i'm here!

I have made it to Belfast!

After a car ride, two flights, several gate changes, an Auntie Anne's pretzel and lemonade, Starbucks' Passion Tea Lemonade and chocolate muffin, lugging three 50 lb. suitcases and a backpack across an ocean, a bus ride, and a taxi ride I arrived at my old/new house on Tuesday afternoon.

I have unpacked both the things I brought with me and the things I left here. I've made a list of things I need from Ikea, mostly curtains as the blinds in my room are broken. So I'm doing pretty well on the settling in phase. Although my body seems to be having a more than usually difficult time adjusting to the new time zone. Normally I'm just really tired for a few days, but this time I've been waking up at odd times, exhausted during random times of the day and just generally feeling "poorly." I think this is because I was running myself ragged the last few weeks at home and I'm sure that a little rest and TLC will have me right as rain in a few days. It's just a bummer cause I wanna go and do but I know that I need to rest...

On Wednesday I went in to the college to pay the remainder of my tuition. It was a funny meeting because I've been here before and already know where things are and have a cell phone, etc. So she was pretty much like, just let me know if you need anything and welcome! Next Friday is my official enrollment day. This is when I will meet my tutors and the others on my course and take care of a bunch of admin things like getting my student id and the letters I need to open a bank account, find a job, etc. (So a lot like orientation for us Americans.)

Until then I have plenty of time to keep trying to get my body used to being in this time zone, settle in, and catch up with friends. The weather has been lovely and cool. It's a little overcast today and we might see some rain this weekend. Perfect!

I guess that's all. I have some pictures of my last few days in the States to post soon...

cleaning out my phone...

I'm switching back over to my UK phone today, so here's a few pics and videos I saved from my US phone:

Will likes his head covered when he sleeps...

Ben's Chili Bowl!

Emily, Luke, and Flower

We fed "Flower" a lot, but we're not exactly sure if she's a girl...

Alternate name if she turns out to be a boy, "Blue"

Graduation!

Will's Birthday!!!

forty four

You know how people have lucky numbers? Well, I have two, of a sort, 11 and 44. Sometimes it's 444, but most of the time it's 44. They're not so much lucky numbers as numbers that have special meaning to me. Sometimes they're just an encouragement, they say, "Keep going you're on the right path." Or they'll say, "Pay attention to this." They've even been used to help me make some course corrections. Anyway, 44 popped up in countless ways this summer. Here are three of them from a few of the books I read:

'"Go, dogs. Go! The light is green now."' - Go, Dog. Go! pg 44

'"I am sure," she said, "that every one of us here will be gratified to learn that after four weeks of unremitting effort and patience on the part of our friend the goose, she now has something to show for it. The goslings have arrived. May I offer my sincere congratulations!"' - Charlotte's Web pg 44

"She glanced back. For a few seconds they look silently into each other's eyes, and the distant and impossible suddenly became near, possible, and inevitable. . . . . . . ." - War and Peace pg 1144

On August 4th, I received an email from the British Consulate letting me know that my visa had been issued. It arrived the next day. I'm leaving for Belfast on August 23rd (Monday!) and I know that I have two years there...

All that seemed distant and impossible suddenly became near, possible, and inevitable.

I can hardly stand it (and I can't wait to be done with the packing, although I wish I didn't have to say goodbye to so many wonderful people) and waking up in a plane over Irish fields on Tuesday morning cannot come soon enough!