Fifteen Days In!

Today is the fifteenth day I've been here, and I must say, I am feeling a lot better about being here! Sydney came this past weekend and we had a very nice relaxing time. We went to Chili's on Friday night, which might be kind of odd, but I've decided I don't like most of the food they serve here, and we were both craving some classic American food! We went with Ruth who is from Belfast and studied at Lyon last year. We had a really great time!

On Saturday we went to the city center for some shopping, and then we visited the Palm House which is in the Botanic Gardens. The Palm House is what the picture is of. Notice, if you will, the snow, green grass and the palm plant. I'm amazed at what will grow here! I tried to get the first picture to load at the bottom of the post, but it loaded at the top! I thought this was a very pretty flower inside the Palm House :)

I have made myself some amazing meals lately, but am still looking for suggestions :) I got a gym membership, and that is helping me out a lot by giving me something to do during the day! However, it is really really busy there. We went last night, and that is the last time I will ever go during the evening. People were waiting in line to use the treadmills! I think I will be in pretty good shape when I go back to the states, because it takes fifteen minutes just to walk to the gym!

I have also got to do a lot of reading while I've been here, and I've really enjoyed having the time to do that. I have been reading the Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory, and have been reading the Bible alot. I enjoy both of them :)

I feel like I'm taking a break from my life at home. It has really helped me take a look at my attitude towards life and is giving me a great outlook on the future. I hope that I continue to grow while I am here, because I think this experience is already starting to mold me into a stronger and better person.

I think I am starting to like it here. I just needed to get over the initial shock of how different everything is. But, I am still looking forward to summer in America!!! :)

My classes are pretty good. I am taking Marine Ecology, and I am really enjoying that. I am also taking American Politics, which is really weird because they refer to America as America, where we refer to it as "we" or "us". It's not something you would think about and it has been hard to get used to! My third class is Sounds of the City and is an English class that reads and talks about how people have viewed cities throughout time. It has been pretty interesting. I had to drop an Invertebrate Biology class to take it, which I was glad I did because I would've had a lab on Friday afternoons, and that really interferes with my weekend sightseeing plans :)

Sydney and I are planning our trips to Germany for Easter Vacation, and we are now trying to plan a trip to Dublin for a few days around St. Patricks day! Wish us luck!!!

We will find out towards the end of March when we will have final exams, so everybody cross your fingers that I will get done with mine early and that I will be able to come home sooner than expected! The exams are scheduled to take two and a half weeks, so hopefully (knock on wood) I can be done with mine during the first week or so...we'll just have to see :)

Love you guys!!!