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

  

Thrifts, Theatre and Transformations

I have been delaying writing this post for a while, not because I have nothing to say- quite the opposite in fact- but I just haven't felt the motivation to write.

However, a change was in order.

I was going to wait until the summer to redesign my blog, but than I realised how ridiculous that was and that there was nothing stopping me so..... Welcome to Leap of Faith 2.0.

It's a little brighter, and, in my opinion more clean cut.

Shameless self promotion.

I've also included some badges to the left in desktop view so you can follow me on twitter and instagram. I must warn you twitter is mostly inactive besides music events, and instagram is food, landscape, and things I think look aesthetically pleasing.

And now onto the good stuff.

It's been a while, eh?

My illness was not the worst I've had, but it definitely hit me hard. Thursday and Friday were blurs and, by some miracle, I made a recovery just in time for my busy weekend.

Kilo Sale at the Raddison Blue Hotel

On Saturday Lisa, Leni, and I bought tickets to attend Tola's Vintage Kilo Sale. I realised after that there were quite a few kilo sales on and they are quite a cool concept that I have never heard before.

After purchasing a ticket we were lead into a ballroom full of racks of second hand clothing, jewellery, bags, and other miscellaneous things. After choosing your items you would get them weighed and pay the assigned price. I was able to find a big bomber jacket and sweater for €16. We then went to Queen of Tarts afterwards and enjoyed our spoils. I also bought a cheeky sketchpad and pencils because I left mine all in the States.

Sunday I attended a play festival with Emma, Aoife, and Alan to support our friend Rory. The plays were in the Smock Alley Theatre and I was hit with a huge wave of nostalgia as the productions reminded me if the 10 Minute Play Festival held at the end of the year at my undergrad college.

The week following passed by in a rush of classes and assignments. I was able to take a quick break to see Triple Nine- I'm still confused as why there had to be black Russian Jews? I mean I guess it was alright.....

Wednesday I tagged along to Lisa's Game Society meeting since it was board game night and I genuinely had a great time. It was nice to socialise with new people and forget about school for a bit.

My back garden in a blanket of white.

Friday I woke up to the beautiful sight of snow! Yes, I thought spring had sprung, but seeing snow made me feel home- it also kind of made me crave maple syrup and other New England things but I digress.

That night I returned to the scene of New Year's Eve for yet another house party. It was much more low key, but so much fun nonetheless. I was also able to actually talk to those I met New Year's without worrying if they'd remember talking with me or not! I may have made people stay up far too late again but oh well.

Xx kim

This is the last week before reading week and Paddy's Day so I have a lot to get done before Jana, Maxi and Steph arrive.

It's going to be a busy two weeks!

New section! 

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Song of the week: 

Lukas Graham - 7 Years

Halloween Escapades

Jana and I in costume.

I’m going to ignore the majority of the week and focus upon one day, one particular holiday that is…

HALLOWEEN!

This holiday has always been such a fun time in the past and I was excited to see how Dublin would handle it. I was especially excited this year since my friend and I were dressing up as Thing 1 and Thing 2- birthday twins for the win! We even had the Dr. Seuss poem to read out if people didn’t know who we were. The costumes were homemade so they didn’t last very long, but we had fun and that’s all that matters- plus they were cheap, gotta love saving some money.

I co-hosted a Halloween party with my friend and there were both old and new faces that attended. Everyone was dressed to the nines in their best Halloween gear. I have a brief background of fx makeup so I helped out a few people that night, and I’m pretty happy with most of it- Sorry Diego!

There were about twenty of us that decided to venture into town, and we had to rush from Diego’s flat to catch a bus into town. A journey that would normally take less than half an hour turned into a ride of over an hour.

A blurry picture to try and illustrate just how bus city centre was on Halloween.

Once we arrived at O’Connell, the bus could barely move since there were so many people. Queues for clubs were around the corner and down the next street! I never thought that Halloween would be such a big event here. There were some very creative costumes out there, and I can’t imagine how much time some people put into their outfits.

Not only were all the girls dressed up, but quite a few of the boys went all out as well. I thought that the States knew how to do Halloween but I am absolutely blown away by Dublin that night.

Well done Dublin. Well done.

Some of the gang.

Why do YOU travel?

If you’ve been online over the past few years- and are under the age of 30- I’m sure that you have come across some online post about Gen Y.  I’ve read too many of these articles than I care to admit, and I’ve discovered two categories that are frequently written about: love and travel.

Check out: Millenial Infographic

Now, please don’t leave.

I promise that this isn’t a stereotypical article.

The mere motivation of why I’m writing this is unique. It’s an assignment for my Master’s course in which we are required to spread some ‘news’ and garner as many comments, views, likes, etc. as possible. The ultimate goal is to illustrate how big of an impact a single person can have online.

Personally I’m using the definition of ‘news’ lightly, but what better subject to write about than something you are a part of?

Millennials. Born in the early 1980s and up through the early 2000s, we’ve survived years consisting of rapid change in technology, the economy, and a greater trend towards globalization and interconnectivity.

More and more of us are going to college and are traveling as part of our studies. Whether it's a weekend camping trip or a year living as a foreigner abroad, the lust of travel seems to be in our blood- even if we don’t have the money to afford it.

Millennial Travel Tendencies

There is even a new term coined for the way in which Millennials tend to travel called “experiential travel.” Millennial travelers tend to experience the city through culture, food and nightlife rather than using traditional channels such as prearranged tours.

Here is where an author would usually insert why travel is ‘healthy for the soul’ by ‘breaking your comfort zone’ or ‘gaining new perspectives’… but I’m not going to do that.

Why travel? Well I have my theories.

In a society where debt is rampant- and more adults are forced to live with their parents- it’s easy to feel a lack of independence. Travel allows you to feel a sense of freedom and independence- even if it’s short lived.

However, is this the main reason why is Generation Y so travel hungry? If you were hoping to find the answer then I’m sorry.

I want to start a conversation and not just ramble on about my conclusions, or accept what other authors suggest. Why have other generations try and define us when we can do it ourselves?

Why do YOU travel?

Please share, leave a comment, or like.

Anything to start a conversation and prove why Millennials are reigning kings and queens of the internet.

Falling into Place

Yes, yes, I uploaded this on a Thursday and not a Wednesday but it was completely worth it since I had a mixer last night to attend.

As I scroll down my feed on Facebook I’m bombarded with photos and status updates that all have something to do with the changing seasons. Now I haven’t felt homesick- I usually don’t honestly- but something about all the gorgeous colors of the maple, oak and birch trees struck a chord with me. After one particular post, I thought I should look around Dublin for some wonderful colors. I know that the temperature is getting cooler and the leaves are changing, but I never really looked at what was right in front of me. I can happily walk around and hear the crunch of fallen leaves underneath my footsteps. 

On the bus to Uni.

I love autumn, I truly do.

Classes have officially commenced, and everything seems to be falling into place. For a person that officially decided to go to an  Irish uni a little over two months ago, I’m pleasantly surprised that everything is working out. However, I need to have more spontaneity in my life so I don’t get stuck in a routine.

That is honestly one of my greatest fears. Doing the same things day in and day out, not meeting new people, and just generally getting stuck in a rut. I really have to put in more effort in that aspect of my life.

Though I live about half an hour from City Centre, I haven’t done much exploring. For the past couple of weeks I have not been able to really take advantage of all that Dublin can offer. I blame this on the endless sorting of financial paperwork, buying living necessities, and trying out the many clubs and societies that my Uni has to offer. Now that I have a Uni routine for the most part, I know when I have free time and I’m excited to start utilizing it!

Look forward to next week’s blog because I have a lot of Dublin adventures planned!

………

Besides the fact that there are over 100 clubs and societies to choose from, all of them seem to be quite serious and ‘official.’ Many have outside sponsors, which really surprises me since my college back home had nothing to this scale. Join a club or soc and there are perks besides making new friends! 

There and Back Again: Dublin Transportation

City Centre, looking at D'Olier St. and Westmoreland St.

I live about a 15-minute bus ride from my uni and about a 30-minute bus ride from Dublin City Centre. I love how all the buses are two levels, but I don't like the price to ride.

On my second day here I went into the main city and had to pay €2.80 each way, even with my student LEAP card I’m still charged €2.05. A great plus about having a student card is that it is capped at €5.00, meaning you cannot pay more than €5 a day no matter how many times you take the bus.

This brings me to my next subject…. bikes.

Everyone here seems to be active. If people are not riding the bus, then they’re walking, or riding a bike. Bikes are prolific wherever you go- I’m even thinking about investing in a secondhand one since my roommate bought one. It’s also not unusual to get your bike stolen in town so a good bike lock is a must!

One thing to note, if you ride a bike you will be expected to ride in the same lane as regular vehicles. Out where I live this idea doesn’t bother me much, but in city centre you have to be fearless. There are so many merging vehicles and huge buses to look out for, and helmets do not seem to be required here….

I love all the exercising now integrated in my day-to-day life, I just hope the weather continues to stay brilliant.

On another note, the fabric used to cover the bus seats here is the same as in Australia. A random observation yes, but I found it quite interesting. The longer I live here the more I see the similarities between here and Oz, and the more I miss it.

O'Connell Monument

One Week in and Weather Wonderful

There are so many things I want to write about: food, people, transportation, weather- I swear these are way more interesting than they sound- but the blog post would turn into a book. So I’m going to try and limit myself to weather and people this week.

River Liffey and those hovering clouds.

I honestly thought Dublin would be shrouded in mist the majority of time, however the weather has been wonderful the past week. Of course the only time it rained was when I tried walking home from Uni and then missed the bus and was forced to wait an additional 15 minutes for another bus… but I digress.

There always seems to be a constant set of clouds that hover over the city, but aren’t threatening for the most part.  It can be sunny and hot one moment, and then cloudy and windy the next. This is just like New England weather so I almost feel at home in a weird sort of way.

Okay.

Topic number two: the locals.

The Irish are so friendly and welcoming, and the people here will usually go above and beyond the call of duty if you need help.

When I first arrived I had some trouble setting up my phone. I had to go into the local vodafone store three days in a row and yet, by the end of the ordeal, the employee that helped me turned into a friend. 

I really love this country, I truly do. 

……

Seriously though, the people are wonderful.

And here's a picture of the moon from Tuesday 22/09/2015.