Jet planes, Islands, Tigers on a gold leash

Introduction:
Let me start by telling you how I found myself in Dublin. In the 8th grade I was in Jazz band, a complete loser with no friends.  Somewhere in the room I found a girl that seem to be as lonely as I was. The rest is history and Anna and I have been friends ever since.  She is one of the only people that has been consistent, and we both put in the effort to keep in touch.  For those of you who haven't read my earlier posts, she was the reason I even found my way to Estonia. A month or so before the ISEP deadline she came home from college and we met up at our local mall. "You should really study abroad through ISEP," she said.  My automatic answer was no.  I was perfectly content with school and work day in and day out, there was no need in jumping out of my comfort zone. Long story short, we both spent six agonizing weeks waiting to see if we were accepted into the program.
When discussing our stay in Europe we would passingly say that we should meet up. I didn't think much about it and chalked it up to the coffee from Barnes and Noble messing with our heads. I don't know if I ever believed it but before I knew it, I was buying plane tickets and hostel accommodations . So, I hope you enjoy hearing about my trip to Ireland.

Transportation:
When booking, the cheapest airline was Ryan air. Overall I had a good experience with them.  I think any stress I had was self imposed.  My flatmate let me use her suitcase since all I needed was a cabin bag.  Somehow it got stuck in my head that I was really going to go out and my green dress and brown boots was crucial.  The whole time I was worried if my bag would be the appropriate weight and size.  The flight to Dublin was longer than I expected. I don't know why I though it would be an hour flight but it was a two and a half hour flight. When I arrived, the airport was design that you basically had to go to customs, collect your bags and leave. I knew Anna's plane would land with the 15 minutes so I hopped in line and hoped that it was slow enough for us to meet. I finally got connected with the airport's Wi-Fi when Anna sent me a message saying that she just got her passport stamped and she was at baggage claim.  Fear shot through me because I never seen Anna go through customs and I thought for a moment that we were at two different airports.  After a few questions and getting my passport stamped, I rushed to baggage claim to search for her.  It didn't take long for me to find her and I was at ease.  Everything was okay. 
On the way back, Anna talked me into buying souvenirs, three for 20 euros. It seemed like a good deal until I couldn't get my bag to fit in the baggage check.  Luckily after 20 minutes or so, I arranged everything in my bag well enough that it wouldn't cause a problem.
For the remainder of our trip we took buses, trains, trams and a taxi.  The Tram easily became to our favorite form of transportation and the bus was the worst.  The bus station didn't have maps or anything that clearly relayed the potential destinations.  So we had to travel by the seat of our pants and get off at what sounded good.  Our feet was the most used form of transportation.  I didn't bring any good walking shoes so my feet were hurting majority of the time.  For the most part, maneuvering around the city wasn't too bad. We had the classic "tourist" look going on but it was okay because we were not alone.

Accommodation:
 I think the Accommodation area was the most humorous part of our trip. When we first got in town, we got off at the wrong stop so we had to walk back a little ways.  We walked on the main strip until when seen some blue lights.  Anna asked did I want to walk by the lights so we turned left on the street.  Well we walked passed the lights and made a right because we thought we should head in that direction. Fast forward an hour and we still haven't found our hostel.  By this time I am getting a little nervous because its dark and we didn't know where we were going.  We found ourselves back at the blue lights. This time we looked forward and seen 5 signs with the word "Generator." The hostel was right in front of us the whole time and we totally missed it.  I don't have to tell you how silly we felt.

So we go in and the place looks exactly like the pictures. The place seemed to scream "Youth." We  check in and we realized that they had us in two different rooms. So me being the person that I am, I asked was there any way to put us in the same room. They were very helpful and put us in the same room on the second floor.  The room held 8 beds and we shared the room with six other people (men and women).  It reminded me of a dorm room. You share the room with other people and the bathrooms were communal
*Funny Story Break*
The first night we was there Anna said she was going to a shower.  Well I decided I was going to take mines in the morning because I was tired.  We discussed the shower thing for a moment or two and Anna still wanted to take her shower then.  So she got out of her towel and bed clothes and other essentials.  She took a shower and by the time that she got bad I was tucked away in bed.  So around 5:30 in the morning, and I had to go to the bathroom.  I went out to the hall and I seen a door that had boxers on them.  I wasn't very comfortable going through that door even though it was the only door on the whole floor.  I would have went to the handicapped bathroom but it was locked.  So I walked up to the third floor and there was a worker. I think he could tell I was confused  because he asked if I need something.  Standing in my pajamas, I said "I am just trying to find the bathroom."  He got on his radio to confirm the location and he said "The women showers and toilets  are on the first floor and the men showers and toilets are on the second floor."
I chuckled a little bit thinking about how funny it would be if Anna went into the guy's bathroom.  Later in the morning I asked her about where she took her showers.  She then told me about somehow there were only guys in the shower and when she got out, there were some guys snickering. You guessed right.  Anna took a shower in the Men's Bathroom

The layout of the hostel was meant for young adults, but  there were older and teenagers there as well.  I think I was more annoyed by the immature kids that we running around than anything.  Good there we were only there for four nights and the kids were there for just a night.  On a few of the evenings we would sit in the lounge and listen to the live music. I cannot  tell a lie, I was checking out all of the cute guys, but I was too shy to talk to anyone. I really enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the hostel and I would stay there again.  In case any of you plan on going to Dublin, it is called the "Generator"

 http://generatorhostels.com/en/destinations/dublin/
So here are a few pictures.

 

 

             This was us when we met at the airport.  I was so relieved that we both made it safely

 

  

 

                           The quality of this picture is not that great but this was the bank of Ireland

 This was the wall across from the elevator in our hostel. The hostel was designed to create this "care-free" life in my opinion.  It was a very nice hostel minus the bathroom confusion!

                               This was actually Halloween night, they had the building lit with bright lights!

Something creative we seen while walking

 

 

I will be posting about the culture and food next, so stay with me!

Adventures Pt: 2

I am so excited to tell you about my trip but I to tell you more about my "adventures" I can't have a pt:1 without having a part 2. So if this post seems a little rushed, that's because it is and I apologize for in advance. 

A couple of my roommates wanted to do a daytrip to a nearby city. I had been going back and forth in if I really wanted to go the whole week. On sunday morning around 9:30 I wake up to two girls in front of me telling me I had to get up. I had stayed up until 3 in the morning watching a stupid movie and I was tired. But of course my girls do not take no for an answer and after a couple of minutes, I found my way to the bathroom to get ready. 

Let me just say that if I knew what this trip was going to be like, I probably wouldn't have went. We took a bus to a nearby city, expecting the animal park to be close by. We ended up on the side of the highway scratching our heads and wondering where we went wrong. One of the girls I went with ran across the street to a house to ask for directions. The man told her that we should go down the road we were standing by, until we reached the end, make a right and continue until we seen a sign.  I can't help but think that when our friend walked away, he had himself a really good laugh. And hour after walking and we still hadn't seen a sign. By the second hour of walking I was about to scream when we finally seen a reindeer standing behind a gate. We had reached the promise land.

The animal park was basically a mini zoo with miserable looking animals. I don't think there is anything that I can say to make that sound better, so i won't.
Anyways I will save you from hearing any more complaining. We walked a total of around 12 miles within 6 hours. I didn't cry, and my legs didn't fall off.  Though it was not the best trip I have been on, I am extremely glad I went. That was my first time being able to brag about walking that much.  I must admit, if you are surrounded by amazing people, it can make anything awesome! picture time

 

 

Adventures Pt:1

So in the last post I said that I would get out more.  Here goes:

So the day that I work the last post, majority of my flatmates were gone.  Two was in Russia, one was in Finland and another one was in Germany.  So my Czech flatmate and I had the whole dorm room to ourselves.  Now I must admit, I enjoyed not having to share the bathroom and the toilet.  Let's not mention that the kitchen was clean for more than 20 minutes. I missed them, but I enjoyed myself as well.  Friday night my flatmate suggested that we go out. I didn't have anything to do so I decided that I should get out for a little bit.  We went to a pub and had dinner.  It was great just sitting down talking.  It was a little loud in the pub because there was a football game going on.  And when I say football I mean soccer.
The next day we decided to go to a near town called Otepaa. She asked me would it be okay if another girl came along and I agreed because small groups are usually good. I was a little skeptical because I never met this newcomer and I usually dislike a person until they give me  reason to like them.  But as soon I met her, I deemed her cool.  I think we had a really good day, but instead of explaining everything I'll post some pictures.

 Let me warn that this trip was for the nature, so if nature is not your thing, this is going to be boring!
When we first got there, it was foggy and we were afraid it would be like that the whole day.

 This lake is considered to be one of the most beautiful lakes in Estonia.  Legend has it that the lake is made up of the tears of a woman who lost all five of her sons in war. 

 

 

 

 After we finished our trail, we really wanted some coffee so we found our way to a spa.  The receptionist told us that there was a café at the end of the building so we went looking for it.  The café was called the "Tower café." As you can guess, we walked up stairs upon stairs to order our drinks, and then some more stairs to sit down. I was out of breath, not only because of the stairs but because the view was breathtaking.

 

 We then walked to this viewing platform.  It was a long way there and I really didn't want to go but I pressed on.  When we made it to the platform, they had stairs and the elevator cost more.  But I rummaged through my purse to get the extra money.  The view  from up here was amazing and  I could see for miles.

 

This post was longer than I originally thought it would be. So I will have to make another post for the trip I took yesterday.  ENJOY!

It's okay not to be okay

Long time, no see.  I know, I am guilty  when it comes to slacking.  It is funny because I think about posting often but other things seem to take priority over blogging. If it makes you feel any better though, things have been pretty calm since the last time I posted. I have my ups and downs.  It has taken a little while but the cultural differences and homesickness has starting to rear its ugly head.

Cultural Differences
I realize now that I have lived my life in a shell. I do what I'm told and stay away from what I'm supposed to... for the most part. My mother is a loner, so I am a loner.  I was fine with that until I got here and realized that everyone is not like me.  It took some time to adjust to just how many people could be in my flat at any given time.  If six girls wasn't enough, add their friends.  At first I hated it.  I couldn't figure out why they had to be together all the time and in our flat.  I would go in my room and lay in the bed until everyone left.  As weeks went by I came to the conclusion that it was not as bad as I thought it was.  I have accepted it as a norm for it to be 1-3 people extra in our flat.  In fact, it seems lonely if the crew is not there.  I had to give credit to my flatmates though, they take the whole flat into consideration when it comes to guests.  Sometimes they cook in our flat and other times they cook somewhere else.  That is more than fair.
The pastime around here is going out. Whether going to bars or clubs, people forget all their problems on Thursday night.  As I mentioned before, I wondered if I would hit every bar and club when I got here.  I don't like it.  My flatmates have to drag me out of the flat just for dinner and a movie.
Homesickness
It creeps up on you before you know it.  In fact, you write it off as something else because you don't want to admit that you are missing home.  I talk to my mother everyday and my father every week (he's macho). However when I am homesick I'm irritated to point that I am short and I rush my mother off the phone.  I get jealous when people tell me about the babies and all the developments they are making.  I'm angry because I should be witnessing that firsthand, not stealing glances from a bad quality skyping sessions.  It is a constant struggle between wanting to have my cake and eat it too.

If it is a rough day, I most likely won't leave the house. I stay in and look at Facebook constantly.  The only problem with that is at home its around 4 am and absolutely nothing is going on.  I read a book or spend 5 hours watching a 2 hour movie because the internet connection is so bad.  I open the window so I can receive my fresh air for the day. It is hard for me to say things because I wish so badly that everyday could be sunshine and happiness. I love it here, its just that sometimes I want to be in my own country, in my own state, in my own city, in my own house, in my own bed.  Oh, how I miss that bed.

Sometimes I feel so sorry for my roommates.  At the beginning they invited me every time they went out.  And my answer was always no.  People only accept rejection so many times before they give up. Now, I will notice how sometimes they leave for the night and I hear nothing about it.  Then I think to myself  "hey, why didn't they invite me?"  ...because the answer was going to be no.  After talking to my mother and talking to my roommates I realize that I need to go out more.  Going our does not mean that I am getting sloppy drunk or bumping bodies in the club.  However, I did not come this far from home to just sit in a room all day.  So I have made a promise to myself that I will get out at least once a week.  Starting tomorrow, I am going "hiking."

Hostel

This is what I have been waiting to write about for the last few days.  This past weekend was my first time ever staying at a hostel.  I knew that when I got here, if I went traveling, I would not be staying in hotels.  When we got done eating Saturday night, it was around 6 and we had to go check into our hostel. The directions said that it was on sauna street.  When we finally made it there, we couldn't find the hostel.   We walked up and down the street and was about to walk to a different street when this man and woman came riding up on bicycles and asked us was we looking for the hostel. We answered yes and he proceeded to point at a building and say that he was also staying there.  Let me just tell you that this man was not dressed in a three piece suit and carrying a briefcase, so I automatically went into high alert.

We began to climb the spiral staircase that  lead us to a bar.  A rather shaggy looking bar to say the least.  The guy that was on the bike told us that he would get the owner and he would be right back.  By that time, my eyes were as big as saucers and my feet were halfway out the door.  For some reason, my flatmates thought it was hilarious that I was freaking out.  The owner came down and took our information, in which I was skeptical to give up.

To get to our room, we had to climb up a few stairs and pass through what was literally a hole in the wall.  We finally made it to the room, and I think I was the first to lock my stuff in the lockers that were provided.  Was I being overly dramatic? Probably so.  In spite of, my flatmates gave me some wiggle room. For one I am an American (poor excuse) and secondly it was my first time ever staying in a hostel.

Hostels are cheap and therefore, the condition of a hostel is not palace quality. Once I got it through my head that I was getting exactly what I was paying for, It really wasn't that that of a place.  We went out the night to explore and when we came back, the bar that we were staying above was in full swing.  There was a live band and people standing outside of the door.  It was a little noisy but I was so tired from all the activity, that I slept like a baby.

Just a few more pictures

 

 

The owner was very nice, and I enjoyed my stay!!!

Old Tallinn

This is the second time this week that I have gotten up at 9 to be in class at 10:15 and the professor has not shown up.  I don't think an email would be too much to ask for.  Now, I am waiting in the business building for my second class to start.  I could right my essay, or study some Estonian phrases but I am going to tell you about my weekend in Tallinn before I forget it.

Let me just start by saying that if I knew that I would have to climb that huge hill at 7:15am, I probably wouldn't have went.  Of course, exercise never hurt anyone and I need all the exercise I can get but usually when you exercise, you are aware of the torture that you are about to put yourself through.  We had to walk around 30-35 minutes just to get to the train station. One problem that happens when you move in large groups is that it tends to move a lot slower.  We were very close to missing our train and I was not even seated when the train began to move.  My flatmates and friends were all ahead of me so I had to grab a seat closest to me.  That was the most uncomfortable 20 minutes of my life.  As the time started to progress and people got off at various stops, I was able to move and sit with my friends that I made on the way over to Estonia. The train ride took three hours and that was three hours too long.  The seats were  too hard and lets be honest, it wasn't that great of quality.  However when you only pay 5 euros for a three hour trip, you compare that to gas prices and quickly shut your mouth.

Upon arriving, we got out of the train and stretched our bodies.  We then broke off into two groups.  One group was for those who thought ahead and brought food for the travel and the second group was for those that didn't. I was in the second group.  We found a local bakery to eat at before we started our tour of Old Tallinn.  I, not thinking, ask for a donut that was ,50 which seemed to be a good deal.  However when I bit into it, was extremely stale.  I chalked it up to being the way that Estonians make their donuts.  I was telling my friends about it when one of them asked me which part of the counter did I get it from.  She then explained that the pastries on top of the counter was discounted because they were older and need to be sold.  On the bright side, my juice box was amazing.

The  tour was a long one with a lot of information that I forgot as soon as it passed through tour guide's lips.  One thing that I can say was that the tour guide was really excited about his job.  He had a passion about knowing and sharing information about his country.  As long as he was happy, I was happy.

 Due to the fact that we had a late start, we had to skip lunch for the time being and head straight to the Seaplane Harbor Museum.  Again the tour guide was passionate about what she did and she made sure she did occupy our time for too long.  I think if my feet were not yelling profanities and vulgarities at me, I would have gained a lot more information.  At that point though, all I want to do was sit down and have a drink.   When we were finally allowed to roam free, I found my friends and we grabbed a seat and ordered us a cold coke. I do believe that I experienced a taste of heaven.

From there, my flatmates and I took pictures by the Baltic Sea and went out to eat pancakes.  We then went to find our hostel which is a whole other post in itself.  We decided to spend the night in Tallinn so went out to see what the night life was about.  We seen a lady dancing with fire and music group play on a random street.  We finally landed at this Tex-Mex restaurant, and the girls kept asking me did it feel like home.  I've never been to Texas so it really didn't remind me of anything.  We ordered drinks, chips and salsa and made it our resting place for the next hour.

Right below the restaurant was this bar that one of my flatmates really wanted to go to.  It was so sketchy looking that I really didn't want to go, but we had to travel in a group. There was a live band that my flatmates were trying to listen to but once they heard the quality, they were ready to go.  I was just glad that we didn't have to stay there that long. 

The next morning we grabbed some breakfast at the local market and wen up on some platform to eat by the Baltic sea.  The view was so pretty that I could have stayed there for hours but we had shopping to do.  We went to the mall and the only thing that I purchased was a book, and I was more than happy with my findings. 

We made it home around six and though I had a good time, I was ready to lay in my own bed, and spend some quality time with the book that I bought.

first two weeks of school

I decided to write about the first two week of school because for one, I only attended one class the first week.  Before you start running wild with your imagination and think that I am slacking off, let me explain myself. 
I was not allowed to register for classes until I was actually in Estonia. By that time, all of the good classes and times we taken. Sloppy seconds. 

Well, thinking that I would be cool, I decided to take an Estonian language course and a Russian language course.  BIG MISTAKE! In just the first class I could already tell that Russian was not for me and I would be stressed out my entire semester.  Since when has "p" been pronounced as "r"?! Now I am down to just the Estonian course but I least I will only have to worry about one language instead of two.
 I have two classes with one of my flatmate Carolin. It would have been three but I had to drop Russian.  I also have one class with my "American" friend and the rest I have by myself.  Not too bad

I ended up being two hours late and missing my Human Organization class the first week only to be on time the second week, finding out the class was taught in Estonian. It was obvious that I was registered for the wrong class two seconds into the lesson. However, where I was seated, I couldn't just walk out.  It was a four hour course and I was forced to stay there for two hours.  I was so glad that the teacher loved to talk and she spent most of the time doing so. 

I hate to say it but it seemed like the only productive thing that I got done was my laundry, and I struggled with that!

We have washers and dryers available on the ground floor of the lobby.  Each of these coins cost two euros and they are the only coins that the machines take. I figured out that it takes 8 euros for me to wash my clothes. it adds up

it took me the longest time to learn how to use this.  I first walked in to the laundry room like I owned the place, confident.  Then I could open the door to the washer.  I tried everything.  I had to take my laundry all the way to the fourth floor to ask my flatmates for help. They told me I had to press the orange button.  I tried that like twenty times but it was worth trying again.  Again, I walked to the first floor, this time a little embarrassed, and tried to use the washer again.  No luck.  Then with a series of random button pressing, I realized that I had to turn the machine on, and then press the orange button.

The Dyers were simple.  I was a pro by this time

This was the cheapest detergent that I could find.  Estonia carries "Tide," but I could see myself spending extra money for something that is popular. Bonux is the way to go!