First Letter Home from Galway

               I have officially been in County Galway, Ireland for three weeks and I am settling in nicely.  My flat is comfortable and I have made several friends already.  Public transportation is awesome and so is my new bicycle!  I love exploring both near and far along the lush western coast of Ireland.

Nearby Gaylway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) where I am studying Irish Heritage, my flat is in the neighborhood of Renmore.  The rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean are only a short walk away!  I enjoy having my own kitchen in a foreign country and have really taken to eating Heinz 57 beans on toast for breakfast.  My flat mate is from Hungary and she seems to be a big fan of American culture after living and working at Six Flags in Ohio last summer.

Being bundled into the Erasmus group of students and spending time in town, I have made friends from all over Europe:  Bulgaria, Spain, France, Romania, Austria, Sweden, Hungary, and of course, Ireland.  It is so interesting to learn about these cultures from people my age – we are so much the same and so very different at the same time.  We all share the common language of English, although I feel slightly like an “ignorant American” because I have yet to truly learn any other languages.  As a native English speaker, it is so entertaining to help my friends try to find the right words in our conversations, such as “straw,” “burner,” and “lettuce” -finding the right words can be like an ongoing game of charades!

               My second week of classes have begun, and they are all quite interesting.  In Natural History, we have already spent a day in the field – we went to the beach to discuss local ecosystems.  I am also taking Early Irish Literature, where my professor sometimes breaks into Gaelic. Archaeology is on the docket, as well.  My fourth class, Urban Field Studies, is a three-day intensive where we will travel to Sligo in October and report our findings/experiences.  There was a club fair last week, so I discovered what a variety of clubs GMIT has to offer!   The most interesting to me were Kayaking, Yoga, Archery, Film, Tae Kwon Do, and Theatre – but I think Archery fits into my schedule best.

               Down the road from the main campus sits the Art & Design campus, Cluain Mhuair.  I have spent some time exploring this building with my friends Stella and Lucia who are attending art classes there.  I typically spend most of my time in the art department at North Central Michigan College (NCMC), so I felt right at home.  Cluain Mhuair has an amazing library!  It is four stories of any kind of art book that you can imagine, and was designed by an award-winning architect – built completely without nails or screw, only pegs and slots.  I pondered picking up some classes from the textiles program, but classes over here are organized by modules so cross-over between programs is rare.

While visiting a charity shop (where I found my new favorite wool pea coat), I inquired where to find other charity shops as well as a bicycle shop.  The workers introduced me to a nice chap named Eamund who took me on a whirlwind tour over the cobblestone streets of the city centre.  He showed me the On Yer Bike Cycles shop and I am proud to say I have acquired a bicycle for €70!  As cycling is my main method of transportation back home in Petoskey, Michigan, this has revolutionized my experience here.  It rains nearly every day, so I am glad that this bike came equipped with mud guards, as well as lights and a rear rack.  Sometimes cycling is scary here, but it feels so amazing to pedal through the fresh sea air!

Galway is known as a “bohemian” city within the Republic of Ireland, as many people from different countries (especially Spain) have chosen to settle here.  It is bustling with lively culture and the pedestrianized Shop Street boasts pubs, cafes, and plentiful street performers.  The Galway Market is a bountiful farm and craft market every Saturday – and I was able to find a friendly crepe seller there who gave me a bottle of sriracha after I was so excited to see it on his shelf (Irish cuisine is not known for spiciness).

               So far, I have taken many day trips to the various sites surrounding County Galway.  My first weekend here, I took a solo trip by bus to Kinvara and Dunguaire Castle.  Then, my flat-mate and I took a bus to the epic Cliffs of Moher (Cliffs of Insanity!) in County Clare.  This weekend my mom and her boyfriend took a flight across the pond to visit me – we spent a lot of time exploring Galway pubs and eateries. On Sunday, we took a lovely drive in their rented car to Clifden through Connemara – an infamous rural region in the north of County Galway, where the primary language is Irish and sheep roam freely along the roadsides.  The landscape is breathtaking (photo gallery below)!!   We parted ways as they went up to explore Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway this week, then I will meet them in Dublin this Thursday after classes – I am taking the train (my first time)! 

               Although I really REALLY miss my doggie Geronimo (a rescue Boston terrier) and all of my friends back home, this is like nothing I have ever experienced before in my life!  The land of Ireland is breath-taking and magical; even in modern day, it seems like it is straight out of a fairy tale.  Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Sincerely,
Jasmine