Limerick 2022 – Study Abroad

3° Guarantee

May 6, 2022/in Limerick 2022

As I approach the end of my study abroad experience, it is time to look back and reflect.

I am proud to say that I have lived in Ireland. I was able to attend a public university where I could study science and teaching. I learned how to get around a new city and discovered where my favorite places were. Through it all, God made sure I wasn’t alone.

I remember wanting to go to a public university. After sixteen years of Lutheran school, I wanted to know what something different was like. I am content with the taste I had. I feel more confident in my capability to succeed wherever I am.

When I first arrived in Limerick, I set my belongings in my room and joined a group of study abroad students who were going to find where the stores were. I was exhausted, but I went with them. The next day, I walked around with other people as they explored campus and the Stables Club (one of the pubs on campus). Everything felt isolated; here was a building, over there was a store. I felt so proud when I was able to walk around by myself and connect the dots of all the places I had seen. The longer I stayed the more I explored, and my mental map expanded. By the time I had visitors, I felt like this was my city.

My experience was a success, but I would have done a few things differently. I met two women in my ecology class with whom I wish I would have formed a study group. We sat next to each other in lecture and one was my lab partner. We would text about how we thought we did on the assignments, but I wish I would have asked them if we could have studied for exams together. There were times when I felt lost when it came to studying for my ecology exams. Having other people to share what they thought was important from the class would have helped me better prepare.

This semester needed to be low stress. I had been told that studying abroad brings a different kind of stress to your life because everything is new and different. To make sure I wasn’t pushing myself too hard, I took four classes, and joined one society. I was happy with the amount of classwork I had and I really enjoyed craft society, but I wonder if joining another society or club would have been a good idea. I would have had the time for it and I hopefully would have met more native Irish people.

Some of my projects I was able to work ahead on and turn in well before they were due. I was so proud of myself for that. There was one paper that caused me to struggle. I made a plan to work a little bit on the paper everyday for two weeks in order to finish it two weeks before it was due. Then, I would have my Easter break free and the week after to work on other papers or assignments. My plan did not work. I became very lonely when the time to work on the paper arrived. I was sad and unmotivated. I could not get myself to work on the paper before Easter. After Easter, it was so hard to work on the paper since it had been causing me stress for multiple weeks. Finally, I started researching and writing. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning three nights in a row because that seemed to be the only time I could sit down and work on it. I wish I had started the paper early, but it is finished now.

Life in Limerick is a little different than at home. There are some little things that I can take from life here and incorporate them back at home. I have really come to like sticky toffee pudding while I have been here. I even start comparing all the different versions that I have tried and rank them (the little microwave versions from Aldi are very good). I would like find a recipe I like for sticky toffee pudding and make it at home. I have also enjoyed drinking tea here. I have tried for a long time to get myself to like tea, and I think I am finally learning how I like it. I would like to drink more tea at home and even get a yellow tea pot.

Craft society was a great way for me to create things while I was without many of my craft supplies. I love making things. Sometimes I wanted so badly just to make something whether that be jewelry, crochet, sewing, scrapbooking, or something else. I think it would be really cool if I could start a craft club at MLC to help other people take a break from their day and make something fun.

My fellow MLC study abroad travelers shared how they want to explore more of what is around them when they get back home. I feel like my parents were good at showing my brother and me what there was to do and see around us growing up. I remember talking with my mom about where cute places to go with my friends for lunch would be, and she had many ideas of local spots. I would like to keep learning about what my city has to offer when I go back home. I am sure there is more to see.

God has blessed me in so many ways while I have been abroad. I am very grateful for the people he has put in my life. My family, friends, and boyfriend have been very supportive throughout my time here. My ecology friends have been great, my housemates have all been nice, my International Study Abroad group has been fun to hangout with, and it has been wonderful to spend time with Wibke. Wibke helped to encourage me, pushed me to try to things, and taught me a little bit about Germany. Going on walks with Wibke has been one of my favorite parts of studying abroad.

God has made so many events work out well for me here. One of my favorite examples of this was Easter. My family had visited me before Easter, but needed to be back home for Easter Day. I was feeling lonely and most of the university students were gone traveling. Wibke texted me on Easter and asked if I wanted to go on a walk. I had thought that she was still gone traveling but she was back! We went on a walk, chatted, and were able to celebrate Easter in our own fun way.

Another way that God was working in my life was through our International Study Abroad trip to Dublin. There are four of us women studying in Limerick who are part of the International Study Abroad program. We went with the others who are studying in Galway and Dublin on a trip to Dublin. Through that trip I started talking with Elizabeth. A few weeks later she texted and asked if I wanted to get lunch with her. At lunch, we talked about different places we wanted to go. We both wanted to visit London, so we planned a trip to go together. That trip to London also allowed me see Kendra, a fellow MLC study abroad traveler.

My friend Zoe is studying abroad this semester as well. Part of her program was a study trip to Dublin. She was able to purchase a later flight back and stay a little longer in Dublin. We were able to spend a few days together which was probably my favorite part of my time in Ireland. Our schedules are alining again so that I will be able to visit her soon in Sweden.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to study abroad. I encourage others to study abroad if they can. Some important thoughts to keep in mind when thinking of studying abroad are to plan ahead, lean on your support group, put the effort in with your studies, and let yourself relax.

It is helpful to start planning for studying abroad early. I picked up a booklet about different places to study abroad with the International Study Abroad (ISA) program my first week as a freshman at MLC. ISA is not the only way you can study abroad. There are many other programs and you can even apply to study abroad directly with the school you want to attend. If you want to have more group activities planned for you, ISA could be a good option for you. If you would like to set your own travel plans, applying to the university directly might be a good option. Either way, start planning early so you have the most flexibility with what classes you can take abroad. It can be hard to find classes that transfer in place of your required classes, so planning early lets you have the most options.

Never be afraid to lean on your support group. It is completely okay to call home, talk with your friends and family. They will want to know about what exciting things you have been learning and seeing. They can also help to make you feel better when you are feeling down. You will find people you can talk with while you are abroad. They will be a good support system as well, but don’t forget to check in with your parents and let them know you are alright. Your support group also includes God. Read your Bible and continue praying while you are abroad. God is taking care of you no matter where you are.

Studying abroad is exciting. You meet new people, see new sights, but remember you also get to learn so many new things. Try to be excited about all the classes you are taking abroad, even when the big papers and exams come. You are here to learn and your classes abroad can teach you so much. You will be happy you put in the effort.

Let yourself breathe. Try not to over schedule yourself while studying abroad. You will need time to go to class, study, eat, do laundry, hangout with friends, and travel. You want to make the most of your time abroad, but that might not mean doing everything all at once. Much of your time will be spent out of your comfort zone and in your learning zone. You will even surpass your learning zone and enter your panic zone a few times. It is perfectly okay to take a break from your learning zone and go back to your comfort zone every once in a while. If you enter your panic zone, I encourage you to go back into your comfort zone and try to process what happened for a little while. You are already in a new country where everything is different. Challenge yourself, but don’t push yourself too hard.

How was my forecast from my “Playing Weatherman” post?

More confidence and patience
Pictures of Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, and Blarney Castle
Classes about ecology, music, psychology, and teaching
Periods of being lost and lonely
A successful trip because I saw the places on my Need To See List, made new friends, passed my classes, and came back with an Irish accent

3° Guarantee:

More confidence (and hopefully more patience)
Lots of pictures of Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, and many other places. I did not make it to Blarney Castle, but I saw two other castles (Bunratty Castle and King John’s Castle)
Classes about ecology, psychology, and teaching, but not music
I did get lost and I was lonely
It was a successful trip, I made friends, I think I passed my classes, no accent though

I am so happy with my decision to study abroad. The University of Limerick in Ireland was a great choice for me. I have enjoyed what I have been learning, I experienced what I wanted to, I saw the beautiful country, and met new people. I have become more openminded and more confident in my abilities. God has blessed me so much through this experience. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this, especially Mom and Dad. I love you. Thank you!

Easter In Limerick

April 20, 2022/in Limerick 2022

Today was a very rainy day. It started raining last night and kept going until the afternoon. It cleared up for a little bit, then it went back to raining. In the evening, it stopped. When it wasn’t raining in the afternoon, the sun came out and I even saw a rainbow. It was a beautiful Easter rainbow reminding me of God’s promise to never flood the whole world again.

God always keeps his promises. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, God promised that he would send a Savior. That Savior would defeat the devil, pay for the consequences of all the sins ever committed, and win eternal life in heaven for everyone who believes in him. Today, we celebrate that God kept that promise. At Christmas, we celebrate that God sent his son, Jesus, to earth as man and God to live a perfect life as our substitute. On Good Friday, we remember that Jesus needed to die in our place as payment for our sins. Doing wrong has consequences. The consequences for not listening to what God commands is death. Jesus needed to die to make that payment for sin. On Easter, we celebrate that Jesus dying as the payment for the sins of the whole world was not the end, Jesus came back to life. He showed that he has power over sin because he paid for it. He has power over the devil because he fixed the relationship between God and his people. The devil no longer has power over God’s people because all the work needed to be done for their forgiveness is completed. Jesus showed that he has power over death because he came alive again after dying. We have the promise from God that because Jesus became alive again, after we die, we will live eternally in heaven. There will be no more sadness, pain, or death in heaven. There will be joy and peace because we are with our God who loves us.

One way that I was reminded of God’s love today, was by all the people he has put in my life. I was able to stream my home church service. I was able to share in the joy of Jesus coming back to life by texting my friends and calling my family. I was even able to share some of my Easter traditions with my good friend, Wibke.

Wibke and I went for a walk during the afternoon when it stopped raining. We each ate a piece of chocolate cake, she purchased from the store, as my egg bake was in the oven. The egg bake still needed more time in the oven, so I shared with Wibke Easter candy from the United States, like jellybeans and Peeps (thanks Mom and Dad for the candy). The egg bake still wasn’t done, so we went for a walk, drank some tea, and sampled some of my hard boiled eggs. Finally, my mini egg bake was ready to eat. It was fun to be able to share some food from home with Wibke.

I miss all my people back at home. I know that I am very blessed to be here in Ireland studying and seeing the country. I am excited to finish up my studies here, see a few more sites, and be home in a month.

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!

Culture Chat

April 13, 2022/in Limerick 2022

Living in Ireland has shown me many differences between the American culture, which I am used to, and the Irish culture. I have been able to talk through some of these difference with my good friend, Wibke. She is from Germany, which allows her to see the culture here from a different perspective. We found that the cultural topics we talked about the most where food, clothing, and transportation.

Food

Wibke was telling me, that in Germany, they have three main meals and a time in the day to have a warm drink and bread and cake for special occasions. I am used to having three main meals in my day as well. That is common in American culture. When I was a kid, we had snack time at 3:00pm. That was the best time of the day. We would get home from school and have a snack with Mom before starting our homework. My favorite snack times were when it was cold and snowy out so Mom would heat up water with the kettle on the stove for hot chocolate. As I have been getting older, snack time is not very consistent. I would say that this is a difference between our two cultures, but I would be very happy to adopt this bread break into my afternoons.

We also shared how our lunches are different. I am used to lunch being a sandwich or some sort of cold lunch. I do not exclusively have a cold lunch, sometimes I will eat something warm, but most of the time, supper is the meal I put the most effort into making. I have a warm supper that is usually larger and takes longer to make than my lunch. Wibke is used to lunch being a warm and larger meal. Bread is eaten with most of her meals and potatoes are a common addition in her house.

In Ireland, bread and potatoes are very common for meals. One time, I ordered garlic breaded chicken and they gave me mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and chips (french fries) also. Tea is also a very popular drink in Ireland while ground coffee is less popular (I miss ground coffee. I am tiring of instant coffee and going out for an espresso drink is expensive.)

Clothing

It is hard to miss the clothing differences between the Irish people my ago and the people my ago back home. There is almost a uniform for Irish guys: athletic pants, a sports shirt, and the standard Irish guy haircut often called a fade cut (this is of course not a haircut exclusive to the Irish, it is just very popular). The day time outfits for Irish gals has a little more variety. The going out outfits are the most interesting. Guys will were almost the same thing in the day as they will when going out to the pub or club. The gals will put on their fake tan, eyelash extensions, and short bodycon (formfitting) skirts and dresses before heading to the pub and club.

In Irish culture, they are very conformist in the way they dress. This is different in German and American cultures. Trends are still very popular in both, but people are more open to express different senses of style. The German people may be better dressed though. In Ireland and the United States, people will wear athletic clothes as every day wear instead of solely for athletics. In Germany, it is more common for athletic clothes to be worn solely for athletics.

Transportation

I use the bus a lot more in Ireland than I ever did in the United States. I rode a school bus to school as Wibke did in Germany, but that stopped as soon as I went to high school. In the United States, a person can acquire a drivers license at the age of 16. It is very common for 16 year olds to be driving to school in the United States. In Ireland, a person needs to be 17 years old before a drivers license can be acquired. In Germany, the age is 18. This means that taking public transportation to school is much more common in Ireland and Germany. When I need to get somewhere, I drive. When Wibke needs to get somewhere, she will most often bike. Americans drive more than Europeans because the gas is almost half the cost and many areas are not made to support walking or biking as a primary form of transportation.

I hope you enjoyed learning a few of the cultural differences and similarities that I have noticed. Let me know if there are any other topics you would like me to learn more about or share.

Halfway Home

March 24, 2022/in Limerick 2022

I am half way through my time abroad. That means it is time to evaluate my experience and see what I would like to focus on for the rest of my time in Ireland.

1. How do you feel about your experience so far? Why?

My experience has been very positive. I am learning new information related to my degree in my classes, I am making friends, and I am learning more about Ireland. Classes are different than at Martin Luther College. Part of the differences are due to COVID-19. All of my larger lectures are online. Every once in a while, a lecture or tutorial will be online due to the instructor needing to quarantine. Classes are also divided into lecture periods, labs, and tutorials. If you want to learn more able that, check out my blog entitled, “Seashore Studies.” The University of Limerick has many clubs and societies. I am taking part in the craft society. We meet once a week to do a craft, like making origami shamrocks, or a hangout where everyone brings the project they are working on. I have made a friend through craft society and hope to make more. I have made friends through my Ecology and Inclusive Education classes and I made a friend through the University of Limerick Buddy Program that I joined. It took a little longer to meet friends than I was expecting, but they are worth the wait. We have explored Limerick together, and gone on trips offered through the University of Limerick. I really like seeing different parts of Ireland. It is one of the best ways to learn about the county.

2. Which goal have you made the most progress toward?

When I made my goals for studying abroad, I was still at home. I did not know what to expect. This lead me to make very general goals that I felt confident I could achieve. Within the first week of arriving in Ireland, I was wondering what in the world I was doing. Why did I want to do this? What am I doing here? What was I thinking? This was always the plan though. I had this plan since I was in high school. I was serious about this plan freshman year of college when I started planning when I would take all my classes. My plan, from the start, was to go alone. When I started wonder why I was here, I tried to think of all the reasons I wanted to study abroad. This lead me to add on to my goals from my experience studying abroad by including goals to further my teacher education, increase my confidence, and experience public university.

I have been doing the best with my academic goals. I am learning a lot. I am continuing my teacher preparation. I am learning more about Ireland. I am learning about different cultures and even learning more about myself.

3. What are 3 areas that you can improve on for the second half of your time abroad?

Going forward, I want to focus on deepening relationships, spending more time on the campus of the University of Limerick, and grow in my faith. I have made friends, now I want to make sure I am spending time with them. It is hard when I don’t have class with some and others I only see in class. By asking people to go grab a tea or coffee, study together, or go for a walk, I can get to know my friends better. All of those can be done on the University of Limerick campus. It is a beautiful campus and I want to spend more time appreciating it. I have adopted the habit of working on assignments in my room when there is a perfectly good library to use. There as so many flowers on campus to enjoy too. They are a reminder to me that I want to be growing in my faith at all times.

4. What surprised you? What have you improved on? How have your opinions evolved?

I think my biggest surprise has been the night life. It is common for students to go out any night of the week and come back around 1:00, 2:00, or even 3:00am. The culture here lends itself to later nights since many morning actives will not start until 9:00am. Being exposed to a different college life culture than I am used to has helped me to improve my openness and listening skills. I am able to see how different people live and I see value in how they do things differently than me. I am able to listen and try to understand people better now as well. My opinions have changed while being here even in the small things, like with the weather. I used to not like the time right after it rained. It felt humid and everything was wet. It bothered me. In Ireland, after it rains, it is so nice. After the rain, the air smells fresh, and the sun comes out to reveal a rainbow. It has changed my opinion.

With half my time studying abroad behind me, and the other half in front of me, I have good memories and many more to make. This next half will include more school work, as assignments are coming due. It will also include deeper connections, and more learning. I will be happy when the time comes to return home, but for now, there is more to do.

Delightful Days in Dublin

March 14, 2022/in Limerick 2022

On the 3rd of March, I was nervous and excited. After our Google Meet for the study abroad class at Martin Luther College, I was going to Dublin. I packed my backpack, grabbed an apple, and walked to the bus stop. Then it hit me. I had taken special care to reserve my bus ticket back for 13:15. Many places use 24 hour time here. When it come to reserving my bus ticket to Dublin, I had selected 5:00. I had booked a ticket for 5:00am not 5:00pm. I was panicked for a minute. When booking online, a ticket must be reserved 3 hours before the bus departs. That meant I would not be able to book a new ticket. I would have to pray that there was an open seat on the bus so I could buy a ticket from the bus driver when he came. The bus arrived. I waited in line. I asked if there was room. There were open seats! I was on my way to Dublin!

My friend, Zoe, from high school, is studying abroad in Stockholm, Sweden. Her group had a study tour to Dublin. She decided to stay for the weekend after her study tour was over so we could meet up. Thursday night, I arrived in Dublin and we met up at our hotel. Then we went out to Darkey Kelly’s for supper. I ordered seafood chowder. It was good, but it took me so long to free all my mussels from their shells that Zoe had already finished her food. After supper, we stopped by Gino’s for dessert.

Friday morning, we slept in. We ate brunch at this adorable cafe called Queen of Tarts. Their scones were very good. Our hot drinks were served in glasses which was quite fun.

We shopped a little. Zoe and I found some souvenirs and such. Then we walked over to Christ Church Cathedral. We paid for an audio tour to marvel at the inside of the cathedral.

We stopped by a convenience store to grab a snack. Something to drink and a cheap cake did the trick. Zoe found King’s Park where we sat down for a picnic. We sat on the grass soaking up the sunshine. It was maybe 50°F outside. It was so nice to be with a close friend. I felt closer to home and pretty relaxed. We walked back to the hotel for a little rest.

Tokens are worth 50 cents. Most machines take one token and some take two.

Later that night, we went to a place called Token. It is a restaurant, bar, and arcade. We had chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, and fries. We could not finish all the food. It was fun to play arcade games. I liked pinball the best. I remember playing pinball in my great aunt’s basement. That was so cool as a kid. Pinball is still just as fun as an adult. I might even be better at the game now.

Saturday morning we ate brunch at the West End Cafe. Zoe and I had crepes. An older Irish gentleman chatted with us. It was a lot of fun. Then we went on our way to walk around Dublin and find the Museum of Archaeology. I was surprised how many objects from the museum were found in bogs around Ireland. Apparently everything makes its way into the bog.

We took pictures on a cool walking bridge

We grabbed an early supper from a take-away fish and chip shop called Leo Burdock. It was good. We had another picnic with our food in St. Patrick’s Park. We ate and chatted until we were chilled. Then we watched the dogs run around in the park and went to tour St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We used another audio tour.

We stopped by the famous Temple Bar. It is funny because the whole area is called Temple Bar after a man who had the last name of Temple who moved the river similar to how one would with a sandbar so that he could build his house outside of the city. This is why locals will look at you weird when you say you are going to Temple Bar. You are already there.

White rocks labeling the coast of Ireland as Eire, so Ireland would not be mistaken for Britain and bombed during WWII

Sunday morning, Zoe and I woke up early to catch a bus to Howth. Howth is a little coastal village east of Dublin. We went to see their cliffs on the seashore. This was the best part of our trip. It was absolutely gorgeous. Along the coast is a walking trail. While walking, you will pass rocks that spell out EIRE and have a number above them. These are restored markings from World War II when Ireland wanted to make sure they were not bombed by planes mistaking Ireland for Great Britain. Walking further will bring you to a lighthouse and a beautiful view of the blue sea, green plants, and yellow flowers. We did not have long to walk around, but it was so worth going.

We ran to the bus which brought us back to Dublin. Then we had a quick lunch at the Stage Door Cafe. After eating, we picked up our bags from the hotel, and hopped on our buses to part ways. Zoe went back to Sweden and I went back to Limerick.

I had such a great weekend. I loved having Zoe around. We saw so much and were able to chat. This was one of the best weekends I have had in Ireland. Thank you, Zoe, for staying in Ireland a few more days to hang out.

Amanda and Katie’s Top Picks

March 14, 2022/in Limerick 2022

Amanda came to Ireland over Spring Break to visit. I was able to show her around the University of Limerick Campus and even bring her to a tutorial about Inclusive Education. Amanda had time to discover different parts of Ireland and for her last two days we walked around Limerick. Here are some of our top picks for food that we ate while Amanda was in Ireland.

The University of Limerick has many different restaurant options. The four big ones are Stables, Scholars, the Pavilion, and Paddocks. Stables is pub while Scholars feels more like a cafe, and the Pavilion is a fancier restaurant. Paddocks is mostly a lunch place and has soups and sandwiches. Amanda ordered a BLT and I had a Club sandwich. Both were good. Paddocks is a great place to grab a bite to eat while on campus.

Another great place on campus is in between the stairwells. In the late afternoon on a Tuesday, it will be a quiet enough place to enjoy a snack. These purple and yellow snacks were prizes won from the tutorial Amanda and I attended: Inclusive Education. We recommend these snacks. The purple ones are two biscuits with a chocolate filling and a chocolate coating. They yellow snacks might be the best because they taste like fudge stripe cookies.

Continuing with the snacks, Amanda and I grabbed an array from the convenience store called Spar. The Club Rock Shandy was not our favourite at first, but we came around to the taste as we drank more. We decided the Skittles taste much better with shells versus without the candy shells. Shamrock and sour cream crisps are good but not worth buying again. Tayto crisps are fun. They seem less oily than similar crisps at home. The caramel in the Wispa Gold bar felt out of place. Orange flavoured chocolate is not for us we learned after trying the Twirl bar. The Starbar is good, but it can not compete with a Snickers bar. Boost was the best of all the candy bars. Crunchie was definitely the strangest. The top picks from this bunch would be the Boost bar, Tayto crips, and Club Rock Shandy.

One more stop before heading into Limerick. I was able to show Amanda around my house and we heated up sausage rolls for dinner. A sausage roll is white pudding and sausage in a puff pastry. They can be served hot or cold. We prefer hot. I picked these up from the grocery store.

Moving on to places in Limerick. Katie Dalys is a cute pub right next to King John’s Castle in Limerick. It was quiet on the weeknight that Amanda and I went. She ordered chicken parmesan and I ordered fish and chips. Both were very good. Fish and chips is a safe choice almost anywhere you go in Ireland. It is always good. It is often served with garlic mayo dipping sauce and mashed peas.

Inside of the two story McDonald’s in Limerick

We wanted to see if the McDonald’s menu was different here in Ireland. There are a few different items, but we found the menu very hard to read. We resorted to new flavours of McFlurries. The Galaxy Caramel McFlurry is the best. It comes in a paper cup and has a cardboard spoon to go with. Salt packets are given out with fries even though these fries were pre-salted.

Bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, and tea

On to my favourite part! It is time to talk about cafes! Amanda and I tried a place called Olio and Farina. The food was good. Bacon is different in Ireland. It is much more like ham. I prefer American style bacon. The tea and latte were good. I love how all the milk foam I have had in Ireland is a thick layer sitting on top of the coffee. I have never enjoyed milk foam this much in the States. I also tried poached eggs for the first time here. They were good, but I still prefer hardboiled or scrambled.

Hook and Ladder is such a great spot. The inside is inviting and they have a drunch menu. Amanda and I went in to warm up and get out of the rain. We each had a scone. Amanda had a mango and strawberry tea and I had black tea. I love that they give you a little tea pot when you order tea. It is enough for two cups of tea. The Irish will not skimp on tea or fish and chips. We had every intention of journaling while enjoying our snack, but we ended up chatting for most of our time. We highly recommend Hook and Ladder.

The Green Onion Cafe is our favourite cafe we have been to in Limerick. It is super cute! This is where Amanda found one of her new favourite teas and where I learned that I like sausage rolls. During this outing, we had waffles and pancakes which were great. The Green Onion Cafe is a cozy little spot with a great location as we walk in and out of Limerick City Centre.

I had so much fun showing Amanda some of my favourite spots and trying new places together. It was really great to have a friend around. Being able to pray together was comforting and encouraging. Thanks for coming to visit Amanda!

Seashore Studies

February 25, 2022/in Limerick 2022

I am attending the University of Limerick. I even have a “jumper” to prove it! (I would call it a sweatshirt.) While I’m here, I’m taking four “modules” (what we call “classes,” they call “modules”) which are Understanding Young People and How They Learn, Ecology, Inclusive Education 2: Special Educational Needs, and Teacher as Professional. Each one has a Martin Luther College equivalent. I get to see the difference between first year, second year, third year, and fourth year university students in my modules since each module is for a different level.

Understanding Young People and How They Learn (Year 1) = Psychology of Learning at Martin Luther College
Ecology (Year 2) = Fundamentals of Ecology at Martin Luther College
Inclusive Education 2: Special Educational Needs (Year 3) = Educating the Exceptional Learner at Martin Luther College
Teacher as Professional (Year 4) = Interpersonal Communications at Martin Luther College

My favorite is Ecology. The first four weeks, we learned about the seashore. Now, we are on to talking about freshwater. Our last unit will be on terrestrial ecology. I have learned a lot about the seashore. It is fun to be able to identity different types of seaweed, periwinkles, and lichens.

None of my modules have cumulative final exams. Only one of them even has exams. I have three assignments, three exams, two presentations, a poster, an annotated bibliography, a paper, and a reflection. Of course there are lectures, labs, and tutorials, but as far as graded material, there is very little. Let me break down what I do for each class.

Understanding Young People and How They Learn

Two online lectures per week, each are usually under 50 minutes and recorded
One 2 hour tutorial per week
A paper worth 100% of my grade due in April

Ecology

Two in-person lectures per week, each are a full 50 minutes
One 2 hour lab per week
Three assignments, each is worth 15% of my grade. I just finished the seashore assignment. It was 10 questions and it took me 3 hours.
Three exams, one for each topic, each worth 15% of my grade
A group presentation on the seashore, worth 10% of my grade

Inclusive Education 2: Special Educational Needs

One online lecture, usually under 50 minutes, live and recorded
One 2 hour tutorial per week
Videos to supplement the class, usually interviews with people who have special needs or work in schools with people with special needs. (Don’t worry, I have been watching all of them.)
An annotated bibliography worth 60% of my grade due in April
A poster about IEPs (Individual Education Plan), worth 40% of my grade

Teacher as Professional

One online lecture per week, usually under 50 minutes, live and recorded most of the time
One 2 hour tutorial per week
12 minute group presentation worth 40% of my grade due in April
Individual reflection worth 60% of my grade due in April

Lectures are where much of the information is presented. Labs so far have been identifying organisms. Tutorials are where the material from the lecture is talked about and where a lot of group work happens.

I like how my schedule is laid out. It is not called a schedule here. It is a timetable. On Mondays, I have time to clean, grocery shop, and do my laundry, before going to Ecology lecture. Tuesdays are busy with two lectures in the morning and two tutorials in the afternoon. Wednesday is less busy with only one lecture in the morning and a lecture and a tutorial in the afternoon. Thursday, I only have Ecology lab in the morning. On Friday, I have one online lecture. During the week, I watch my lectures and do whatever work was asked of me to do before each tutorial. Then I plan out when to work on everything due in April. My weekends are free to adventure.

A really quick science lesson:

Pictured above are four different seaweeds which are all classified as kelps. The pictures are not the greatest so I encourage you to look up what each looks like after learning a little about them.

The first seaweed is Saccorhiza polyschides. It is sometimes referred to as Sea Hedgehog because the holdfast (the part that keeps the seaweed anchored to a rock) looks like a hedgehog. It is round with spikes on it. The part of seaweed that looks like a leaf is called a frond. The frond on Saccorhiza polyschides is flat and looks like fingers.

The second seaweed pictured is Laminaria digitata. It can be referred to as Oarweed or Strapweed. The holdfast looks like a hand holding on the rocks. The frond is similar to Saccorhiza polyschides. It is flat and looks like fingers.

The third seaweed pictured is Laminaria saccharina. It’s common name is the Sugar Kelp. The holdfast is similar to Laminaria digitata. It looks like a hand holding on to the rocks. The frond of Laminaria saccharina looks like what I imagine seaweed to look like. It is flat and wrinkled.

The last seaweed picture is Himanthalia elongata. It is commonly referred to as Spaghetti Weed. The holdfast is often called a coin. It looks like a Shrek ear. The fronds are long and thin like spaghetti noodles.

I hope you were able to learn a little about what my life at the University of Limerick is like, and learn about seaweed. Go impress your friends with your new knowledge of Spaghetti Weed.

Limerick Living

February 8, 2022/in Limerick 2022

While attending the University of Limerick, I live in University housing. I am not far from the main campus buildings. It is a 10-20 minute walk to most of my classes, less if you walk like the Irish (they say Americans walk slow). Now that I can say I live in Ireland, let me give you a tour of my residence.

I walk up to my front door and use my key fob to unlock it. A first look into the house will show a staircase heading to the upper level and a door to the bathroom for the lower level.

Turning right will lead to the hallway where the four gentlemen in my house reside. Turning left will lead into our kitchen and sitting area.

The kitchen has cabinets that can store food, cabinets for dishes that were provided by the University, a bread box, microwave, toaster, kettle, sink, a mini freezer, two mini fridges, an oven, drawers for the cutlery provided, and a cabinet under the sink for a few pots and a pan. There is a table and six chairs at the back of the room. At the front of the room is an L-shaped couch and a TV. It can get a little tight in the kitchen when several of us are in the room at one time. The fridges get full at the beginning of the week as four people find places for groceries. Overall, it is a nice kitchen.

Going up stairs will lead to the bathroom and a hallway to the rooms of the four ladies of the upper level. The bathroom has a toilet, sink, trash bin, two mirrors (one above the toilet and a larger one behind the door), and a shower off to the right. The shower has a knob that can be turned to change the temperature to hot, warm, or cold, and knob to change the water pressure. There is a power button to turn on the water. It will glow orange, meaning there is water to use. If there is no light on, pull the cord that is hanging from the ceiling on the left side of the bathroom and the light will turn on.

At the end of the hallway is a closet where the boiler and mop are stored. On the sides of the hallways are individual rooms.

My bedroom is furnished with a desk, chair, shelf, bulletin board, twin-size bed, sink, mirror, towel ring, and wardrobe. The desk is big, making it a nice place to do some work. It even has a light hidden under the shelf. The shelf holds my yarn, books, and a few items from home. Under the sink is a place to store different bathroom supplies and above the sink is another light. The wardrobe has a place to hang a few clothes on the left side and shelves on the right. There is an overhead light on the ceiling and another light above the head of the bed. Under the bed, there are three drawers. I use one to store my shoes. All around the bed is a “bed frame” or as I call it, “My little ledges.” The little ledges make an ideal place to set a phone when lounging in bed, watching a Hallmark movie, or FaceTiming a friend. I am a big fan of my room. I find it cozy and I am enjoying all the shelves, drawers, and cabinets.

My house is a part of Plassey Village. In the village, there is a reception office, laundry building, and many other houses. We have three washers and three dryers for all of the village. It seems to work just fine. I have been able to find an open washer and dryer each week I needed to wash my clothes. Washing cost €3 and drying cost another €3.

The village is filled with both international students and Irish students. In my house, there are six of us from the United States. I have met a few of the other people in my village. The other ladies who are using the International Study Abroad agency (ISA) to study here are in my village. We get to go on adventures together. On the 22nd of January we visited King John’s Castle and this past weekend we went to Dublin with all of the students using ISA. These other students are studying in Galway and Dublin.

So far living in Limerick is going well. I’ll give another update on my Amazing Ireland Adventure soon.

Would You Like Sugar For Your Tea?

January 30, 2022/in Limerick 2022

Did you know they offer tea on the airplane? It is a strange thing to be thinking about at the close of my second week in Ireland, but it is a good place to start this post. I have flown a total of five times. I flew to Massachusetts and back with my family for my brother to tour Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I flew to Arizona and back for a Mission Trip with my high school, and I flew to Ireland by myself. I like to ask for Ginger-Ale when I fly because it reminds me of my mom and it’s a fun drink. The lady next to me asked for tea. Since then, tea has been everywhere.

I arrived at the airport in Dublin, walked up to the immigration desk, and my brain stopped. What did he say? “Can you repeat that?” “I’m sorry?” “What was that?” I needed to ask the Irish man at immigration to repeat every instruction and question he asked me. He spoke with a thick accent and his words were soft, they hid under his mask.

After making it through immigration, I found the bus driver who was picking up all the students going to the University of Limerick. We piled on and I drifted in and out of consciousness. I would wake up to another thick Irish accent, this one even harder to understand than the last. It could have been because of how tired I was, or how far away I was sitting, but I am betting the real reason I had such a hard time understanding what was being said was because the bus driver was slipping in and out of speaking Irish or Gaeilge. Depending on where you go and who you meet in Ireland, you might hear this language too. All of the road signs have the Irish name on top and the English name underneath. It is hard to miss, even when you are half asleep finishing your twenty hours of travel.

We arrived at the University of Limerick and were off to our villages. The villages are like a collection of dorms. I am staying in a house that is connected to other houses with buildings of more houses nearby. All of these buildings form a village. They are housing for students and close to campus. The University of Limerick gave my housemates and me a few supplies so we would not immediately need to go to the store when we arrived. One of those supplies was a box of tea bags, black tea in particular. There are two brands of Irish tea that have a firm following: Barry’s and Lyons. I will see if I can try both while I am here.

I have been to the store a few times since arriving. I bought towels at TKMaxx and groceries at Aldi. Lidl and SuperValu are grocery stores that are a little farther out of my way. They are not far if you take the bus. Taking the bus is the best way to get around here. The bus will take you into the city of Limerick where you will find other stores like Penneys/Primark, Brown Thomas, and Dunnes. I made it to Penneys while traveling to the city of Cork, but I have not been to the other two yet. People shop differently here, at least in the grocery store. Food does not keep as long in Ireland as it does in the United States. This means people shop more frequently for food and buy less at one time. They are in a hurry when they shop. People want to get in and out. I feel quite out of place staring at every little item trying to find where anything on my list could be and determining if laundry liquid is the same as laundry detergent.

The roads in Ireland are set up so that they drive on the left, but what side of the sidewalk should I walk on? I have seen people walking on both sides. I have seen signs for bikes to stay to the right. I have seen doors that say stay on the left, but the left door is made in such a way that the right door must be opened first to allow the left door to open. I stay on the side of the sidewalk that the person ahead of me is walking on and swerve back and forth to avoid people walking on the right and left coming towards me.

Drinking is also strange here. I have been having a fair amount of culture shock from the other people from the United States, but the Irish too. Swearing is very common here. I have seen a fair amount of people smoking and vaping too. Drinking is prevalent, but pubs are for much more than drinking. Pubs serve food, they have good paninis, I hear they even have tea.

I have been drinking tea since arriving in Ireland. I like drinking tea because it reminds me of having tea with Anna when we roomed together, and the chamomile tea Sammi makes me. My International Study Abroad (the agency I used to study abroad) contact person, took the four of us in Limerick who are using the ISA program, out for lunch. She taught me how she takes her tea, and I have been playing around with how I take my tea. So far, I am a two sugars kind of gal.

Playing Weatherman

January 18, 2022/in Limerick 2022