#MAET Year 1 scrapbook FINISHED!!! #scrapbook #Ireland #Galway

I just put the finishing touches on my scrapbook from MAET -Year 1! (MAET stands for Master's of Arts in Educational Technology and I completed in 3 summers in Galway, Ireland.)


Yes, I'm a scrapbooker. Not the it-loos-so-good-you-could-put-that-in-a-frame kind; I'm more like the cram-as-much-on-one-page-as-possible kind. I won't lie, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood had a big effect on me, although I started doing this a little before I read the book. My first scrapbook was of my honeymoon to Greece with my ex-husband. Ever since then I have more or less accounted for big events and trips with a scrapbook.

Here's the gist:

1. I collect all sorts of things during my trip. I mean everything: receipts, tickets, napkins, posters, brochures, stickers, figurines, rain ponchos. You just never know what might come in handy later.
2. When I get home Some number of months or years later, I pull out all the stuff I've collected. I go online and print out a selection of pictures from the trip. For example, for MAET Year 2, I printed out 383 pictures out of 700ish total taken. 
3. I sort the pictures chronologically by event on a big table.
4. I sort all the collected debris on top of the pictures.
5. Assemble pages, event by event. This is the part where I really start to relive the trip. It's the best part (as long as it was a happy event!). Here is where I see what was actually important to me. Those things are included.
6. This is the second best part: I throw out all the stuff that doesn't go into the book. This feels fantastic! Before I started making scrapbooks I just collected boxes full of little mementoes and piles of pictures that no one ever saw except me when I cleaned out. Now, the good stuff stays and gets displayed, and the other stuff gets to go, and I complete the process with a visible piece of me to share and an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Late, late, late sunsets

I went on a run last night at 10:30. It was so light outside that I was able to capture some pretty amazing pictures on my phone.

#210: International Business Class (with me in it)

For my journey home, I was fortunate enough to get a Business Class ticket from London to Dallas, which then turns to 1st Class in the States. After flying coach on the 6 hours flight from Philadelphia to Glasgow I was excited for the upgrade on the 9 1/2 hour return flight. American Airlines did not disappoint! It was a new plane, so I had my own "pod". A big TV with a ton of movies & TV shows (I watched 3: A Streetcar Named Desire, Home, and The Kingsmen. Unlimited supplies of beverages and nuts. Two meals. Hot towels before the first one. Lots of room for my luggage. A little table. Bose headsets. A kit with earplugs, a face mask, Scope and more. The seat transformed into a flat bed. Lots of lighting (or not). A really nice (for a plane) restroom that wasn't cramped. And a baggage check limit of 3 bags.

The cherry on top of this ice cream sundae was the final leg of my trip from Phoenix to Boise: I ran into good friends who have a daughter I have sort of adopted, and she and I got to sit together in first class! Bonus!

#205: Finding your family in a foreign country!

It's not very often in my life that I get to meet up with family in a foreign country--family that I didn't travel with on my entire trip.

Today, however, three of us finally, found each other in the Dublin airport!  I came by train and by bus; my aunt came on a plane from Glasgow that was supposed to arrive at 3:55 but actually landed at 4:35; and my cousin came in from London at 4:40 on a plane that was supposed to arrive at 3:15.

After a few trips between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and back again, the next phase of my Summer 2015 Adventure began!

#201: No-guilt naps

I don't think I'll ever get tired of being grateful for naps!

No homework tonight, so my nap from 4-7:30 was luscious because the stress of having to get up and work was gone. Okay, this isn't entirely true that there is no work to be done. I still need to work on my website and get a domain name, but these things are fun!

However, the big huge portions of my work this summer have been completed--putting on a conference and a research to practice lesson plan. If you need some light reading before bed, here's what I've been working on all summer.

The nap was one of those knock-out-cold-big-mac-truck-is-not-waking-this-woman-up type naps. The kind where you don't wake up groggy (I went to the gym) but could go back to sleep at any time.

By the way, good Southern girls take naps. It's only them Yankees that don't!

#200: Gaelic Football

I have now experienced the Irish version of what we in Texas call L.I.F.E.

Gaelic Football, or GAA. It's played on a pitch. My version is that it is a mixture of basketball, football (American), soccer and probably some other stuff. It looks like there are a bunch of guys running after each other in gym class chasing a ball, trying to get it into a goal.

I just watched Mayo play Sligo, though really it was Mayo beating on Sligo. Here's the stats.

My hosts for the day

Before game festivities - note that it is NOT raining

The sky on the way back to Galway!
(it was raining when we got there)

#199: I beat last year's time!

I ran the Run Killarney Half Marathon this morning. Though it was really, really hard, I managed to beat last year's time by over two minutes!

#198: Galway Artwork

A few nights ago I went to St. Nickolas Church in Galway to hear John C. Reilley play music. I arrived early, however, and went to scavenge for food. Upon my return, take-away sweet potato fries in hand, I started talking to to gentlemen that were putting away their booth at the market that surrounds the church on weekends and much of the summer.

I shared my fries and we talked about their art. On every trip I take I like to buy original artwork from the artist. When my dad and I went to Italy, Paris and London, for example, I bought a canvas off of someone outside the Orsay Museum, had it framed and put it in my hallway where I get to see it everyday. 

These two men in Galway were packed up, but I went back today and bought two painting that are done on discarded slate roof tiles that this man pays someone at the landfill a few Euros to salvage for him. How cool is that?!?!  He signed the backs and threw is a little magnet, as well. Upon my return, only one of the guys was there, so we took this picture to make his business partner jealous. 

If you're interested, I have their email!

#197: The Quiet Man

I was told by an Irish friend of mine that The Quiet Man is one of the greatest films ever.  So we watched it tonight. 

If you don't want me to taint your opinion, stop reading now!  If you want to read something else instead, here is some trivia on the film.

• John Wayne is too old for Maureen O'Hara. 
• John Wayne is always John Wayne.
• I loved that it is set in Ireland, and I loved hearing the accents.
• I understood about 47 percent of what the Irish people said. I had to ask my friend to pause & translate quite a few times.
• I really don't like the way Sean treats Mary Kate. It really really bothered me.
• I just now read it won 2 Oscars. This makes me mad.
• In the end, I really liked the movie. The fact that it got me all fired up really just helps make the point of the movie.
• I still don't see what was attractive about John Wayne.

#195: I made the bus to Killarney!

I almost didn't! After class ended at noon, I ate lunch then went down for a nap before I was to catch the 5 o'clock shuttle to the bus station for my journey to Killarney. That bus was scheduled for 5:30.

However, though I thought I snoozed my alarm to wake up from the nap at 4:30, I actually turned it off. Thank goodness I awoke at 5:07!  I popped up, called for a taxi and ran outside.

The driver seemed unconcerned about my situation. I was irritated, but forced myself to calm down. The traffic in Galway has been horrendous since all the festivals began, but this driver was clever and got me close to the bus station then told me to get out and run!

I did and got there at 5:30, and my bus was delayed due to all the traffic!  Woo hoo!!!

#192: Once - The Musical

A bunch of us went to Dublin (together and separately) to see the musical Once this past Saturday. At least one song was familiar, though I had never heard of the musical before.  

The story is set in Dublin, so it was only fitting to experience it in its hometown!

It was wonderful! One of the fun parts of this show is that beforehand, you can go up on stage and hang out. And drink beer. And purchase beer. From the set--which is a bar.

We had a lovely meal before the show where there may or may not have been some crying at the curtain feel.

A delicious pre-show meal at the Green Hen with great company.  

The cast playing before the show with audience members watching around them.

Looking out from the stage.

#189: Barack Obama Plaza!

Barack Obama Plaza is the Irish equivalent of a Travel Plaza.
Didn't see that one coming, did you?

Barack Obama Plaza.

I bet you didn't know it's a thing, huh?

It IS! In Moneygall, Ireland.

I bet you didn't know that's a place, huh?

It IS! I went there today. Here's proof.

A Caddy which was clearly not made for Irish roads. Origins unspecified.

My tour guide Sean and I at an official "Barack Obama Plaza" bench.

The pub where President Obama drank.

I think the sign on the door says it all.

The home (former?) of President Obama's ancestors 

#188: Irish treadmills

I know you're laughing, unless you run on one!  In Boise, my gym has treadmills that have TV's on them.  However, the television is exactly-I mean exactly-at eye level.  Which means that if you do not want to watch TV, you are pretty much, well, too bad.  You are relegated to watching the television frame bounce in sync with your steps.

Here's what the treadmills at NUI Galway look like, and since I am doing speed work on them, I very much appreciate being able to look out the window instead of watching TV!

First, it has a very cool screen. Which is BELOW eye level!

Here's the eye level view. I can see way more when I'm running than this picture shows.

Blessing #184: A trip to the Aran Islands

I took a trip today to the Aran Islands, a group of 3 islands off the west coast of Ireland.  I walked to town where a bus took me to a ferry which took me to Inishmor (the big island).

These islands are the home of the Aran Sweater, the ones you've seen associated with Ireland before.  These islands are truly Irish: some of the natives don't speak English; everything is in Irish.  Some of the highlights from my day:

• I ate at a wonderful restaurant called Bayview, and the owner happens to be from New Jersey and on sabbatical of sorts from being a math teacher.  I am NOT making this up! 
• The bike hire guy let me rent a bike even though I didn't have 10 Euros for a deposit.
• I saw the most amazing pre-historic fort.  Here's what it looks like from the air:

Photo from http://www.visitaranislands.com/inis-mor-inishmore-island/attractions

• I wanted to buy a hat and scarf from a woman at the visitor's center at Dún Aengus, but she (and the whole island, actually) didn't take credit cards.  Instead of sending me away empty-handed, she told me to take the had and scarf and send her the money.  Irish hospitality once again!  Amazing! 
• I was so tired on the way back to the mainland that I slept on the boat and didn't get nauseous at all!

Windblown but happy after my afternoon biking. 

An Irish Longhorn?  Go horns go?!

This is very, very, very high up.  I'm lying on the ground here, looking down.

Blessing #172: Being true to myself in Ireland

I'm finally excited!  I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.  My ride to the airport is coming at 5:45, and I'm pretty closed to packed (note: it's 11:54, way better than last year).  Everything fell into place today; I got everything I think I need from Gu Chomps for long runs to Ziploc Space Bags for packing.

The great thing about today, however, is that I did NOT devote the entire day to getting ready for my trip.  I went to breakfast with my usual Sunday morning crowd;  I went to church;  I went on a walk afterwards with a friend; and this evening I went to the gym and did the workout my trainer gave me.  Oh, and I'm taking time to write this blog post.

I realized a few days ago that in the past, these trips overseas were opportunities to escape myself and my life.  While I was gone I didn't work out regularly (I realize many of us do this), I largely ignored my food allergies, I stayed up late even when I was tired, I drank caffeine even when I knew it would keep me up until 2 a.m.  The list goes on and on.  I realize that these are things most of us do on vacation, but what I discovered is that I did these things not because I wanted to, but because I wanted to fit in or because I wanted to make sure I saw all the "right" sights in places or because everybody else was doing it.  [sidebar: Brene Brown says that the #1 barrier to belonging is "fitting in".  See The Power of Vulnerability]

And so my intention this trip is to be myself, to live in my own life, to do the things I want to do because I want to do them, and to take care of myself while I do it.

#171: I'm ahead of the game!

I leave for Scotland/Ireland/London on Monday at 7 a.m. and though I am not completely packed, I am so far ahead of where I was last year at this same point.  My friend that took me to the airport last year reminded me that the morning she picked me up last year to go to the airport, I was still packing!

Now it's over 24 hours from my departure and I already have a lot of stuff taken care of that in the past either didn't get done at all or I did by staying up till 2 the night before.  Both ways, though, I was completely anxious for days before I left! 

I've already begun packing (see picture)!  My method is to haul out the suitcase a week before I leave and throw things into it whenever I think about it.

#99: Irish signs!!

I am clearly meant to be in Ireland again.  (Never mind that I am already set to go back this summer for part 2 of my masters degree.)

I flipped to PBS and found this guy, Kevin Dundon, who's an Irish chef in Ireland!  He has the accent and went to Belfast and everything!  Apparently he has a 10 episode series on Irish cooking that is broadcast in the States. I even found a recipe that I can eat that involves chocolate!!  Here's the link to info on him. 

It's just another reminder of how big the world is, how much there is to see and do, and how important it is to spend time doing the things I love.

The other "Irish sign" was on Netflix last weekend.  I found a quircky, fun Irish movie called Standby that was so fun to watch because it takes place in Dublin [read: I felt very important seeing how many places in the movie I have been to!].