in Antwerp, there wasn't much to do. I settled in a bit early and watched a movie, just to relax some.

Monday (today) I went to Breendonk Concentration camp. Talk about heavy material. It was an educational yet emotionally tolling trip that left me both informed and saddened. It was quite a sight, being one of the few camps left that is actually intact. I enjoyed it though and hope I can pass that message along to other people. 

In all, I am coming back home tomorrow at 1:30. I have said much about my time already, so I can now only say that I have enjoyed my time here, but like the first yearning for Dublin I acquired, I must move to other things now. I have taken much and hopefully given back some as well. I'll talk to you later Ireland, it's been swell.

And thus ends my blog. Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed my eccentric narration, until next time, cheers!

Been a while.... time time time!

Wow it has been a while since I've posted on this blog. My most sincere apologies, I have been very busy and I don't feel like I have much to report on. I guess that is the effect living here has; eventually it becomes everyday sort of happenings, no big deal, but this time it's really not a big deal. In any case, I can catch you up quickly.

In November I had Ashley visit me for a week. We visited Cork as well as Howth and Dun Laoghaire. It was a fantastic time going out to pubs around town and generally having a very enjoyable week. I got to play tour guide again which was no problem on my part as she made everything fun and unstressful. Needless to say by week's end I was out of money and hadn't done any work, but who cares? Fun times.

After that my friend Hilary from Italy came to visit. That was a bit tougher because immediately after Ash left, Hilary came, and I was quite tired from showing people around the city. But I played my part and even though I was ill one night, we still had a great time. 

The week following was work week. Basically I did everything I was putting off the semester in a week and a half and turned it in. Boo ya. 

Thanksgiving was held at the Merrion Hotel, the highest rated hotel in Dublin. It's owned in part by Mr. Naughton who also gave us the money to buy the O'Connell house. He's loaded to say the least. I got to talk to him and his wife for a bit. They just got back to Dublin from London after visiting with the Prince of Wales. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This guy was awesome to the core. 

After the mass and reception with 80 Euro bottles of Champaign (the cheapest one on the menu), we headed upstairs for an incredible five star meal. There was bread, caesar salad, pumpkin and sage soup, Turkey with sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, and mashed potatoes with gravy. Apple pie with ice cream rounded off dessert followed by coffee or tea. There was also wine refills the entire night of some of the best merlot I've ever had. And while it definitely didn't have the familial aspect I missed, it was a great meal and a fantastic time.

After-dinner entertainment followed with all of us as the entertainment. There was singing, harp playing, oratorical declamation, and even a Monty Python skit done in part by yours truely (and no, it was not a wine-induced decision). We all went out to a pub for a while and had an absolute blast with Thanksgiving. 

Since then it's been realitively calm. A class at the O'Connell house here, a free day to do nothing there. December is not crunch time yet, but with the first final out of the way tonight, things are coming to a close. I am planning a trip to Belgium on the 19th through the 23rd, and after that I am home. In all honesty I am ready to come home. I miss being there with the snow, my home, as well as family and friends that make Christmas so great. Ireland is an absolute blast and I'm going to be sad leaving, but I will also be really happy to see Illinois again. Soon enough, two weeks from tomorrow!

I hope everyone is having a great time preparing for Christmas and finals. Have a great December, you'll be hearing me on this sooner, I promise. If not, I'll see you at home! Bye!