planes, trains, and automobiles...well, taxis

the last week or so has been INSANE.
leaving ireland, while necessary to get onto my trip with oly throughout europe, was difficult.
we got to the airport to head to scotland at too early a time for a person to be awake. i had a TON of weight in my bags, but the man checking us in was really great and didnt charge either of us for the extra weight. (mine would have been around 200euro!!!)
the flight wasnt too bad and we found ourselves quickly landed in glasgow, scotland!
glasgow is a beautiful city and far exceeded any expectations i had of it. we had a great time with the live music, shopping, and wonderful accents! the first night we ended up going to an irish pub for dinner! i found that hilarious; leaving ireland to go to an irish pub. haha.
there was this really great place called the box that had an open mic night the first night which we enjoyed a lot. tried out a mexican place which was definitely better than the mexican i had in ireland last semester, but not great all the same. yesterday we did the hop on hop off bus tour of glasgow and saw some of the highlights of the city. we were so tired, though, that we nearly fell asleep on the bus!!!
last night we went to a place called the garage to see cobra starship along with a couple other warm up bands which were pretty good. cobra starship was amazing; so glad oly introduced me to them!!!
now we're on the train from glasgow to london. got up at 4 this morning to get ready and get to the train station on time. we ended up being really early but figured thats better than being rushed for the train! the train takes just under 6 hours to get to london, but atleast it gives us some time to sleep and see the countryside.
tonight we're going to a show in london and for the next couple of days staying with some of oly's family in watford. then its on to south ruislip until the 27th, when we go to paris for a night. on te 28th we'll go back to south ruislip and then on the 1st of june we fly home!!!
its so unreal to think that this whole experience is coming to an end. it seems like just last month when i get the scared girl getting ready for my first overseas journey to live in ireland for 9 months. seems like just last week when i was finally settling into life in dublin. and it seems like just yesterday that i came back to dublin after being home for 2 weeks during the holidays, only to realize that i loved dublin even more than when i left.
this trip has definitely made a huge impact on my life and how i view the world. ya know, its really not as big as it seems. i think that of all the things that have changed about me throughout this trip, ive become more of an adult; more of my own person. maybe thats tacky or too sentimental or cheesy to say, but its the truth.
after everything ive been through during my time abroad; all the ups and downs; the nights spent dancing my heart out and the homesick phone calls home, dublin has made its mark on my heart. this wont be the last of dublin for me. there's no way i could be content with staying away. sorry ireland, youre not rid of me yet!
only 9 more days on this trip and while i cant wait for these next ouple days; getting to know oly's family in england and going back to paris, its hitting me that i get to go HOME soon!!! im so excited to see everyone. :) i said last week that goodbyes are really hard, and my friend replied 'but welcome homes are so great!' i cant wait for that. to see everyone again and know that things will be just as great as they were before i left, and hopefully even better!
2 more hours till england.
9 more days till america.
:)

see you soon loves!
xx

you'll always be in my heart.

i know that people are ready for me to be home. i am too.
but please understand that tonight i need to be upset.
it needs to be okay for me to not be able to stop crying.
this knot in my stomach, though uncomfortable, is completely valid.
im leaving a country i love.
a city i love.
people i love.
it hurts so much to have two places and groups of people that are so deeply imprinted in my heart
its just past 3am here. oly and i have to be up in less than 2 hours to get ready to fly to glasgow. and im in bits. i cant stop crying and i feel like a part of me is breaking off for me to leave in dublin.
but its okay. it has to be.
God doesnt give you more than you can handle, right?
so things have to work out. they just do.
i have to come back to dublin; see the people i love; the friends who have become family.
yes ive only lived here for 9 months and yes i lived in washington forever before that, but dublin has captivated me and the people here have swept me away.
i dont think i ever expected to love this place so much.
i love everything about it.
i love the fact that im so close to the city. (big change from tiny silverdale/ bellingham)
i love the amazing friendships ive built here
i love the double decker buses (even though i miss driving)
i love the architecture, the ACCENT; just....everything. there are too many things for me to name off. too many parts of me i left scattered around ireland to put into a list.
ireland; i love you. thanks for being the change i needed in my life. thanks for helping me become a grown up. thanks for loving me back. <3

tomorrow marks the opening pages of the next chapter of my life;
senior year
living with 4 of the most amazing girls
...and life after ireland
its going to be hard, and i know that ive changed, but i hope its for the better.

tomorrow is glasgow, scotland.
but first its dealing with baggage restrictions on the flight and undoubtedly having to pay an arm and a leg to haul my life all around europe then back to america.
through all the heartache i feel right now, theres still a glimmer of excitement. its going to be a wonderful trip with oly; my soul sister. love that girl so much. after 18 years of friendship, id say we're family :)


so to america:
i love you and i'll see you soon.

to ireland:
i love you, please dont forget me.


love and millions of hugs,
elyse
xx

eight days left in ireland... :(

so nature basically hates me.
on top of having hayfever and being allergic to animals and dust and being lactose intolerant, SOMETHING is making me break out in hives, just by being outside.
fun stuff, i know.
went to the doctor today and she was puzzled. said i need to get an allergy test done as soon as i get back to the states, but gave me some medicine and some cream to put on my hives to make them go away.
very frustrating, seeing as i just need to be focusing on exams and packing, not 'how bad will it get when i go outside THIS time.'
aside from that im just studying up for my last exam which is wednesday at 6. the doc said that was good b/c i need to try to avoid going outside for the next day or so if i can help it, to give the medicine a chance to work.
GREAT.
its like bubble boy, only real life. cool beans.
on the upside, i have begun sorting through all my stuff, figuring out what im taking home and what im donating. i have 3 bags of clothes/shoes/stuff to give away. the parentals and i decided that it would be better if i just buy a new suitcase at penneys and bring stuff home rather than shipping books home. more cost effective :)
oly gets to ireland on saturday!!! i cant wait to see her! it seems like it has been AAAGES.
our trip is shaping up nicely. glasgow, then down to england, paris for a night, then back to england to fly home.
HOME. im so excited. i love it here, dont get me wrong, and i dont want to spend my last week (tear) here being ready to go home, but i think its just time. i know that one day i'll be able to come back to ireland, but its just a matter of WHEN.
so thats kind of a bummer; not know when i'll be able to come back.
but i know i have exciting things and new adventures waiting for me back home :)
cant wait to live in the little blue house, aka the ice box, with caroline, jamie, brittany, and ly. we're going to have so much fun! :)
getting a JOB. (i REALLY need one after this year!)
SENIOR YEAR. gosh thats terrifying. the prosepect of life after college; what the heck am i gonna do?!?! hopefully job fairs will clear up that question.
but as for the near future,
im staying inside (gag. stupid allergies)
studying for contemporary spanish theatre exam on wednesday
and im watching friends at 6.30 :)
life's pretty good
(aside from the fact that nature hates me. minor detail. haha)
i hope everythings going well back home.
CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL!!!!!!!

oh yah; bbq at my parents' house on the 6th of june
kinda a welcome home thing
im psyched :)



LOVE AND HUGS.
xx

clouds, soup, and remembering john.

well, studying has basically been my life lately
took a break to have my 21st birthday party on saturday (i aaaactually turn 21 on wednesday...woo)
it was pretty good. good people and all that jazz.
but then it was back to the library today. with my first exam on wednesday (happy birthday to me.) im starting to freak out a little bit...in case you were wondering, there is a LOT to know about 19th century literature!!! surprise surprise.
so im busy with that.

today was a rather dreary irish day. you know; clouds, rain...the whole bit. so thats fun...and by fun i mean depressing and makes me want soup.
so i made soup!
the good kind too.
home-made, soul-soothing, yummy and delicious potato soup.
(well i think its pretty good)
so basically thats exciting. listening to a bitta joshua radin (if you havent heard him, youtube his music. hes baaaasically a genius)

today was a pretty hard day (hence the need for some soul-soothing soup)
aside from study, which is never fun, i couldnt get my mind of john.
it will be a year tomorrow since john howry was taken from his friends and family.
its just hard.
the guy who killed him had sentencing recently and got community service. thats it. no jail time.
so that was a hard blow to take.
its just hard. its hard to understand why God took him from us. its hard to act like im okay. its definitely hard to study for finals at a time like this. ...its just hard.
so thats pretty much the biggest thing in my life and the biggest dread ive been facing; my birthday and the day preceding. because then im reminded that we dont have john.
i know im going on about this and its not exactly the most uplifting blog ive ever written, but its something i have to share, because maybe in getting it out, maybe, just maybe, a piece of my heart can mend.
and i'll never forget my 20th birthday.
for all the birthdays ive had and all the ones i'll have, my 20th will be the most memorable.
i'll never forget the panic in oly's voice as i listened to her voicemail for me to call her as soon as i was out of class. the wave of anxiety that washed over me as i dialed her number again and again until she picked up. the birthday wish that was cut short by the kind of news you never want to hear. 'happy birthday....john howry's gone.'
its the kind of thing you wake up from in the middle of the night, because it was a nightmare. but it wasnt a dream here. it was a full on real, living nightmare. the kind you cant wake up from.
i'll never forget john and i'll never forget how he used to make us all laugh until no sound came out.
he was such a big part of my high school experience. the days spent getting ready for shows in the theatre. tech days spent painting sets and laughing over taco bell lunch breaks.
his jokes.
the way he took a printed-on-paper, black and white ink role, and brought it to life.
he was such a blessing to all of us.
i'll never forget him.

so i know that blogs are generally my way of telling everyone back home how much im loving ireland and how great it is, and it is, but right now, i could use being home. a hug from someone who knew him and could laugh and cry with me over coffee at the countless 'john stories' we all have.
i could use that really badly.


im sure next post will be more uplifting (atleast i hope it is) but for now, just pray for the Howry family and friends of our friend john. theyre gonna need it, especially tomorrow. thanks.



much love, many hugs, and a world of thanks for any prayers you feel compelled to deliver,
elyse.
xx