One-Fourth Down; Three-Fourths To Go

I cannot believe that a quarter of my time abroad is already over. This past month has certainly flown by and I only expect the next three to go just as quickly. In just these few weeks, I've learned a lot about myself, my own culture, and the culture of Ireland/Europe. Because of that, here are my:

TOP TEN THINGS I COULD GET USED TO IN IRELAND

1. Walking Everywhere: It is so nice to live in a city where walking is possible. Sure, I guess you could attempt to walk at home, but you certainly wouldn't get very far. Here I walk at least 4 miles every day, and that is just to and from school twice each day. After four months, I'm going to have some killer legs.

2. The Vocab: Sure it is different, but it is fun too! To have the chance to say things like 'Oh, its just a brilliant day' or 'That was a gorgeous milkshake' and my personal favorite 'Well it was just such a posh neighborhood'. Everything here is lovely, brilliant, gorgeous, and posh. You can say that which suits your fancy.

3. Less Televised Advertising: Forget about commercial breaks every ten minutes. The only shows that do them even every fifteen minutes are the American shows, and those are only about 3 minutes long. European shows wait until the top or the bottom of the hour to have about five minutes of commercials.... and if you're a sports fan here, there will be no interruptions for your intense viewing of rugby or whichever sport preferred.

4. The Kindness Of The Irish: People here are just so nice, it is almost unreal. My roommates have been so accommodating, my classmates have warmed up to me, and anyone on the street is willing to stop to help you out. Maybe they are just nosy, but if it is to my benefit, then so be it!

5. Ease Of Travel: Whether stying in the Republic of Ireland or travelling outside the country, travel is not only inexpensive, its easy! The bus systems are easy to navigate, Ryan Air has extremely cheap rates, and hostels are easy to book as well. Other than traveling in Ireland, I'm also going to London, Paris, Brussels, and Liverpool too!

6. The Scenery: Maybe you just don't appreciate the views of your motherland because it is familiar, but it is so beautiful here! Most days you could go out and it would be difficult to take a bad picture. We've been blessed with beautiful weather so far, making it all the better too!

7. Going To A Big, Beautiful Church: No matter which church you go to here in Limerick, the churches are old and gorgeous. I'm going to the Redemptorist's Church just down the road, but they are all lovely. While going to a big church at home is an option, it usually is not such a convenient one as it is here.

8. The Vault Channel: This television channel is everything a music fan of the 80s, 90s, and now could want. There are tons of throwback music videos, paired with some of today's hits, all mixed in with marathons of your favorite divas: Madonna, Tina Turner, and the like. Also, you can always count on 'Livin on a Prayer' to be on during the 1 o'clock hour.

9. Having A Kitchen In Student Housing: Making our own food here has been so wonderful. We're not restricted to a cafeteria with sub-par food. Instead, I have an oven, a range, and a microwave for all my cooking needs. It may be a small kitchen, but its been great to be able to make my own food.

10. The Pay Per Hour: Not that I'm not actually working here, but if I were I would be making some bank. Don't leave tips for your waitresses or bartenders. They make upwards of ten euros an hour. I'm not entirely sure what the minimum wage is here, but students are making enough money one day on the weekend to fund an entire week of partying, so certainly pay is pretty good around here.

[Tune in later this week for another top ten list!]