Greetings from the beautiful land of Ireland! In my last post, I wrote about a few of the things that I have learned about myself while abroad. As the weeks continue to progress I have seen even more changes in myself on both the inside and the outside. Since I’ve been getting into the swing of things and adjusting myself to the “Irish way”, I’ve noticed a few things about Europe that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in America…
Trips to another country are simple weekend trips
Have a free weekend here in Europe? Why not just hop on a plane?! In the United States, driving for four hours will only get you somewhere in the same state while in Europe you can be two countries over in half that time. Honestly. It completely baffles me and what makes this more incredible is the airfare from one country to another. One of the cheapest flights I’ve found have been €49 (about $52) from Ireland to Portugal! Now I’m not one to claim neither quality nor safety of these flights but still, these offers are all over here in Europe and they are incredible for a weekend away. (A WEEKEND!)
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Charity shops are grand
They’re strips of shops in Cork’s city centre that donate their money to a good cause by practically giving away hand me down clothes, books, shoes and other goods. Yes, we have these in the U.S., yet I feel as though they aren’t talked about as much. All it takes is a visit downtown to get amazing clothes for a steal while helping local charitable organizations in Ireland. I ended up coming back to my dorm loaded with three books, four shirts, two dresses, a sweater and a purse for less than €30, which was a complete breath of fresh air (and my bank account thanks me). Shown above is one of the shops in Cork where you can purchase items with the proceeds going to various charities in Ireland.
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Honeycomb. Flapjacks. Caramel Shortbread.
Honeycomb is a thing here and it is turning into MY thing. And honestly don’t even get me started on what the Caramel shortbread is… I’ll only bore you to death of its addictiveness and my ability to eat mass quantities of it. Then there’s flapjacks, originating in the United Kingdom, where I may or may not be the person who is inflating their business. Honestly, come to Europe for the food if nothing else.Â
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Apparently peanut butter is “American”
So here in Ireland there is mainly one brand of peanut butter labeling itself “American Style” from a company called Panda. It has caused me to wonder whether peanut butter is just an American thing or something that I need to further research because peanut butter is a way of life and should not be hogged by Americans. Just sayin’…
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So there you have it! There are only a few thoughts listed here but I could go on forever about how much I love this continent. Stay tuned for more confessions and please feel free to follow my journey on my blog!