Been awhile...

I cannot get back into the swing of school right now. I just spent a month traveling. Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Galway, Dingle, Dun Laoghaire, Amsterdam. Seeing gorgeous places, learning about their history, eating interesting food and being constantly on the move. Now I am suddenly just expected to fall back into a routine (One I never really got started, mind you) and live in my dorm? go to class? write papers? I need a vacation from my travels for a few days. Some time to finish editing photos, to post up all my journal entries I have been writing, to catch up on the ones I didn't have the energy for. I feel like by the time I get back into the groove of going to school I will be out of it. But since when is an exchange program about your studies, anyways?

Packing again

I know my blog has been really empty. I just spent five days in Paris, and I have lots of entries written I just need to find time to type them up, and roughly 600 pictures to edit. I am currently packing and running around my room in a frenzy. Stockholm in three hours.

I have never spent so much time choosing outfits based on what weighs the least.

Hostelz

I am going to try and review all the hostels I stay at in the next month for hostelz.com. You pretty much just have to write a short review, upload 4 pictures and if they like it they pay you $10 each!

12 hours

My flight to Paris is in just under 12 hours. I need to shower and do my hair, last minute check on my packing then hopefully try and force myself to sleep or at least chill out for a few hours, as I need to catch the airport shuttle at 3:30am! Should be in the actual city by 10am. Check back for blogs and pictures late on March 2nd. Will try and check facebook once or twice, so message me there if you need me.

Euro to Dollar

I HATE THE EXCHANGE RATE

I look at the price

I think about how much the American dollar sucks

I take 80 out at the atm and get charged 110. 

I see how much money I have

Registering with Immigration

(10am this morning) I am currently waiting at the Garda to register with immigration. Like the DOL this place is depressing and dull. Hundreds of people, sitting in rows of uncomfortable chairs. The news is on, images of the protests in Egypt and the surrounding countries flash across the screen. Unfortunately the sound is off, so my soundtrack is at least 4 crying babies, and the guy to my left who is speaking into his phone far too loudly in some foreign language. I have 50 people to go until my number is called. Fifty people who are visiting, studying or moving here, all waiting to pay upwards of 150 euro for their visa. I wonder where all these people are coming from, what brings them here. Why Ireland? Why now? many of the names being called out are accompanied by Pakistani or Tunisia national. It makes me wonder if the images I see on the tv screen are connected to the reason these people are sitting here, in their black and grey coats, in these uncomfortable chairs, waiting.

Homework

I have three 1000 word papers due this week. None of which I am prepared to write. 1000 words isn't very many, but I don't really know anything about anything which is unfortunate.
One  on mental illness due Wed
Folktale vs Fairytale due thurs evening and my
FREAKING ART HISTORY paper due thursday evening as well.


Feeling something like this;

But then it is on to Paris, which I imagine will be something like this;