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Yesterday, I climbed a mountain.

Croagh Patrick is Ireland's holy mountain. It's about ten miles or so from here, we can see it from our backyard. And I climbed that beast. All 2,500 feet of it.

I would not call myself athletic by any means. Outdoorsy, sure, but not athletic. Here's a list of things I learned about mountain climbing.

1. Good shoes are everything.
2. A walking stick sucks on the way up, but is a lifesaver on the way down.
3. I am afraid of heights, apparently.
4. Wear sunscreen. Half my face is sunburned. And by half, I mean the left half. The half facing the sun on the way up and on the way down.
5. Take ibuprofin before you even start, to deal with all the pain you will inevitably be in.

Well, it was really amazing, and a lifetime experience, but now that I've done it I feel no need to do it again. The first half up is a slow descent up the hills around the mountain, grueling but not that bad. The next part is "the saddle", an even walk up to the foot of the mountain.

And then you start climbing the mountain. Suddenly you find it's sheer rock, and loose rocks keep sliding under your feet, and it pretty much looks like if you make the wrong move you will fall of this godforsaken mountain. You don't even stop to take pictures, you just keep going so you don't have to look down.

That being said, the view from the top was indescribable. I took pictures, and I'll post them later, but they honestly can't do it justice.

I really wanted to buy the "I Climbed Croagh Patrick" teeshirt, but I figured most people will hopefully just believe me.

Last week we went on our traditional southern trip to see all the usual Ireland things. It was probably one of my favorite trips. I HATED riding the bus, I kept getting motion sick and had a cold that made me feel miserable, but all the things we saw were amazing.

So let's share some pictures, shall we? There's lots of pictures, but I promise they're fun.

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After that, we headed home to County Mayo. And of course, the minute we got home it started pouring rain, of course. But we really had a beautiful week, and it was a perfect "last hurrah" kind of trip. Now we're just winding things down and getting ready to go home in FIFTEEN DAYS! I'll try to post more in the next few weeks. I'll probably need it. It's going to be emotional.

The teenagers in town know my name now. This is a bad development. I can't walk places without hearing random kids yelling "Betsy! BETSY! BETSY!" until I stop and wave at them. It's disconcerting to Americans - we value our privacy, especially coming from a big place like St. Paul. Here, it's a given that most people in town are going to know your name.

Or at least know your clothes. I swear to the Lord above, I'm throwing my grey fleece in the back of my closet and I'm not looking at it again until next winter. Well, that should be easy enough, seeing how warm it will be when I get home. The other stuff won't be as easy. I may need to go buy a few new things when I get home, I'm getting really sick of the stuff I have.

I took a trip down to Kilkenny and Waterford and guess what I did. Go ahead and guess. Give up? I spent the night in a castle.

http://www.anoige.ie/hostels/foulksrath-castle

I'm super glad no one told me it's haunted. I probably would have peed myself with fear. It was a decent hostel...a little shaggy, but hard to tell if that was just from it being closed in the winter. Anyway, it was a nice stay, and it was so warm down south, I got a little sun on my face. Saw Jerpoint Abbey, Kilkenny Castle, and the JFK Arboretum (helloooo rhododendrons). Pictures forthcoming.

T minus 5 weeks until I have to leave. OR until I get to see my family. Make of it what you will.

Anyway. it's 2 am. time for bed.

Yesterday Peter Sweeney, the manager/superintendent of the cottages, came by to fix our door, which would not shut. The doorknob was coming loose. As always, he gave us some grief in jest about being too “rough” with the door. Carrie apologized jokingly, and said she hoped he wouldn’t be too upset.

“That’s alright,” he said, “I’ll offer it up to Jaysus.”

So there you have it. Irish people really do offer it up to Jesus.

The Irish have an excellent sense of humor. When you think about all they have been through as a people, and all they have survived, it’s easy to see how they acquired humor - a defense mechanism. Still, there’s a sharp wit that seemingly everyone in Ireland possesses, from the little old ladies to the kids running home from school.

I’ll leave it up to my column to explain St. Patrick’s Day. It was a weird day, very cold and wet and rainy. Fun, in the end, but tiring. Mostly I think because by that time I hadn’t seen the sun in a couple days.

As of oh...last Wednesday, the sun came out and we haven’t seen rain since (knock on wood). It’s been glorious. I hadn’t realized how down I was until the rain went away. Seasonal affective disorder rearing its ugly, ugly head. Anyway, the last few days have been really amazingly beautiful, and I’ve been fully taking advantage of the warm weather and sunshine. Spring really has come, and with it all the flowers. The wildflowers around here are beautiful - besides the thorny gorse that grows all year, there’s wild violets that almost look like little irises, tiny little aster-like daisies, and primroses. Spring means baby animals too, and there are little lambs everywhere. There’s nothing like walking down the road to Carrowmore hill, hearing sheep and lambs bleating all around you.

Today was the first real misty Irish day that we had. It was hazy, like smog, only it was mist. The sun was even obscured this morning, and the mountains were hazy all day. It was really beautiful seeing the ocean through the misty haze.

This past weekend was a free weekend, meaning we had no trips to go on, our time was our own. I did a few things. Let’s run them down.
-I went yarn shopping in Ballina. Bought two GIANT balls of yarn to knit a shrug. I don’t know exactly what I was thinking, I probably won’t need them both, but maybe it’s best to have the second one. Just in case. And they don’t sell big balls of yarn like that in the US. Come on!
-I watched an Irish football game. Irish football is a mix of soccer, American football, basketball and even volleyball. And no padding. And short shorts. Yee-ow. (Just kidding, mom and dad).
-I went on a little road trip to Silver Strand, just a bit southwest of here. It’s been voted one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world. It’s got really beautiful dunes and a beautiful, smooth sandy beach. The weather was perfect for wading in the ocean...okay, my feet still went numb. But I got to splash around in the Atlantic ocean, and that counts for something.

Enjoy some pictures!

This is where you get if you walk up Carrowmore hill. I eventually walked along that cliff...probably not the safest thing in the world to do, but I decided, hey, you only live once, and if I fell off that cliff at least I would end it all with an amazing view.

The football game, Tourmakeady (white and black) vs. Louisburgh (gold and black). We lost, but I guess the lads were still incredibly drunk on Sunday night.

Silver Strand

I am like a small child at the ocean. If I'd had a towel, I would have just jumped in, clothes and all.

...a most extraordinary feeling came over me: I felt I was coming home...I felt uplifted; a wild lust for this country surged up in me. I felt that it was mine, that it belonged to me, that the vary air of it ran singing in my veins, that it was me. I would have gladly died, then and there, for this green enchanted island that was in all parts of me, that was my spiritual mother. The very air of it, the very smells of it, the very stone walls of it, the very craggy roads that always went over the hill to the sea (they had nowhere else to go): they all intoxicated me. Rain outside, beating on the roof of the warm inside...the rain in Irealnd was all part of the giant sadness already lying latent in me...I was madly in love at first sight with Ireland in the rain.

- Caitlin McNamara

I know this is a little bit last-minute, but I guess I didn't realize what a big deal it was until my mother made it a big deal. Thanks, Mom.

I'm acting as a St. Patrick's Day correspondant for the Satellite Sisters radio show. In the Twin Cities, you can listen on FM107. If you don't have the Satellite Sisters syndicated where you are, you can listen to live streaming radio on their website, www.satellitesisters.com

I'll be on at 10 am CST (3 pm here). Hope you all get a chance to listen! Check out the website as well for anything on there!

Yes, I spent spring break in the lovely, windy, sometimes rainy city of Edinburgh with my good friend, leilawinters who posts her travels and travails on scottishsass. As a special deal just for you, we have collaborated on a extra-special, one time only joint blog.

Day 1: Scottishsass fries some potatoes for newly-arrived Betsy. They share a drink. Betsy then sleeps. It was a long day.

Sleeping arrangements are as follows: Betsy on bed. Scottishsass on floor. Both with fleece blankets. Heater on. Alarm going off way too early so that Scottishsass can get up for class (she is not on break yet).

Day 2: Traversed Princes Street and saw all the stores neither of us can afford to shop in. Visited the Botanical Gardens and breathed warm, moist air full of floral fragrances...for a change. The walk back home...was rained on. Oh, the wonders Scotland holds.

Pizza Hut for dinner (pizza doesn't exist in the Republic of Ireland--at least, not in Betsy's inconsequential corner of it). Watched Billy Elliot for a little U.K. culture. Youtube adventures.

Day 3: Edinburgh Castle where we played around like a couple of school children. Went into the bowels of the castle prisons and ascended to look upon the Crown Jewels and paid homage to THE STONE OF DESTINY!!!!!

Went into the depths of the South Bridge vaults where many hauntings are said to take place. Body-snatchers hoarding bodies, boozers, prostitutes, and slum lords...We held hands the whole time.

Kebabs. And booze. And Youtube.

Day 4: Garbed in our plumes and robes (scarves and raincoats), we decided to take a jaunt through the National Gallery of Scotland. The greats such as Raphael, Monet, Van Gogh, and Rembrandt became our afternoon companions. After that, we wandered and became lost little lambs in a thick of wolves, but we soon found our way and after many stops, made it to Holyrood Palace for a picture so that the History Major could not be ashamed.

Chinese. And booze. More Youtube.

Day 5: Dawdled into the National Museum of Scotland. It was free for Minnesotans. Lucky us! Everything you can possibly think of from animal taxidermy to dinosaurs to Celts to ancient Egypt to fine china to jewelry to hands-on activities for kids (our favorite) were present in a dizzying splay of rooms that made no logical sense. A very good gift shop.

Mexican (and orgasmically good flan) for dinner. Presumably more booze. Baklava. And we've already Youtubed it out.

Tomorrow, Betsy flies out at the butt-crack of dawn back to her bonny little town in Ireland (Republic of) and Scottishsass will follow suit in the afternooon, spending the night in Dublin with a random girl she knew two years ago and then joining Betsy in her provincial rustic village Louisburgh for St. Patties Day.

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sorry about the lack of posts. we've been really busy traveling around. last weekend we went to Galway, which was beautiful. Galway is like Dublin, only safer and cleaner and friendlier. So, better. I really enjoyed myself. I even found Connolly's Pub. Got a picture too. Maybe I will share when the internet is more reliable.

As soon as we got back from Galway, I got struck down with this really icky virus. I have spent most of the past week laying in bed, surrounded by tissues, sneezing and responding half-heartedly to my roommates questions of whether I'm dying or not. I am feeling better, but tomorrow we're leaving for Sligo, Donegal and the North. Since life has been thrown for a curve, there won't be a column next week. Try not to be too disappointed, o faithful readers. I'll be back next week and better than ever.

We get back on Wednesday. Then on Saturday I'm heading to Edinburgh and Cindy for spring break! Oh, it will be nice to be with someone who I actually have a history with. I'm creating a history with the people here, but it's not the same. Cindy's (hopefully) coming back here for St. Patrick's Day celebrations, which should be a good time.

Today was a beautiful day. Even though I'm sick I went on a looong walk to Carrowmore (without a coat! in short sleeves!) and even strolled into town. I will probably regret it in the morning, I don't care. I can sleep on the bus. Such beautiful days only happen rarely in March in Ireland.

Speaking of which, I've been here a month. One month down, two more to enjoy and relish. See you up the road!

The internet here is totally unreliable. Really. There's something funny up with the internet company, and no one can do anything about it until the school approves the extra money it would cost to get good service, so until then, we are stuck having the internet only for a few hours a night, and at a veeeeery slow pace.

Anway, enough complaining. Last week we went to Dublin. Dublin is very big, much bigger than Louisburgh. I took anti-motion sickness meds before I left (as always--the roads really ARE that bumpy). That, coupled with the stops at Newgrange and the Hill of Tara, made me very sleepy. Imagine falling asleep in rural Hudson and waking up in downtown Minneapolis. I was, needless to say, a little shaken the first night.

Eventually Dublin grew on me. I saw lots of sweet stuff. The hostel we stayed at (Globetrotter's on Gardiner Street, just FYI) was decent, but staying with the same 7 girls for five days, 24 hours a day, was very draining. I feel like we're all very much connected though, the same way that people who have been through war together are connected.

We saw everything. Everything. Well, not the museums, there was no time. But anything you would want to see, I saw. Ask me about it, go ahead. Book of Kells? Amazing. Christchurch? There's an awesome display with a mummified cat and rat found in the organ. Pubs? Hilariously amazing but expensive.

That's all I'm going to say about that. My next article will probably be about Dublin so I won't ruin the surprise for you.

The plus side of going to Dublin is that now my cottage feels SO much more like home. I never realized how much I love the rural life. I would be happy to stay here forever.

Well folks, T Minus two days and this is my very first entry! Welcome to the blog!

For my first topic: Study abroad is EXPENSIVE. I'm not talking about plane tickets, I'm not talking about the sheer cost of living abroad. I'm talking about all the minor crap you need. Last week, I spent $120 at Target, and that was just minor things. Batteries, socks, so forth.

I still have a couple things left to buy too, and my student refund hasn't come through yet. I am so broke it's not even funny. But aren't I glad I took out the student loan money offered to me, so that I can pay for this trip well into the future?

Bitter? Hm. I shouldn't be. And I'm not. I'm just biting my nails, wondering if the trip to London can happen and knowing that the minute I get back, I'll be looking at some big student loan payments and a big job hunt. Oh well. Faith, faith faith.

And this time Wednesday, I will be in the air, somewhere above the Artic Circle, facing the great unknown.

Slainte!