EmilyA

Ah, the joys of the midwest

2008-09-13T16:36:00.001-07:00

It has been raining since god only knows when. I woke up at like 10 to hear kids screaming and stuff. Apparently some idiots on my block thought it would be a good idea to boat down the street, seeing as how it is all water right now. I went back to sleep.

I have done nothing today. OK not true...refilled an Rx, but that was about it. There was a project runway marathon on (WOOOO!). So glad Keith finally got kicked off. I called that from the beginning.

Most. Thrilling. Weekend. EVER.

Ah, the joys of the Midwest

2008-09-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

So Little Time...

2007-02-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

This semester has been, thus far, HECTIC. That is the only word I can think of to desribe it. I feel like I barely have time to breathe, let alone update my BLOG. Goodness. But I will do my best to catch up...where to begin...

Beign back in DC is both awesome and crappy. Awesome because I love living in the city and seeing my friends I didn't see last semester, but crappy because I am busier than I have ever been, and I don't know if I can go at the pace for 2.5 more months! I am taking 16 credit hours of class, plus a 3 hour lab every week, plus 15.5 hours of work, plus APO...which, I know for some people, is, like, nohting...but I am definitely not one of those people.

I have been trying hard to keep things in perspective, but it isn't as easy as I thought it would be. After being in Ireland, I have realized that it is pointless to spend your life being unhappy, and I have become quite the little life cheerleader, in that I think that life is short so you should do things that make you happy (i mean as long as you aren't hurting anyone or whatever...you know, standard stuff). Yet, I find myself being a hypocrite, as this semester is not really allowing me the chance to do things to make me happy.

Of course, APO is a good outlet. Though stressful at times, I really love going to meetings and seeing my friends there, because they are so funny and goofy and make me smile. And the service events thus far have been awesome. But with my courseload, I find myself sacraficing APO events to study, sacraficing studying to sleep, and sacraficing sleep to work...it's like a crazy non-sensicle cycle.

My goal for Lent was to become more positive, but from the looks of this post, it is not going so well so far. I'm trying, really. At the end of each day, I write down three things that made me happy that day. Some of them are obvious, like getting a good grade on a test, but other ones are little, like seeing someone help another person on the Metro. I know it's cliche, but at this point I will take what I can get in terms of making me smile.

I'm hoping that as Lent goes on, and I am able to focus a little more, I will become more positive. This semester has made me so short tempered; I find myself getting so impatient with random people I don't even know, doing random things that have nothing to do with me, in reality. The girl that sits in lecture tapping her pen on her desk would normally just bug me a little; this semester, it sends my blood pressure sky rocketing. My professor's loud voice would usually just piss me off; this semester, it makes me want to cry and hyperventilate. I am trying to take deep breaths and put things in perspective now, because I think that will make me happier and far less stressed in the end. Yeah, my professor's yelling is obnoxious, but in the end, I only have to listen to her for 2.5 hours each week, and that's it.

Ok this post has dragged on and on...clearly I need to be quiet. Hopefully the next post will be more positive as I try to chill out, and I will have happier things to report. :) Until then, just gotta keep plugging away...the semester has to end sometime, right?

FIERCE!

2007-01-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

Apparently God wanted me to spend a LOT of time on the couch this week...because there has been a weeklong "America's Next Top Model" marathon on Vh1. As some of you may know (and all of you should know), ANTM is insanely addicting. So here I sit, watching the 6th season, and I cannot get over one thing: JADE!

Anyone who has seen the 6th season knows who I am talking about. Jade is the cockiest of cocky people on TV right now at this hour. Dear Lord. She walked in the first day and full-out stated "I am the total package." Are you kidding me? You speak in buzz-words! When you open your mouth, you sound like an asshole on drugs! I can't deal. She'd better not win. And yes, I know I am going straight to hell, don't worry.

I swear I have actually been doing more with my life than critiquing tall skinny people. I finally secured a job for next semester! I will be working at the Department of Labor with the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. I'm really excited about it; I'm not gonna lie, it's nice to know that I will have some source of income next semester. I'll probably be working 5 days a week, but that's ok, considering I have not done any work of any real kind since August. Ah, study abroad: a curse and a blessing.

Being home has been nice, but I am definitely ready to get back to DC. I miss the Metro, the easy navigation...ok mostly I just really hate driving, so I'm excited to not have to drive/be driven anywhere. Isn't driving here a bitch? Old Orchard has become my own personal hell...all those Suburbans! So, as I sit here tonight, I look forward to writing a week from now from my apartment on 13th street, with a killer kitchen and an in-unit washer and dryer. THE GOOD LIFE.

Welcome to America

2006-12-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm baaaack...

being back in the States is odd, to say the least. I'm so happy to be home and see my friends and family, don't get me wrong. There were definitely times when I was abroad thinking "what the hell am I doing?!?" But coming back was strange...it was almost like...leaving home...? I had gotten so used to my life in Ireland; so used to living across from Dunnes; used to listening to Erin's rants after nights at the pub; so used to watching "Home & Away" with Laura and Cara; coming back seemed kind of absurd.

People mentioned "reverse culture shock" to me before I left, but to be honest I thought it was a load. I figured I would be so happy to come home that it would not phase me. But here I am, nearly two weeks after returning to the USA, and I still call dollars "euros" and catch myself using the phrase "take the piss at". Inside jokes that were so funny this past semester suddenly make no sense to anyone around me. Even the tea I brought back tastes different!

In a way, it's nice to be "homesick" for another country; it makes me feel like I really got to know Galway and became a part of a totally different culture. I know I will go back one day, and it's cool to think that I'll actually know what I'm doing, you know? Travelling won't seem so daunting (especially after getting through the Czech Republic without knowing the language!).

...and it is REALLY nice to not walk through rain every. single. day.

Oh, The Places You Will Go

2006-11-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't updated this thing in a while...I've been occupied, to say the least.

I cannot believe it is already mid November. It seems like yesterday I was in Dublin for my study abroad orientation. And now I have less than 2 weeks of classes left. Who would have guessed that? Not me.

I have officially become a world traveler, which is something I would NEVER have guessed (if you know me and my fear of planes, you understand). The last weekend in October I went over to Scotland to visit my friend Erica, who goes to St. Andrew's (like an hour from Edinburgh). It was really nice to go hang out with someone familiar; I do not even get to see her that much when we are in the States, so getting to see her in Scotland was awesome. Her apartment is HUGE (2 floors!!) and her two flatmates are hilarious and really nice. She seems so happy there, which I think is really cool, because I really do not think I could actually transfer to NUIG, even though I love Galway. I just can't imagine being this far away from home for so long. But she is having a great time. And Edinburgh was SUCH a cool city. I only spent part of one day there, but it was amazing. It is built very high up for defense purposes, and the views of all the gothic architecture are amazing. So, so cool. But the pound still sucks no matter what.

This past weekend I went to Barcelona with my roommate and our other friend. It was amazing. I definitely want to live there at some point. Of course the weather was beautiful (compared to Ireland's how could it not be?), the people were friendly, and the atmosphere was awesome. I loved it. My Spanish was a little rusty, but we all got by. I just loved the whole feel of the city, and being RIGHT on the ocean was amazing.

It has been so nice to get the opportunity to travel. In a couple of weeks I am going to Prague and Vienna. And then...the States! I can't wait to be home.

Speaking of which, I should go make some phone calls back to the home country. Gotta love a 6 hour time difference...

Saturday Night: When the Freaks Come Out

2006-10-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Weekends here in Galway are very, very long. The fact that I have no classes on Friday contributes to this, but even so, the weekends here drag on. They're fun, that's for sure, but they never seem to end; come Sunday night, I am actually ready for Monday to come (how twisted is that?!?!).

This weekend has been good. Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night were spent at a pub called The King's Head...our favorite spot. It's a two-floor pub with a stage for live music, lots of room to talk and dance, and good deals on bottles of Corona. But last night's outing really floored me (and no, I wasn't passed out...I was actually sober haha). Let's see...there were the two 40-something year old Irish dudes trying to pick us up and constantly blowing in my ear...and then there was the verrry drunk man wearing a cowbow hat, who danced for my friends and I and then proceeded to unzip his pants and show-off his "lucky" boxer briefs...and then, of course, there was the old man sitting on a stool, in a corner, completely passed-out asleep. In a pub! Asleep! Who does that? He was probably my favorite character there.

Of course this morning, after a night of actually not drinking, I woke up feeling like crap...explain that one to me. So instead of being productive, I spent the day whining about my throat, eating soup, and watching DVDs on my computer. I finally dragged my ass out to Mass, which helped me gain some human interaction, but boy, that 15 minute walk took a LOT out of me. PATHETIC!!

Anyway, I'll end it here...this typing is far too exhausting. But goodnight, goodluck, and stay away from the dude in the cowboy hat at The King's Head.

Blue screen of death...

2006-10-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

I finally have a functioning computer.

I always knew I was attached to my (very crappy) Dell laptop, but I think being in a foreign country, with a computer being my only real means of communication back to the States...having it die (again) on me really made me realize how attatched to it I really was. It was sad, actually. At night, before bed, I would gaze longingly at my desk, purely out of the habit of checking my email every 15 seconds. Did anyone IM me while I was at class? No...because you don't have a computer. I started planning my days around when I would go to the computer labs on campus to work on an assignment, check email, or print things out. THE HORROR.

But, I finally caved. I told myself I wouldn't get a new computer until graduation. But, I had to do it. I had to. And now I have a computer that (God willing) will not fail me. At least not for a while.

I finally feel like I have really settled-in here in Galway. It was pretty touch-and-go the first few weeks...I would have waves of homesickness, where all I wanted to see was a CVS or go hang out with my parents. Everything is so different over here. I told myself that I wouldn't get homesick; I was looking forward to this for so long. But it really does hit you, no matter how hard you try to resist it.

I have finally (sort-of) found my niche here. My roommate and housemates are awesome; we get along great, and I don't dread staying in on a Friday night, because chances are someone will be around to talk with or have tea with. And the traveling! So great. Last weekend I ventured over to Paris to visit a GW friend who is studying there. Who would have thought I would just go over to Paris...at a reasonable price? One hour and thirty minutes after stepping on the Ryanair plane, I was across the English Channel in the land of croissants and cafes. It was so wild that I was all the way over in Paris...thousands of miles away from home, yet I was hanging out with a friend that I hang out with back in the States...that might not really make sense, but it was all just kind of crazy to really think about. Who knows what London, Scottland, Spain, and who knows where else will bring...

So, I finally kind of feel settled here in this wild country. I still have moments where I just want to walk over to J-Street and get some Starbucks, walk to DuPont, go to HelWel, or even (gasp!) go to Gelman to study (24-hour reading rooms don't exist over here!). But, for the most part, I'm glad I can travel around Europe, and yet still feel (sort-of) at home once I return to Gort na Coiribe #3...

Good craic.

2006-09-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Finally my internet has kicked up to the year 2004, so I can actually edit this thing.

Ireland is still wonderful. I have finally (sort of) gotten into a routine, which if you know me is essential. It has been really interesting to see how different the school system is here. After two weeks of "shopping around" for classes, I am finally actually registered for them, which I'm sure GW will be happy to hear. Lectures start at 10 minutes past the hour, yet kids still file in around 30 past the hour, if ever at all. Students are expected to be much more independent here. That is definitely one thing I find very interesting. In the majority of the classes, there are no "required" readings; only suggested readings, and it is up to you to locate them and get the reading done. There is no timetable of readings; chapter 10 is not due on Friday, especially since barely any courses have text books here. Strange, but let's be honest...not shelling out $400 on text books is pretty sweet.

My parents were here for a few days visiting, which was awesome. It was fun to show them around where I live, and see how they reacted to the Irish lifestyle. Yesterday I took my dad to The King's Head pub to watch the All-Ireland Gaelic Football Finals. Gaelic Football here is akin to American Football in terms of hype, but it is way more interesting to watch than American Football. It's basically a combination of soccer, rugby, and basketball: you can kick the ball, throw the ball, dribble the ball, and slam people into the ground. Watching co. Kerry versus co. Mayo was really exciting. Because co. Galway is pretty close to Mayo, there is a lot of Mayo loyalty here. People were going CRAZY, and you couldn't move b/c the place was so packed. The streets were empty and the pubs were full; everyone who was breathing was watching the match. So I'm glad my Jewish father got an authentic Irish pub experience.

The rain has finally made up for lost time here. For the past week and a half, it has been humid and sunny, very uncharacteristic of Ireland. Our Human Sexuality professor declared that he thought he was in a Louisiana bayou. But, as of last night, Mother Nature woke up and remembered that this is Ireland, thus, cue the rain, the wind, and the cold.

At least it isn't cold enough for girls to break out the Ugg boots. Not yet, at least.

Oh, Ireland

2006-09-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

SO I finally have functioning internet...how about that?

I'll have to keep this short b/c I am exhausted, but FYI, Ireland is beautiful. The accent is awesome, the lingo is hysterical, the scenery is beautiful, and Galway is lovely. Dublin was nice for a short visit, but it was way too cramped. Galway has both the scenery and the cute European charm, so I think it is the perfect place to study.

I'll elaborate later...my Irish bed is calling me.

Concert? I think I'll pass, but thanks.

2006-08-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went to a concert with a good friend.

And I decided I am done with going to concerts for a loooong time.

Since I was young, it has been widely known that I hate loud noises, so you would think I would take that into account when deciding whether to go to a concert or not. But, no, I decided to defy the voice of reason once again, and go stand amongst 200 (+) Emo loving children, aged 15-26, wearing black t-shirts, skinny jeans, and skateboard sneakers, bobbing their heads, as if to say "I totally feel what you are singing about, it's like you really get me," and then screaming everytime the lead singer, with hair longer than I have, clad in what I will admit was a pretty sweet vintage t-shirt, leaned with the mic near the audience.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for having a passion, and if your passion is for music or concerts or the arts in general, more power to you. However, I have come to realize over the past year that music/concerts/the like, are definitley NOT my passion. It's sad that I think I would fit in better with the 30 & 40-year olds at a Norah Jones concert. You know, they're all very quiet, calm, sitting in their seats and listening to some soft, soothing music. That I could handle. But standing for 3 hours, listening to bands pump out indie-rock tracks, sweating up a storm, while getting my ass grabbed, my ear screamed in by a pre-pubescent fan, has lost whatever appeal it ever had. Instead of leaving high off an awesome set, followed by an awesome encore, I leave with sore legs, smelly clothes, and a headache.

I guess at this point in my life, I am more content to just sit and listen to an actual CD. I mean, the songs sound just fine, and you don't have people shoving in your way to see the artist, or screaming in your ear for them to play their favorite tune. I don't really need the visual of the artist, just the music will do.

Perhaps this will all change, when I finally turn 21 and a beer (or 4) will take that edge off for me at a concert, but until then, I am staying away. So, keep that in mind next time you ask me to go to a concert. Unless it's Norah Jones.

God Bless the WB...

2006-08-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Every morning at 9:00, my roommate and I watch Dawson's Creek on TBS while we get ready for work. Go ahead. Call us shallow. Call us immature losers. Call us superficial girly-girls.

Let's be honest, watching high school troubles is a way better way to start your morning than hearing about the death toll in Iraq.

So, after rekindling our love for watching other "teenagers" struggle through those awkward years, we decided to purchase seasons one and two of that wonderful show this weekend. Seventy dollars later, we now sit, watching episode after episode (COMMERCIAL FREE -- WHAT A GODSEND), talking about Pacey and Joey as if we are all the best of friends. And since we have been watching it, I realize, although the actors playing the 15 year-olds are really in their late 20s...still, their situations make me miss high school.

I know, who would have thought, right? By the end of senior year, I was more than ready to get out of little Wilmette...to get away from that tiny all-girls' school, to meet new people in a new city. And I don't regret it one bit. But there is something about high school that I really do miss.

I think I really miss knowing exactly what was going to happen each day, you know? Wake up at 6:30, throw on the uniform, go to class, listen to morning prayer, have lunch, cross country practice after school from exactly 3:30-6:00...everything was so scheduled, which is something I need. I freaked out at the beginning of freshman year here in DC because I had so much free time. Who would have ever thought free time could make someone so frustrated? I hated the surprise element of college, and no matter how hard you try to create a routine in college, you know you can't stick to it. You know..."Yeah, I'll wake up every morning before my 9:35, go to the gym, shower, go to class, grab lunch, go to my next 2 classes, come home, do homework, eat dinner, then go to the library, study, and then hang out with my friends until I go to bed at a reasonable hour." Sounds like the mind of a loser, right? Sounds like my mind the first week of freshman year. But as soon as I could say "Thurston", my anal-retentive routine was diminished to nothing more than a neurotic trait. My roommates would stay up for hours on end, never once going to bed at the same time, while I was "that girl" who went to bed every night at 11:00. I was the girl that got to class 20 minutes before anyone else, and would freak out if I was anywhere near missing that deadline.

Luckily, I have come to accept, and to an extent, embrace the randomness of college nights. I love the spontaneous decision to go hang out by the monuments, or stay up way past when I should to talk with my roommate. I like being able to decide whether or not I really need to go to class, or what classes I even want to take. In a way, it is nice to have so much undecided...although we all have to figure stuff out eventually.

I think a part of me will always miss high school. Looking back, everything seemed so easy and black-and-white; there was no real room for a gray area. You go to class, you make good grades, you get involved, you graduate, and then it's on to college. College is where that gray area rears its (sometimes ugly) head and smacks us in the face with reality: time to make decisions for ourselves.

If only those decisions were simple, like on Dawson's Creek...which pair of yachting shoes should I wear? Whose window should I sneak into tonight? Which boy should I kiss at Capeside High's dance on Friday?

Oh, TBS...

Welcome to Orr...

2006-08-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

This summer has been great. Really, it has been. I've gotten to spend the summer in a city I love, with awesome people, at an awesome job. I've gotten to live with one of my closest friends in a perfect location, work at a job where I actually like my coworkers and don't dread going to work, I haven't had to work on the weekends, AND, of course, I've made more money this summer than the past 5 combined.

However, there is one thing about this summer that is totally lacking, and it's getting to me right about now.

What, you might ask? No car? No, I hate driving so that can't be it. Oh, so it must be my dog. No, sorry,l wrong again. I mean, Bo, you're great and all, but not enough to fill a certain void. So, what, then is lacking in summer 2006?

Orr, Minnesota.

"Minnesota?" you might be saying, "Minnesota sucks. There is nothign to do there. It's in the middle of nowhere."

EXACTLY. Right now, two of my best friends are at Pelican Lake, in Orr, Minnesota. And as of yet, Orr, Minnesota is my favorite place in the world.

Freshman year, whenever I got frustrated with the fact that I couldn't stand 2 of my 3 roommates (sorry if you are those girls...but I have a feeling you feel the same way...), I would picture myself on Pelican Lake, sitting on the Raspberry Boat, reading with Becky and Emily D, without a care in the world. You would think that a person like me would go crazy in a place like Pelican Lake. No TV, no internet...how can I live without AIM or Facebook?? For some reason, that doesn't matter.

Granted, I think we all know that I am not exactly cut out for living outdoors. Bugs? No thanks. Cob webs? Kiss my ass. Yet, I have managed to survive two trips to Pelican Lake to date. I am so calm when I am there. I think being cut-off from the real world plays a huge role in that; if I can't check my email, I don't have to worry about what people have to say; if I can't watch the news, I don't have to worry about whatever is going on in the world. The only thing I have to worry about at Pelican Lake is which bathing suit is dry enought to wear; whether I put sunscreen on or not; which side of Bald Island I want to watch the sun set on. I have never been so at peace with everything than when I am at Pelican Lake.

So, unfortunately, I will not get to go to Pelican Lake this summer. While Becky and Emily D are diving off the dock, swimming around the island, and kayaking to Frying Pan for dinner, I will be in an office working, or sweating in the city.

But, in some insanely, Hallmark-Movie-Channel-End-Of-Movie-Scene-That-Makes-You-Want-To-Vomit way, the fact that maybe I will get to go next summer, is good enough for now.

To get the Hallmark Movie Channel, please contact your cable provider. And then, really think twice about the awful decision you are making.

One Month...

2006-07-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

Wow.

I have one month left in the United States.

I really am going to miss DC. To me, it is the perfect city. It's busy, but not too busy; it's big, but not too big; the buildings are tall, but not too tall.

New York City overwhelms me. It seems like everybody aims to live there. "I'm going to open up my own law firm in New York City" or "I want to raise my family on the upper-east side of New York City"...not me. Too crowded, too many cars, too many people within a 1-block radius. I think it takes a certain type of (very patient) person to live in NYC. I am definitely not that person.

Though my love of DC is ever-present, I am extremely excited for Galway. What I'm really excited for: GREEN. The only grass I see here in DC is infront of the Capitol, and in Kogan Plaza on campus. Hardly enough. But in Ireland, I'll be surrounded. A coworker told me that by the end of the semester, I will be "greened-out". Bring it on. I can't wait to be near the OCEAN. I cannot believe I will be living on the Irish coast. I miss living near a large body of water. Lake Michigan was the perfect point of reference; I always knew where I was going. But here in DC...I'm sorry, but the Patomic hardly provides any sort of direction. Granted, there is a NW, NE, SW, or SE on every street sign, but still...I'm at a loss. Have the Atlantic close at hand will surely help clear things up.

I can't wait to see the Aran Islands. The Cliffs of Moher. Castles. REAL pubs. Old cathedrals. Sheep. Grass.

...and I can't wait to hear that lovely Irish accent. I have a feeling it will sound better than the New Jersey accent that surrounds us here at GW.

Nobody Gonna Break My Stride...

2006-07-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, I became...one of THOSE people today. You know, the ones that make you feel like crap because you are still sleeping while they are exercising? Yep, for some unGodly reason, I decided it would be a good idea to get up at 7 freaking AM and go run before work.

Boy was I wrong.

"A morning run will be invigorating! A morning run will keep me energized throughout the day!" No, sorry Emily, you're wrong. A morning run will cause you to sweat your life away by the time you get back to your dorm, and by your 10:15 staff meeting, you will wish you were curled up in your bed, passed out.

I must admit that I wish I had the discipline to run every morning. I miss having that built-in routine, like in high school. And running in the morning in DC is the best time to do it, for a number of reasons, including...

- The tourists are not out yet, in full force, with their cameras, fanny packs, and visors.
- By 10 AM, it is already 90 degrees out, so it's better to beat the heat.
- Seeing the sun come up over the monuments is really nice.
- The only other people by the reflecting pool (excluding the 800000 geese) are runners, and they give you that nod that runners give each other, like "Hey man, I feel you", which always makes me laugh.

...despite all the perks, I have a feeling this was a one time shot. Sleep is just too precious. I got into the elevator this morning on my way to run, and my neighbor got in with me, on his way to work. He stared at me, saying "No, not you" as if I was committing a horrid fashion crime. "No, not you...you can't wear those black leggings under that denim skirt!" or "No, not you...you can't wear oversized sunglasses that take up 2/3 of your face...". Yes, Matt...I did it.

Running in DC is so different from running back in Wilmette. "Yes," you might be thinking, "that is probably because DC is not Wilmette." Good point. But running in DC is so cool, because I really feel like I am running through a newscast. (Sidenote: I literally almost ran through a CNN newscast outside the State Dept today.) The other night, I was running past the Washington Monument, while various NGOs and congressional offices had their teams playing softball and kickball on the lawn; their org name or their congressman's name plastered on a red t-shirt, chearing each other on. USPIRG played softball against some other environmental organization, and it made me happy to see USPIRG people doing something other than standing infront of my building with a binder, asking me if I have a minute for the environment (to which I always say no, sorry, I actually don't). Running by the embassies is always interesting, and motorcades are cool, trying to guess which politician is sitting in the back of the limo, palm pilot strapped to his or her ear. There is always something to look at while you run in DC, whether it is a protest, confused tourists, motorcades, or cherryblossoms.

And so, as I turn in tonight, I am in a way glad that I decided to run this morning. At least it made me feel accomplished.

But I am also glad I will be sleeping later tomorrow.

Yes, it's true...

2006-07-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

OH GOD! EMILY HAS A BLOG!!!! Yes, it is true, the day has arrived. I actually have succumbed to the pressure...I have created a blog.

I will be the first to admit that I have made fun of blogs. First of all, the word is so stupid. BLOG!!!! Please. However, I figure that updating a blog will be much easier (and most importantly, cost efficeint) when I am in Ireland. Thus, the BLOG.

My coworkers all have fun little blogs dedicated to certain topics...food, politics, fashion...and then there is mine...dedicated to...me? It's about time someone dedicated something to me, seeing as how I am extremely popular and important, and tons of people know me. But since everyone else is too lazy to create an Emily Monument, this will suffice.

I'm not really witty or anything, and I don't lead a very thrilling life at this point, but with hope, once I go abroad, I will have better stories.

Ok well that's all I've got...AWESOME BLOG POST (nerd cackle). Let's hope this lasts longer than my week long stint on MySpace...ha.