Upon Arrival

Family and Friends,

So far Ireland has treated us well! Aside from a few very windy days, the weather has been good and much warmer than back home. We landed early Sunday morning, got settled in and were served a traditional Irish breakfast that consisted of beans, sausage, tea and croissants. Most of Sunday consisted of my group going in all sorts of directions to explore our area. We're about a 20 minute walk to the nearest little village, Spiddal, but there are houses that line the main road all along the way. Monday morning we had our first Gaelic class, I can already tell this class is going to be very difficult most of the spellings are nothing like the pronunciations. For example, Dia Dhuit is pronounced like "djah hootch" and it means "hello" or the actual translation is "God be with you". The part of Ireland that we're staying in is very traditional. Gaelic is the primary language and they're very strong in their Catholic faith. But the locals have also been very open and welcoming to their new American residents! We also started our Irish Literature and Irish History classes. I think I'm going to enjoy Irish History the most, the style of the class is a lot more interactive and the professor tries to relate the material to America in some way. Everywhere we go, we learn about Ireland's history. We've taken a quick tour of Spiddal, and then went into Galway did the same thing. There's so much history and so many stories to share, but what I've enjoyed most is watching the Irish tell their stories. You can just see in their faces how proud they are of their country and its history and I love that. All in all, everything has been wonderful. The locals are very kind, my group is starting to really get to know each other, and Ireland is starting to feel more like a second home.

Sending my love!

Regan