Time Flies

In the past week I finished up the last of my assignments, realised I graduated one year ago, and, because of those two things, have had a huge nostalgia bomb blow up in my face.

For the last couple of days I have stalked through my old pictures and my friend's old pictures from our graduation. It's not that I have regrets or would even like to travel back and relive that time, it's more that I cannot believe how far my friends and I have come and the sentiment I miss of being together. 

Attempting to study in the back garden

One year later, half my friends are living in different countries all over the world, some are publishing books, others have become entrepreneurs and started their own companies, and some have even started a new life with their loved one. I handed in my last assignment for my Master's course, and now I have three months to write a dissertation before I have my degree. We have all gone in separate directions and I'm trying to wrap my head around it.

Luckily technology is a godsend to make it easier to keep in touch. I relish the occasional messages I get, and the Skype sessions that I've had so far. 

Anyway enough of the soppy stuff and down to business!

Since I was completing assignments I didn't do much for the sake of adventuring. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately so I've just been spending any minutes I can spare in the sunshine. I also realised how strong the Irish sun can be and proceeded to get a sunburn just from an hour and a half of exposure. God, I love aloe vera.

When the weather started to warm up back home, my mother would always go into overdrive cooking and cleaning... and I'm learning I'm the same way. I've made so many different summer salads over the past days, plus I baked banana bread, and I still have the urge to keep cooking. Below I have pictured a Mediterranean couscous salad, a Vietnamese Vermicelli salad, and a banana nut loaf. You can find out more about the recipes on my Instagram page.

   

This past Saturday was Eurovision, hence I'm posting this on Tuesday. For those of you that don't know, Eurovision is a song contest in which countries send one act to compete and hopefully take home the main prize. This was my first time not seeing the acts beforehand, but I'm glad I put my faith in Australia- yes they are one of the few countries outside of Europe that compete.

My roommates were off in Romania so I had the house to myself and I volunteered to host the viewing party. Lisa and I decided to make it into a cocktail night so we bought a few ingredients and snacks, and I generally and a good time. It was a small crowd and this year's Eurovision was definitely my favourite so far.

Until next time!

xx kim

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I don't have a song of the week, but I have been listening to a lot of 

Benny Goodman and Postmodern Jukebox

  

A Month Needed

Well it’s been a month.

To be completely honest I consciously made the decision to take a month off of blogging to concentrate on the end of term assignments. I didn’t want to keep making the excuses of having nothing to talk about because of work, so I decided to take a step back for a bit… but now I’m back with a vengeance and since summer is nearly upon us, I’m gearing up for some more adventures!

Gorgeous sunset from the back garden.

To catch up on the last month- yes Mother and Father I am finally filling you in- I wrote a full short film script, completed multiple presentations, hung out with friends and watched Game of Thrones, pigged out on Romanian Easter treats, and got mild pneumonia.

Let’s go back to where I left off. 

The beginning of April, Easter Sunday to be exact.

After a lovely weekend filled with Easter activities it was back to work once Tuesday came rolling around. On the weekend though I was able, yet again, to meet up with one of my friends from Australia. When I left there I thought I wouldn’t get to see these people for five years, and yet I’ve already had so many reunions and so many more to come! Hannah and I only had a short time to catch up so we just walked around Dublin and talked about the past year and a half. Luckily it was a beautiful day and it was good to be out and about just walking around.

Hannah being a cutie.

I have to mention the weather before moving on because it has been so mixed as of late. Now I come from New England, a region in the USA where it’s not abnormal to experience four different seasons in one day. However, in Dublin you can experience a season from one hour to the next! During the last weeks of April I swear there was this one stretch of five days when it hailed every single day. You always have to be prepared around here, BUT May has brought out some incredibly sunny days and I’m finally starting to get in the mood for summer.

Not only did April 21^st mark the date of my best friend’s birthday, but it also was my last day of lectures… possibly the last in my life. 

When I finished my baccalaureate I didn’t feel as though it was all ending since I knew I was going to get my masters, and yet now that I know my education is finally coming to a close, my mind doesn’t quite know how to processes it. Don’t get me wrong, I have two assignments due next week and I still have to write my dissertation over the summer, but the end is tangible and I can’t yet tell whether it’s foreboding or exciting. All I know is that it’s coming and I should take it in stride.  

My friends Cormuck, Kieran, and JC

The end of April came and just as I was getting excited to travel to Edinburgh to visit Steph and Chris before my final study period started. I had spent the last week hanging out with friends, and just generally enjoying the last week of classes, however it went downhill quickly.

I got sick. 

At first I brushed it off as nothing more than a common cold- something that I could easily handle while traveling.  Boy was I was wrong. 

I went to the doctor’s before my flight on Thursday for a follow up and unfortunately my results came back with mild pneumonia. This meant no Edinburgh for me.

I had been looking forward to this for months and now I had to cancel at the last minute. Not only was this going to be the last opportunity to see Steph before she heads back to Australia, but it was going to be my first time back in Scotland for nearly 9 years! My parents told me to chin up though, and I like to believe everything happens for a reason.

Before I end the update here, I want to make a shoutout to my Grandmother for her 88^th Birthday and also to my Mom for Mother’s day.

Love you both to the moon and back!

I guess that’s all for now so see ya next week!

xx Kim

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Song: Ain't No Sunshine

Artist: Bill Withers