Immigration and Celebrations

One month! It's mind blowing to think that I have been in Cork, Ireland for a month. If I'm being completely honest though it's about 4 days over a month, but for the purpose of promptness lets just pretend I'm punctual and it's been exactly a month. It's strange to look back and see how insanely fast time has gone by.

My semester abroad in Ireland is 4 months, once again not exact but go with me on it, and I have already been here for 25% of it. When I first landed in Ireland it felt like I would be here for a lifetime, now though I understand when our parents and grandparents say life passes by in a blink of an eye. Although, this past month I wasn't able to travel around Ireland I still gained invaluable life experiences and lessons. Personal growth has been my adventure these past 30 days. I've had to be more self- reliant on accomplishing things that range from just walking to the grocery store, navigating the bus, to setting up an Irish bank account.  Coming from a small town in relation to Cork with a solid friend group that did everything together 24/7 to Cork with absolutely no security blanket has been a lesson I will continue to benefit from long after my time in Ireland is over.

Don't worry I'm finished with my "oh look at me I"m maturing from this experience speech." I'll dive into the more exciting aspect of the adventure....the adventure I've been since being in Ireland. Celebrating my birthday, passing Immigration and Oktoberfest are the two large events that have happened this month that are justified to becoming a part of this blog forever cemented on the web for generations to see. Haha.

21st Century Style Birthday. 

What a birthday looks like 21st Century Style. 

Birthday's are seriously my favorite holiday to celebrate and just not my own. This is a day to celebrate another year of your life, a day to be about you, a day to reflect. It's similar to a mini New Year's. For some reason birthday's are one thing my mind is just equipped to remember birthdays. It's a blessing and a curse in it's own ways. A blessing because well, I won't forget your birthday. A curse because sometimes it's weird to just know and remember people's birthday's. It's the worst when dates were exchanged in casual conversation and then months later it's brought up again and you already know everyone's birthday...got to act casual though.

"I'm feeling 22," Taylor Swift

This year my birthday was a little different. Last year was my 21st, a monumental one for us Americans. I was lucky enough to spend it with a awesome group of friends laughing and making memories. This year though still not having made connections with people I was doomed to spend the day making my own memories. That is until I realize I'm surrounded by technology. After spending the day roaming around Cork and exploring I was able to Skype with friends and family back home ringing in year 22. In absolutely incredible that I was skyping with friends and family from Maine. Florida, Georgia, and Brazil. Older generations can rag on us millennials about our obsession with technology but hey, I wouldn't change it for anything.

Immigration. 

Forget about the clowns, Stephen King should really publish a book with it's focal being immigration...it's truly a nightmare. It has all the makings for a real horror book: long lines, fear of being rejected, bright lights. Hearing the horror story from a friend that went to immigration at 9:30am waited 7 hours and did not get seen I was not looking forward to this day. 

Immigration consisted of waking up at 6:00am to arrive at Immigration at 7:15 to be 10th in line. Keep in mind the offices do not open until 9:30am so it's safe to say Immigration's reputation precedes itself. To put immigration into perspective I would loosely compare it to the DMV. A place where everyone doesn't want to be but by law has to be...or maybe even jury duty? Take your pick at whichever you think is worst then that's Immigration. It wasn't all bad, I am now legal to be here until my departure date in January! No illegal alien status for me. 

But really, Stephen King if you are looking for a new horror story idea I got you covered. Easily a best-seller. 

Oktoberfest 

A culturally diverse festival that focuses on socializing over a common beverage: beer. Oktoberfest was an absolute blast and something I'm grateful I was able to take part in. Even though I did live in Germany I actually never made it to an Oktoberfest.

A British, Irish, and American
at Oktoberfest...Sounds like
the beginning to a bad joke. 

On arrival at the Oktoberfest tent you could feel the atmosphere change from a fast-paced city feeling to a blanket of young, vibrant, carefree energy radiating from every direction. It felt as if you were teleported into a different country, Germany if you will. Haha. There were 1 Liter steins of beer, Lederhosen, folk music, and bratwurst! I was back in the place I called home for 7 years, it was heaven. 

Oktoberfest 2K16
*No clowns were in this tent. 

I can't explain how culturally diverse this event was. It's dubbed Oktoberfest but there are more layers to it than just that. Obviously, beer was a huge part of the fest but against all odds poutine was being served. Now, I don't think the vendors realize what they were serving was a coveted delicacy in Canada and thankfully Maine but after some guidance of THE GRAVY GOES ON TOP OF THE CHEESE, it was passable as poutine. Not only was there a variety of food but also a variety of people all gathered at this single event. Even with different backgrounds everyone was there for the same reason to happily celebrate Oktoberfest in the company of current and possible new friends. 

Prost, (Cheers) to new friends and memories! 

Where there is a will there's a way.
Oktoberfest Beer, 2016

One month down three to go, I can't wait to see what else I have in store for myself. Personally and academically I'm excited to see how I will continue to benefit from my semester abroad in Ireland.