Since I will be leaving Europe in May (!!!!!!!!!!!), I decided to book a ticket to go to Germany in April. My dad made the decision easier and and is flying me over. I’m happy that being a little closer to Germany over the last few semesters allowed us to see each other quite frequently.

This was taken back in Oslo 🙂

Ah, the joy of writing a thesis.

I’ve finally found my rhythm after weeks of floating around in Dublin not knowing where and how to start working on this thesis.

Every week has been becoming a little bit easier. While I look forward to going home in May, I’m also sad that it will be over. So, all I can do is place myself right in the middle of those feelings that pull me in two directions, and make the best of these weeks in Dublin. Piece of cake after all we’ve been through, right???

Cheers to that,

Audrey’s dad took us out for the day. It was fantastic. Ola, Audrey, her sister Michelle, and I took the train out to Malahide to meet him. We got to see the Malahide castle and went for a walk along the waterfront. (group photos to follow…)

We went all around that area just north of Dublin. My favorite was a walk along the beach and cliffs near her Audrey’s dad’s house (I should really learn his name!). That’s exactly why I wanted to be in Ireland.

I just got the good news: I have ethical clearance for my study. YES!

Now we’re just waiting to hear from the childcare setting. Next week I should know where I will be going. This is so exciting.

Today I went out with Maeve, my Canadian friend who lives in Dublin. We met her boyfriend and his computer programming coworkers. What a different crowd. It was strange to go out with a whole bunch of guys. WIthout my academic sisters I am completely lost!

Instead of starting on the literature review I wrote a prologue. I just needed some things said before I could start concentrating on literature. So now I wrote a lovely little bit on the nature of our program, how it works and who we are. With that out of the way I can focus all my energy on this lit review. Starting tomorrow. lol

Still waiting to hear back from the early childhood setting I hope to conduct my research at and on the ethical approval from the University. Keep your fingers crossed.

Lovely dinner at Audrey’s house this weekend, and we only broke one pot. I like that we are part of their family and know Audrey’s parents, siblings, AND pets! As usual, we had a fun time together and stayed for a sleep-over. It was good to be surrounded by people once again, I can’t believe how much I got used to having company. In the morning we had a pancake breakfast, drank loads of tea, and then made our way back towards the city.

Kristel and I stayed downtown and explored the Saturday market in the Temple Bar area. I had been in that area many times, but for some reason I never made it into that particular street filled with nicest cafes and stores.  I also found a potter and will have to figure out what to leave behind so I can bring pottery home with me in May.Too bad that I didn’t find these treasures last year, but I guess that’s one reason I had to come back to Ireland 🙂

Today I’ve been doing some stuff for school, I find that I work well on Sundays. Maybe because I feel no pressure to accomplish anything on a Sunday… Whatever it is, it works. Kristel came over for a cup of tea and we chatted downstairs in my Yoga studio, also known as the sitting room.

This is the first wedding I’ve seen since I moved in, there usually are only funerals…

My Canadian friend Maeve and I went for a nice dinner tonight, and I’m sure that both our boys were happy that they could stay at home. I always get confused when I see her because I used to hang out with her about a decade ago in Vancouver. Different city, different life. When I see her here I forget where I am and why I’m here. It’s a very strange feeling.

I’ve been meaning to buy a plant for my tiny room, today was as good a day as any to finally get one.

For days now I couldn’t figure out why sleeping has been especially easy. But now I know, the church bells are out of order! If I didn’t know better I would think that Evan filed a noise complaint…

This week I worked on the introduction of my thesis, Oli helped me with the editing and then tomorrow I will review it with my supervisor Ann Marie. We meet once a week and having her is a huge support. Another tremendous support is our tutor Cathy. She meets the four of us every other week to make sure we’re ok. Basically she is our guide for the semester (or for writing our thesis) and she has already gone above and beyond helping us in any way she can. After our meeting with Cathy today, we had lunch with the new IMEC students and then attended one of their seminars. And after that we went to ‘the place where it doesn’t rain’ to have a pint.

PS The first month is already over, I’ve already had to pay rent!