FULL MOON!

I woke up at the wishing hour. That's a fancy way of saying that after going out to the pubs last night for the umpteenth time in the row I woke bright and early at the respectable hour of 11:11. Professor Maas would be proud of me and my typical young adult sleeping pattern.

On Thursday my friends and I hit up the college bar (yes, for those of you looking at the screen in angry disbelief, we DO have a bar in the middle of campus). It's full of disco lights and bachelor pad couches and the walls are covered with tree wallpaper that kind of look likethe COE basement...I'm getting better at going up to order a beer without being afraid that three big men in bouncer shirts are going to come up, tap me on the shoulder, and kick me out.

Thursday was karaoke night. One of my New Years resolutions has been to take more risks. So far those risks have included, spending a semester in Ireland, being the first pair of international students to sing karaoke in front of all our new classmates (Let It Be by the Beatles) and going downstairs by myself to order a beer (strangely intimidating).

Knock on wood, but I haven't yet experienced the overwhelming rush of homesickness and feeling out of place. It's my 21st today and it was something i was dreading being in Ireland for. Why you ask? Well here (although I did find out their 18, 21, and 30th birthdays are big deals) they've been able to officially drink since 18 and unofficially drink since birth. Also I've been here for a grand total of five days now and I was seriously doubtful of my abilities to replicate a solid friend network in that time.

I guess I shouldn't have worried. There's more than ten of us going out tonight. Some of the girls from Cornell here with me are even bringing over a cake and then we're all taking a jaunt down to the beach. After it's out to City Centre to the Crane or the Roisin Dubh for some traditional Irish music.

Classes don't officially start for me until the 26th of January. The free time is making me go a little crazy in the meantime. All I can say is that when I come back I will be fit (I eat just as much but now I'm walking two miles there and back to the restaurants) and well read.