GOINGEUROPEAN

Friday, June 24, 2016

Dublin Day 5

Today we had another busy day going to the Leinster house and Google. Before that I went to the city to do some research with my partner, I ended up getting two interviews. Today we experienced “pouring” rain in Dublin, my partner and I literally had to stand in this man's store for shelter while it poured. The streets and sidewalks were flooded within 10 minutes. After the rain died down we had about 30 minutes until we had to meet the group, so we decide to eat at this café across the road from the Leinster house. This café ended up having delicious sandwiches; they reminded me of a good home cooked sandwich in America! When we met up with the group we toured the Leinster house. This was a very interesting tour, they showed us around most of the building and it had the most beautiful ceilings and chandlers inside. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside during the tour. After the tour we walked to Google, it started to rain but it wasn't pouring. Upon our arrival at Google they gave us name tags. Once everybody received their name tags Miguel and Ishmail showed us around there building. They showed us some of their lounge areas and canteens. We even went up to the top floor of their building which is the tallest building in Dublin, it only has 13 floors. The view from the top was gorgeous; you could see the ocean and the mountains. Then they gave us a little presentation about Google and how to get a job or internship, and then took us to the gift store. After visiting Google today I have been considering getting an internship after I graduate in spring, either in there NYC or Chicago location. Other than the rain today was a very good day and very informing.

Day 4

Today was a long day. First we woke up and went to breakfast, then we all met up to go to Microsoft. Upon our arrival at Microsoft we were greeted by Stephen Howell who showed us to our room we would be in and gave us our badges. While getting our badges they had lunch waiting for us. The food was good but the dessert was even better! We stayed there for about three hours but everyone's presentations were so good and interesting. We learned there company mission is “Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” They showed us what they plan on working on in the future and what there main goals as a company are. One of there future projects is called HoloLens, which 3D diagrams to improve the learning process. One really interesting part was Stephen Howell’s presentation about a demo he was working on that could detect the emotions of a person based on there face in a picture. It honestly was so interesting to me, along with his software he coded with a Xbox connect and all the games that were on it. I enjoyed this trip and thought it was very informative and interesting. After this we all kind went separate ways once we got back to the city. My group went to get some dinner and then we got stuck in the rain as we were walking back to the bus. I found out when it rains the cobblestone sidewalks get really slick and you WILL slip if you don't have traction on your shoes, I was okay though!

http://c1.thejournal.ie/media/2015/03/microsoft-new-campus-ireland-2-390x285.jpg

Dublin Day 5

This morning we had to run to the bus stop so that we could go and tour Microsoft. At first I was kind of dreading going because I am not into technology at all. But once we got there I got a little bit more excited about it, and I enjoyed the first few lectures. I had no idea how much information was on facebook and how much information facebook got when I signed into another account through facebook. It was also very interesting to see the app games that Steven had invented to help people with mild disabilities. After Microsoft, we walked around a few of the shops in the city, and then went to eat dinner. It just so happens that Rihanna so that was really exciting, none of us usually have that kind of luck.

Dublin day 6

Day 6 was a typical Ireland day filled with rain. We had been spoiled by not dealing with the rain to much but today that was ruined. It flooded about the time we walked across the street. We waited inside for it to stop raining and then went to Henry street where a lot of the action is and decided to go to lunch. We ate at this cute cafe and I had some fish and chips, but I got mashed potatoes and gravy instead. After this we walked to the Leinster house where we received a tour of the parliament and learned some of the history of Ireland, where the guys accent was so strong I could only understand half of what he was saying. After this we walked what seemed like forever to the Google headquarters of Ireland in the rain. Once we arrived we got some name tags and went inside. When we walked in we saw a huge cafeteria and one of two google stores on earth, it was pretty cool. Then we got to go up the top floor which is also the highest building in Dublin and see all over, it was so pretty.
After we finished up the tour we walked back to the bus stop which was a long way and tried to eat at a couple of different restaurants but were pretty much denied because they were so full. We pretty much gave up and settled for some cheese toasties, which were just as good as before. After our delicious cheese toasties we went back to campus and called it a night.

Dublin day 5

Day 5 started out great because we got to sleep in a little later than usual. We then headed out for breakfast were we had the same, water, a crissoant, a hash brown, and some water. After breakfast we raced to the bus stop to meet the group to go down to Microsoft headquarters in Ireland. We rode the bumpy and rough bus for an hour and then got off to hit the train to the park where the building is located. We were met by Stephen who would be our host for Microsoft, he took us inside and got us badges to wear for security purposes. We met in a conference room and were told we were eating first. They had prepared for us a Irish stew, mashed potatoes, fish, cream puffs, and macaroons. We ate around the table and talked then we began the presentation. The first speaker was Michael Meagher who gave us a preview of who Microsoft was, not as a technology company, but as a company who wants to focus on making technology work for everyone in the world. It was a really touchy topic because they are focused on so many different things and challenges in peoples lives. Then we met with Ryan who talked to us about the new Microsoft flow which seemed pretty cool for companies who need to see whenever they are talked about on social media. It basically connects you via email or text when something happens that you chose, it notifies you. Lastly Paul talked with us about security things and basically told us that there are people in the world who know more about us than we know about ourselves because they can access it via our computers and we allow them too.

After our long day at Microsoft Macy, Sierra and I headed off to our favorite pub for dinner, Davey Byrnes. We were all starving and I ordered a cheeseburger thinking it would be American, nope. It was basically a sausage with cheese on a bun. I hated it, but I don't like sausage. We were sitting at the pub just talking and our waitress comes up and asks us of we wouldn't mind moving later because they were having a VIP guest. We of course did not mind but were curious who it was. About twenty minutes later she tells us that security has started to arrive and that the guest was on their way and she told us it was Rhinna! We were sitting in the same building as her. crazy. We move up and continue talking and notice that security is really heavy now and that they were checking peoples bags and using metal detectors on people as they came in. It was one of my favorite memories so far on the trip.

Dublin day 5

Day 3 Continued - Defeat

Yesterday my partner and I discovered that Rihanna was in town. We had a map and started walking towards the venue. As we got closer we started to see people who were dressed up, dancing, and singing the artist's music. We were told that the concert started at 5pm so walking fast was a must. I admit it would have been easier to take a taxi but neither of us wanted to spend the money.

Almost an hour later the venue could be seen from the sky in the horizon. The excitement started building with each step that we took. Because we were downtown doing research, nether of us was properly dressed properly, but we didn't care. The stars aligned and we were taking advantage. How many times will you get the opportunity to see Rihanna in Dublin?!? We got to the venue at 5, the same time it was suppose to open and started looking for the box office. After about 10 minutes I asked one of the guards about it and was told that Ticketmaster was down the street.

3 blocks later still no Ticketmaster. Since I didn't get a SIM card or an international plan I couldn't use my phone to call or goggle anything. My partner tried paying them from her phone but Ticketmaster couldn't understand why someone in Ireland was entering Nashville, TN into the billing address. She tried calling but never could get ahold to someone after the first number she tried was disconnected. We looked up directions to Ticketmaster and discovered it was 20 minutes away by foot. By this time we had given up on getting into the venue. We were about to except defeat when an idea entered my mind, but I'd need wifi to try it.

We walked around the area until I was able to bum some wifi and I contacted My friends via Whats App. My goal was to get them to purchase the tickets and send them to me electronically. Although everyone I contacted was at work, and at their desk, everyone was in meetings and on conferences calls...ugh. By this time I looked at my partner and told her that I'd done all that I could do. It was time to head home.

Rihanna Picture - "Rihanna Photo." La Scandaleuse. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2016.

Stadium Picture - "Aviva Stadium." Stadiony. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2016.
Rihanna -

Thursday, June 23, 2016

June 23, 2016

Day 4 GEC 1was actually really educational. In class we held a discussion on the different aspects and details on marketing. We learned the difference between management and marketing, internal v. external operation, and the difference between need and want. Also the difference between microenvironment and macroenvironment, where micro you are able to control your own business and macro gives leaves you without any control. Along with that the process of business to business (B2B) and its between two large business, like TNCIS buying rooms from colleges or hostiles for study abroad groups. And how business to consumer (B2C) are the transactions seen in stores, like promotion and advertisement.

After a short class session the group was off to on its first excursion to Microsoft to listen to speakers. We found out the mission of Microsoft, "Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more", and how they want to be seen as more a tech company. They showed us some of the new technology being created and introduced to society such as the HoloLens and the new Microsoft flow program. HoloLens creates 3D diagrams to improve the learning process and Microsoft Flow simplifies managing several accounts. And lastly, the most exciting thing learned was from the guy who intergraded the kinect aspect of SCRATCH, a kids coding program, which I thought was cool because you can play and create games on it. Overall it was an educational filled day that I enjoyed.

P.S. The rain in Dublin in extremely cold and all together inconvenient, do to the amount of people on the street running and speed walking with umbrellas on the slick pavement. All together a different experience.

June 22, 2016

The Adventures of Dublin
GEC day 3 was eventful and uneventful all at once. The morning started off early, but thankfully not too early). Class was interesting in a sense for we were able to learn more about this great country and the future of marketing. Our guest speaker, Mr. Steven Ryan, gave a lot of insight on the history and traditions of the Irish. Telling the history of St. Patrick, and how he was actually Welch. Also, how Arthur's Day, the 250 anniversary of Guinness, was so successful it had to be cancelled because people considered it a national holiday, when it was not, and the whole city would shut down for it. He also discussed the marketing aspect of it all. For instance, how the Irish are natural storytellers and how in a way that's how they market themselves to the world for tourist to visit the country. And how mobile advertising is the best and biggest type of advertising on the rise, for everyone has a cell phone or tablet and that's the best way to reach out to people.

After class off me and my partner in crime, Eboni, went to interview a native from the country. The girl was fun and funny and overall welcoming and great. The conversations we had gave a lot of insight on how much stuff and interest we had in common with people overseas. For example everyone is almost equally obsessed with GOT and we both love the movie 10 things I hate about you. The encounter also opened my eyes to new things such as music artist that she liked in the UK. Overall I really enjoyed the conversation and it left a good impression of the Irish. Later that night I able to experience Irish traditions even more by going to a pub/bar and watching a football game. While I didn't watch the game all the way through I did make it out downtown and saw the aftermath of Ireland. The joy of the people was interesting and funny, but it was great and I wish I could experience it again.

Dublin Day 5 6/23/16

Today the group went to Microsoft Dublin to have lunch and a presentation. When I originally found out we were going to Microsoft my first thought was "I am an Apple kinda woman" but I was pleasantly surprised!! Upon arrival Stephen Howline greeted us and took us to a conference room. He then led us to the lunch line which was a traditional Irish meal. It consisted of Irish stew, mashed potatoes, fries with little cream puffs and macrons for dessert. Then, it was time to get down to business. The first presentation was about Microsoft Ireland where I learned that Microsoft is celebrating there 30th year in Ireland. Next, three were presentations about technology and security. I originally thought that Microsoft was trying to copy but found out they aren't even a competitor! The competitors of Microsoft are Amazon, Google and IBM. I learned that Microsoft isn't about the android phone and surface tablet but more about improving the lives of everyone through technology.

After the Microsoft visit, I explored downtown and visited the St. Stephen Green district where I visited that park! The area is very scenic but also a busy part of the city. I was starving so I went back to Davey Brynes because of the good food and cute bartender (shoutout to you Adrian). I ordered a burger and it was actually a sausage patty!! It was surprising but still delicious. About halfway through the meal our table was asked to move because a VIP guest was arriving with her party of 50. Later, Macy, Court and I were told the guest was Rihanna! She played a concert in town a couple days ago. I never saw her but the security and police were very present. Security was searching peoples bags and using a metal detector to everyone that walked through the door. This experience made my favorite local pub even cooler.

Day 3 - Off to a Great Start

It’s the third day of our week in Dublin and I today I felt like myself again. We meet as a class then went our separate ways as groups into the city. I must admit I was nervous. As a southerner it’s nothing for me to strike up conversation with strangers but still, I know absolutely nothing about this city, nor where I’m going. To top it off I don’t have access to internet to google anything on my phone, so I relied on my research of the area.

My partner and I made a list of things we wanted to accomplish for the day and vowed to stick with it. There was a gentleman that she’d researched that worked in the area that we toured yesterday, so it only made sense to start there. We exited the bus and retraced our steps back to where we’d finished our tour and started searching. It didn’t take long before we stumbled across the building and went in, and there to our amazement was the gentleman dubbed the “Godfather” of skateboarding here in Dublin…Clive Rowen.

Mr. Rowen was very nice, especially after he discovered that the Americans had actually did their research on him. He allowed pictures and a great interview and off we were. We were so excited that we got our first interview on the first try that we decided to stop into Starbucks to celebrate. I must admit that I also wanted to stop there for two other reasons, free Wi-Fi (you will learn to take advantage of this here) and friendly people.

Sure enough the place wasn’t packed and everyone was happy and smiling. I jumped at the opportunity to ask the barista if he was a local, and if so, could I interview him. “Sure!”, he replied. I decided to let him talk and our conversation just kept going. A customer would pop in and he’d say, “Hold on”, go off and fix their drink then return with, “Ok, like I was saying…” Joel ended up being a really cool guy! We, ourselves, ordered drinks then off we were.

Tucked away in one of the many alleys was this tall gate that looked amazing, being the tourist that I am, I went to see what it was. It ended up being a church named in honor of St. Teresa. I made sure to ask permission to tour the venue and take pictures because we didn’t want to offend anyone and everyone was ok with it. Walking inside was a moment in life I’ll never forget. Candles were still lit from the Mass that had just finished and some people were still lingering from the service. The artwork and stain glass windows filled the walls and the atmosphere was very peaceful… I’m glad I stumbled across this church, I’m glad I had the opportunity to witness this.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Dublin Day 4 6/22/16

In the morning, my marketing class had a guest speaker, Stephen Ryan, come and give a lecture about social media marketing. He works for a local radio station as the social media director. The lecture made me realize how much technology has changed they way we live and how companies have to continually adapt to the changes. After the lecture, I took a short nap and then headed into the city! We stopped for lunch at Eddie Rockets, which is exactly like Johnny Rockets in the states. Word of warning the milkshakes do not live up to the standard of Johnny's. After lunch it was time for some shopping and research. Macy, Courtney and I went to Henry Street which has the oldest department store in Dublin called Arnotts. It was a giant store that had so many levels!! It was overwhelming but awesome!! A store caught my eye because I saw a Bare minerals and Benefit makeup counters. I was able to talk to ladies at both counters for my project over the different trends in the cosmetic industry. Then, it was dinner time so we stopped for a delicious pizza deal and then got on a bus to take us home. The bus started to take us out of town and then we realized we could be lost. Macy, Courtney and I started to get worried but knew we got on a line that would take us to our stop. It had been 40 minted since we had gotten on and usually only takes 20 min to get home!!! The man in front of us seemed worried and asked if we were lost and directed us to get off the bus. We had originally got on the bus on the wrong side of the street. He showed us where to get back on to get home BLESS HIM. After two hours of traveling on the bus, we made it back to the dorm!! Now for a good nights rest!

Dublin Day 4

Day four was exhausting. I woke up and was so tired from the night before that I kept snoozing my alarm. This morning we had breakfast and then went to a lesson from a guest speaker who has done his fair share of marketing. We talked lots about Ireland culture and then about marketing your product and how to be successful with it. When the lecture was over we decided to go back and take a nap since we were all exhausted. The nap was what felt like the shortest nap ever and none of us were ready to go out and explore but we did. Once we got on the bus we headed to the city and had some lunch. We ate at this cute dinner that was 50's inspired but it smelled terrible and the food was way to expensive for what it ended up being worth. Then we headed to Henry Street. It was filled with lots of shops that we knew, but also some we didn't. We did some shopping but were so tired that we weren't really in the mood for it. After we decided to head home we stopped at a cute pizza shop and had dinner. This place had the best pizza, I mean it should have it was literally called La Pizza. After this we were all full and ready for bed, and we headed to the bus stop. Where we got on the right bus headed the wrong direction, for an hour. So once we realized we were going the wrong way we got off and waited for another bus, and rode it back to our stop for an hour. It was the longest bus rode of my life.

This is a picture of the largest department store I think I have ever been inside. It has about four floors with a billion things going on inside. We were much to tired to tackle this today.

Dublin Day 3 6/21/16

This morning the group had Dublin orientation. It lasted about an hour and made me really excited for this week! After that we split up into classes. My Professor, Dr. V, went over the syllabus and talked about his expectations for the course. I was still so tired and it just sounded like too much to handle. I thought I wanted to switch but felt the support of my two friend Macy and Courtney. I also realized that doing research abroad would help develop me as a businesswoman and professional. This course will help me grow as a person, so I am in it for the long haul :) challenge yourself.
Later, Courtney, Macy and I headed into the city. We were headed to Brown Thomas but made a pit stop into Lush because it would be a great place for my marketing research over cosmetics. We ended up meeting an awesome woman, Aoife (pronounced Efa), who took us for tour around the store. The prices are so much cheaper in Europe and the pot size is twice the size!! Now, it is time for real shopping in Brown Thomas. I saw the whole store was having a sale and couldn't believe it!! Then the mission was finding the Christian Louboutin boutique to try on heels. After lots of prancing around the boutique, I got a caged gold heel and a t-strap light gray heel, dream come true!! The only logical thing to do about buying red bottom heels is to eat macrons at Laduree, so that is what I did. It was a nice rest from shopping before I picked out a couple Pandora charms for my travel bracelet. The night ended at a local pub called Davey Byrnes. I had a traditional Irish stew that I paired with apple cider!! Great way to end the night and hang with locals.

Day 2 - There will be no sleeping!!!

Today has been a VERY long day… The flight went well, but I couldn’t bring myself to fall asleep. There were moments when I drifted off but I basically seen every hour go by. I’m not sure if it was due to excitement or if I just wasn’t sleepy, but me and the sandman never did really hang out. I figured I’d get to our room and grab a quick nap, but that proved to be the wrong idea.

We landed, grabbed our luggage, met up with Dr. V, and walked to the awaiting taxis outside. Although the calendar says June, Dublin’s weather refuses to believe it. I’m thankful that I tend to travel in comfortable, warm clothing because I didn’t expect the colder weather. Our taxi driver told us that we actually traveled on a good day because it rained constantly the day before. I purposely researched the weather for Dublin for at least a week to make sure I packed clothing that would be appropriate and nothing mentioned weather in the mid to high 60s.

Even after that, I found myself not worried because by this time, sleep had found me. I just told myself that I’d travel into town at some point and grab a jacket…after I wake up though.

We pull up to the school and walk inside only to hear words that no traveler that has traveled 12hrs wants to hear… “Your rooms are not ready”. Not only were they not ready but they wouldn’t be ready until 3pm. The happy, and well rested, Dr. V smiles and says, “This is ok, you guys need to stay awake to get adjusted to the time change anyway”. I’ve never said so much without saying anything. I knew he was right but at this point, who was keeping score? Everyone was struggling to pay attention and concentrate.

Every teacher was on “Sleep Patrol”. If you blinked too long your name got called out and you asked questions to make sure you didn’t doze off. Yes, it sounds funny but Dr. V was right… I should have gone to sleep on the plane.

After breakfast we went out into the city to explore and attend a walking tour. The tour was amazing and very informative. Our tour guide was very entertaining and funny. She seemed to be a walking book of knowledge about the city, culture, and about how to keep the attention of all ages.

After the tour we located the bus and was taken back to campus where we were finally issued our rooming assignments. By this time, it was around 5pm and you can only imagine how we all felt. I grabbed my luggage and before I could turn to leave Dr. V said, “Guys, I know you are tired, but stay up”. By this time, I’d literally been awake beyond 24hrs. I got to my room and did the best that I could but at some point I lost the battle. I went to sleep.

Day 3

Today I woke up feeling a little tired; I went to bed late because I could not sleep. Today we had a guest speaker, Steven Ryan, who gave a very good presentation. He was involved with social media marketing, which I find very interesting so it was really nice to listen to him talk about it. He also talked about some Irish history, as well as marketing history and how it's evolved. After this presentation Donald and I decided to walk to the Omni shopping center, so he could interview some stores. He ended up doing really well; the people who answered his questions were very nice. After this we decided to get some food from this restaurant called Nando's. It was so good, and had very good menu items. I ended up getting a veggie burger with some Cajun fries. We learned they had some restaurants in America but are originated from Portugal. After eating we then decided to head to the city to a store I needed to interview but they were closed early due to the soccer game tonight. I will have to head back there tomorrow. Other than that today was a good day!

Day 2

^{After getting 10 hours of
sleep last night, this morning I woke up feeling great! We had orientation with
everyone for about an hour, then met up with Dr. V to discuss what we should be
doing on our research papers and split us up into pairs. So Donald and I went
to the city and found my first store I wanted to interview. The guy was super
nice and had also been named the godfather of Irish skating in an article,
which I had read before meeting with him. He was surprised to see that I had
done research on him and was very helpful with answering my questions. Next
Donald and I interviewed a local barista at Starbucks. He was very friendly and
liked that we would try to keep the conversation going, while trying to get to
know him. He told us a couple things to do in Dublin like checking out Phoenix Park; enjoying the sun when it comes out, and watching one of the local bands
called the cranberries. After that interview we walked around some and Donald
tried to interview some stores but they told him no. Then we decided to go to
the wax museum, where we learned a little about Ireland's history. We also go
to see some famous Irish people as well as children characters in this museum. Then
while Donald and I were eating we decided we wanted to go see Rihanna tonight,
since she was performing in Dublin. We walked about 10 blocks to go see the
stadium, thinking you could buy tickets there... we were wrong. They told us we
had to go to ticket master which was a 20 minute walk..so we gave up. Overall
today was a very good day and got to see a lot of Dublin.}

Day 1 - The Flight

Today is our first day with the TnCIS program and it was ok. It really only consisted of getting to the airport, getting checked in, and getting on our flight. I was excited about this trip and triple checked everything to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything important like passport, money, and school ID. The only thing I seemed to have a problem with was the suggestion of packing lightly…sorry Dr. V. I still managed to be barely within the suggested weight limits of the airline and somehow managed to do so with a 24” suitcase. It seems I wasn’t the only one, majority of the group struggled to pack “lightly”.

We all checked in, got passed security, and settled next to the gate fairly quickly only to be welcomed with “Attention passengers, the flight to Charlotte, NC will be delayed due to mechanical issues. We will keep you informed”. This became an issue because our connecting flight from Charlotte to Dublin didn’t have much layover time. The message from one of the teachers then began spreading around… “When we land, we need to hurry to catch our flight!”

When we did land everyone was at a fast paced walk…a premature jog rather. I feel it was then that we began friendships and bonds, making sure that our neighbors were always either behind us, beside us, or in front of us. We made it to the gate, from terminal E to B, just in time to hear them calling different groups to begin boarding the plane. To my surprise the flight wasn’t full which allowed some of us the chance to change seats.

The flight included movies and meals which was an added bonus. Each seat also included a USB port but not a place to plug in a laptop. During orientation it was suggested that we sleep on the plane but, I had planned to do a little more research but I guess these work themselves out. Anyway…Dublin here we come.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Day 3 Dublin 6/22

Day three I woke up feeling much more rested and ready to go. We met for orientation and basically talked about the do's and dont's of the trip. Then we went and ate breakfast before we started our day. We then caught the bus and headed to the city where stopped at the store Lush and met some fabulous ladies who showed us all the best products and we spent some serious euros.
After this we traveled to a cute little restaurant where we had cheese toasties. Yes they are as good as they sound. We were able to eat them on the rooftop and it was beautiful! The weather was great today in Ireland. After we walked to a major department store in Ireland called Brown-Thomas and stayed for a while. We shopped all around and continued shopping all day. We went to Ladure and ate the most amazing macaroons. I cant wait to go to Paris and enjoy some more. After we shopped some more at some local stores and then went to dinner at a local pub and had the best traditional Irish stew and a coupe of rounds, had to be like the Irish right??

Dublin Day 2 6/20/16

After arriving at the university, we found out the best news yet, everyone had an individual room!! I was so excited to had my own room! The bad news is that is was 8am in the morning and our group could not check in until 3pm. The group got a tour around the campus from the receptionist, Anna, after she locked our luggage up. She was very friendly and gave us a great tour. I have noticed that people in Ireland are very friendly and speak very good English. My class was going on a city tour later in the day, so we had some time to explore the campus on our own.

Macy, Courtney and I went to a playground and watched kids play. It was here that I realized the weather is bipolar. It drizzled and then the sun came out in a couple minutes! Then it was time for the tour and by now I was exhausted. I was feeling get lag and ready for bed. The tour guides name was Lisa and she was a native to the city. She was very entertaining and knew a lot about the city. During the tour, she took us to the temple bar area. It reminded me of a hip hangout place in the city back home. There was lots of live music and drinks, which Lisa told us were more pricy in this area. She also took us to Trinity College when they were having graduation. I noticed that every woman graduating had stunning high heels on. I want to be those girls when I graduate!!!

Day 3

This morning I woke up feeling much better than the day before. We went in to orientation and met with Dr. V about our assignments for the next few weeks. We then went back to eat that interesting Irish breakfast in the cafeteria and I broke down and got myself a Diet Coke that really helped me stay awake. Courtney, Sierra and I then took a bus to town to start our research. We ended up at Lush cosmetics, and became friends with the people that worked there. We ended up staying there and talking to them for a few hours! We learned a lot about their life in Dublin, some history, what they do for fun, etc. They also hooked us up with some awesome cosmetic products! They were so fun and so kind, which is how I feel a lot of Irish people are.

After Lush we went to a rooftop restaurant and had some AMAZING cheese toasties, recommended to us by our friends at Lush. We then spent the entire day talking to people and shopping, AKA doing research because our topics for our projects are cosmetics and fashion! Talking to store employees, managers, customers, locals, and learning about them and their experiences in the retail and fashion industry will benefit me so much in my career. After a fabulous day of this, we ended it at a traditional Irish restaurant that was also recommended to us by our friends at Lush. We had Irish Stew and a few pints, it was incredible. Basically only locals were eating there and we got to talk to a few of them as well! Finding our way to the bus and back to campus was not hard at all. Overall a wonderful day in Ireland!

Day 2 Dublin 6/20

After we made it through customs we grabbed our cabs and quickly headed out to the place we are staying. It was so strange being in the cab because they drive on the opposite side as us in the states, as well as the steering wheel is on the opposite side in the car. Once we all got our bags and gathered up we received a breakfast card and went and ate breakfast on campus which was a relief since the plane breakfast and dinner were rough. The food was mostly normal American food and a little different, but still decent. After this we got a tour of the grounds and had free time before our class did a walking tour of the city. During our free tie my friends and I went and sat on a playground on campus and just talked about how we couldn't believe we were in another country. We were swinging on a swing set in Dublin, Ireland and that was amazing. After we met back up we took the bus to the city for the tour.
The walking tour was about two hours long and very interesting We went to the Dublin castle and several different parts of Dublin. I was so tired from not being able to sleep that I didn't really appreciate the tour as much as I normally would have. The tour guide was funny but I was falling asleep standing as we were listening, whoops. The two photos below are of the Dublin castle.

Day 2

As we were in the taxi driving to the dorm, it was very interesting to see the steering wheel on the right side of the car, and cars driving on the opposite side of the street than in the US. I was absolutely exhausted but knew that I had to stay up all day to avoid having jet lag for an extended period of time. We got to the dorm at about 7:30 and I didn't know how I was going to make it through the day. Immediately we went to the cafeteria to eat breakfast and it was interesting to see Irish breakfast, which included: beans, sausage that didn't taste like sausage, bacon that tasted like ham, eggs that looked like cream cheese, and croissants. It wasn't bad, I actually really enjoy seeing new foods because you get a better experience of being abroad. If I wanted to have the same things I always ate for breakfast, I would have stayed home. I feel like that is an important thing to remember while being abroad.

Sierra, Courtney and I then went out to the park and played on the swings for a little while so that we wouldn't fall asleep. It was sunny and then it was raining and then it was sunny and then it was raining. Several kids came to play in the park along with their parents/grandparents accompanying them. It was so lovely to see since most kids in the US these days just play on electronics inside. We then went on the bus into the city to go on a walking tour. Our tour guide's name was Lisa, and she was very funny. She looked like you would thing an Irish person would, with red hair, fair skin, and a nice accent. It was a good tour, and it kept me awake all afternoon!

Back at the dorm after the tour, I took a FANTASTIC shower. I then could use the wifi to text/call/facetime my family and boyfriend. I fell asleep at 9 and slept heavenly.

Day 1 Travel Day 6/19/16

The day is finally here! Headed to Dublin and so ready to start this trip. The group had to be at the airport at 11:30am which was a blessing because I was able to wake up at a normal time. I got up and checked everything in my suitcase and weighed it. I packed a little heavier than my last trip because I had realized I forgot some necessities like a water bottle and foot powder!! When I got to the airport I met up with my two friends from school Courtney and Macy. It is so exciting to have them on this trip because we are great friends that share the same interests.

It was time for the group to get out tickets and go through security. I always get nervous going through security but I would make sure to double check your carry-on bags so that none of the items will be confiscated. The first flight was from Nashville to Charlotte which was only a couple hours. When we arrived we headed straight to the gate for our international flight. I got a middle seat on this flight so I never got comfortable enough to sleep. I would recommend to try to get rest and drink water because this will help with get lag! Seven hours later the plane landed and the group had a short taxi ride to the university to see our housing!

Day 1/Travel Day 6/20

Day one was filled with traveling and more traveling. We got to the airport early to go through security and whatnot only to find out that our flight was delayed due to a maintenance issue. Among fixing the issue we quickly boarded our flight to the next airport where we could catch the plane to Ireland. The layover time was so short since our flight was delayed we almost immediately boarded the next plane. We ate dinner and then I slept for the majority of the flight (this helped with the jet lag). When I woke up it was about 1:30 AM Tennessee time and 5:30 am Ireland time we had breakfast on the plane and about 45 minutes later we landed down in Dublin. It was about 6:30 in the morning when we arrived.

Day 1/Travel Day 6/19

Day 1

Travel day is always the most exciting and most tiring day of traveling. I was so excited to come to Ireland and see the city and meet the locals and some fellow gingers like myself. I was a little sad to leave my boyfriend behind but the excitement trumped it and I was ready to get going. Our flight was delayed, which made catching our second flight kind of questionable, but we pulled through. However I was nervous that our luggage would not make it! I took Benadryl and tried my best to sleep on the plane but it absolutely did not happen. The end of the flight had a lot of turbulence and I was actually afraid that I might faint! That's pretty normal for me though. Going through customs was very easy and I didn't feel stressed at all. The taxi ride was pretty short and in the end the entire travel day felt like it went by pretty quickly.

June 21, 2016

Walk and Shop Till I Drop

Day two of GEC 1, so far has been waayyyyyy better than day one. Most of this is because I wasn't half as exhausted as I was yesterday, plus shopping was involved. They day start pretty early and pretty simple; wake up, eat breakfast, and go to orientation/class. Primary things I learned from orientation was to not do anything stupid or inappropriate, if you get sick or need help ask faculty to help, and always show up on time, or the cops will be called. Basic rules that I'm positive are easy enough to follow. Next was class which was pretty interesting. First we had the basic "what to expect to being and what's on the syllabus" discussion; so far it seems pretty simple, you just have to actually do the reading and work. It got really interesting when we discussed how marketing and elements of it are pretty much everywhere and in everything you do and how much time and money is put into marketing a simple product. Whether it's an obvious advertisement for a movie or just an employee at a theater suggesting what movie is better. Overall it seems like I'll be getting bit of interesting information from the class.

Later in the day,(after lunch, phone calls, and a much needed nap)me and my new buddy decided to hit up downtown on the search for things to buy. Souvenirs were bought first so we didn't have to worry about that later (and spend more money on us) then we were off to familiar and unfamiliar stores. We ventured inside possibly the biggest H&M I have seen. Four floors full of clothes, of course still none in my size but I still enjoyed the purses, jewelry, and the slight different styles they had on display. After H&M came a series of stores with many items I will definitely be buying when I get a real job. Favorite store of the day was Penny's, it was like Forever 21 and H&M combined while still being pretty, which I'm pretty is the reason why all the girls in Dublin have such cute clothes. Afterward we caught up with other friends in the program and eventually found the right bus to get back to our living arrangements ( of course it took forever to find the right stop and we had to run to not get left). Overall day was well spent and I am super excited for what adventures tomorrow may bring.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Day one/traveling

When I first arrived at the airport on Sunday for our departure, I was a little nervous but very excited. We checked our bags in and then went to our terminal. We were a little earlier and so some of us got to know each other. Our first flight was delayed due to maintenance issues, which caused us to run to our next terminal after we arrived in Charlotte. Luckily we made it in time and got aboard our flight to Ireland. On this plane I just watched movies and tried to sleep, but didn't get much sleep. Overall both of our flights weren't bad but we did experience a little bit of turbulence on both.
Day one of Grande European Capitals 3 and my first day in Ireland was wonderful. Well other than being jet lag and tired on my first day in Ireland, this did not discourage me from learning about the rich history of Ireland. The way we learned about this history was by a walking tour of Dublin that was very interesting! Our tour guide was a local Irish woman named Lisa, who knew all about her Irish history. We learned all about the Dublin castle and its origin, as well as the battle between England and Irish. After learning about the ongoing feud between the English and the Irish, we also learned about the first time the queen of England had every stepped foot on Irish land and her refusal of a Guinness's beer. And finally we learned how to sing an Irish song and how to great someone in the Gaelic, which I have already forgotten because I was tired during this tour. I am excited to see what opportunities this wonderful city has to offer me for this week.

June 19-20, 2016

Desperately In Need of Sleep

Day one of Grande European Capitals 1 and my very first day in Europe. At the beginning of this journey I was beyond excited, and believe me I still am, but now as I type, the jet lag and sleep deprivation is real. I have never been more exhausted in my whole life, and all I did was sit on a plane for hours and walk around for few more hours. So my first morning in Europe arriving in Dublin I was extremely irritable and cranky; however, that did not discourage the fascination I had with this city and its inhabitants. While my love for the Irish accents and its lush green land already had me hooked, the walking tour I took earlier this afternoon gave me more insight. I found out about its rich history and how the country constantly overcame being conquered. Also, the story of the Queen of England first stepping onto Irish land ever and her refusal of drinking a Guinness beer. And finally I saw the library for Star Wars and Harry Potter and learned an Irish song. Overall, traveling is exhausting and I 'd rather never do it again but, the benefit from going through all that insanity was worth it. I'm excited to be here and curious about what other opportunities the city has to offer for me this week.