Arrived Safe in Ireland

So, I made it safe and sound to Ireland. The flight was very easy, I would say only a quarter of the seats were taken - so quick boarding and exiting the plane! I tried to get sleep, but instead realized just how hard it is to get comfortable while still wearing a seat belt AND squishing across two seats. I finally decided on a cross-legged, upright position that enabled me to be free from seatbelts and armrest jabs.

Once I landed I made it through immigration fairly quickly, got my bag immediately and only had to wait for Marla for five minutes. We were off! After a confusing bus ride back to the hotel, we finally made it. I noticed that Dublin is quite similar to Chicago. The trees without leaves, the sky was white, and smog and moisture were in the air. Oh, and it was pretty windy too. Our hotel is just off the main street in the City Centre of Dublin. It is very nice and contemporary - cozy rooms. We ate a continental breakfast in the hotel restaurant which was very good - although the water tasted funny to me... hmmm.

Marla and Cathy are off enjoying the shops and I'm about to take a nap to make up for the plane ride :) Until later...

Day of Departure

I am currently sitting in the Phoenix airport, very excited to take off and get this trip moving. Although, being AT the airport, bags checked and past security makes me feel pretty good too! I have a 3.5 hour flight to Chicago, two hour layover at O'Hare, then a 7.5 hour flight to Dublin. I will land at 8am (1am phoenix time). Marla and possibly her friend Cathy will meet me at the airport and we will be staying in a hotel at the City Centre for two nights in Dublin. Starting Saturday morning, we will take a train to Galway and hopefully see a bunch of Ireland via the train ride :) Galway is where we will be the remainder of our stay - Cathy lives in Galway. I have plans to sleep and relax the rest of the day Saturday, to rest up for shopping and castle visits Sun and Mon. Marla and I fly out together from Shannon to Chicago on Tuesday the 27th.

Looks like my plane has arrived and I will be boarding in the next half hour - yay - no delays! All for now...

8 Days Until Departure!

So, I have just spent some time organizing all my flights (five total), flight numbers, vegetarian meals and ensuring I have a window seat on all of them. That was pretty stressful, but also very necessary. I will appreciate it later when I'm scrambling with all my luggage through multiple airports. I feel more prepared now! I am very anxious for this trip to get rolling! All for now...

15 Days Before Departure

It is 15 days before I hop on a plane to Ireland. (Well, technically I have a brief layover in Chicago first, then to Ireland.) I'm starting to get very excited - especially since my expedited passport came five days after I applied for it - no turning back now!

I just talked to Marla today and she informed me that my carry-on can only be 13 pounds and my checked bag can only weigh 44 pounds. How on earth am I supposed to pack for a two week trip AND keep it under 57 pounds? Yikes. Oh yeah, I should rename this blog, "Ireland... and then Chicago". I will be leaving Ireland on the 27th, and flying with Marla to Chicago - we wanted at least one of our flights to be together. (She is flying out there on the 13th, I am flying out a week later.) The good news is, I also learned she has a second outlet adapter so I don't need to buy one in order to use my laptop, hair dryer or straightner! The bad news is, it doesn't work on battery chargers for some odd reason. Here's to hoping that my camera battery lasts the whole time I'm in Ireland on one charge. All for now...

Corine's Bright Idea

So, I am finally taking a trip to Europe - thanks to my wonderful, generous and totally awesome sister. On January 21st, 2009 I will be leaving Phoenix for Ireland. I thought it would be nice to somehow document this amazing experience, and likewise stay connected with everyone while I'm there. (I hear we will be visiting internet cafes along the way.) I will try to update this between now and when I leave as well. Until next time...