YAEP 2017

Hi! I am Hayley Ramirez and this is my Journey to Ennis, Ireland

[hayleyramirez1]

Prompt #7

Alice is most excited to try the different fast foods we have in America. The famed In and Out is definitely high on her list to eat at and she really wants to see…Walmart! In fact all the girls are excited to see the size of the grocery stores in Phoenix. Alice is also excited to see a cactus in person for the first time and I can't wait for her to experience her first Phoenix sunset- they are truly something else. I don't know how to begin to describe how hot it is here and I feel awful about the temperatures they are flying into but that's why there are pools. Alice is excited to meet my family and friends and she can't wait to compare the beaches of Ireland to the California beaches. Alice has traveled to New York and Florida so I don't think the city life will be that shocking but it might be different since she is here for a longer time. I just can't wait for everyone to meet her and I hope that I can show her the best of the good ole USA and make this summer one to remember!

[hayleyramirez1]

The End

I can’t believe 3 weeks have flown so quickly! I will forever cherish the friends I have made here and the welcoming attitude everyone has shown me. I am most dreading going back to the insane temperatures of Phoenix as I have climatized to the cool and rainy weather of Ireland. I have not only created bonds with the Irish girls, but also with the girls from America. I will miss many things and I am heartbroken that the late night chats with my host dad or the breakfast chats with my host mom have to come to an end. Paul and Maureen definitely deserve an award because they are kind, thoughtful and the most accommodating people I have ever met. While it was a rarity for all of us to be together every night - Paul is working on a second home for the family in a town 2 hours away from Ennis- when we all were together laughter flowed and the traditional Irish songs were bellowed out. This place and program have taught me patience and pushed me beyond my comfort zone in the best way possible. It has also given me a new perspective on Phoenix. While I thought that time away from home would make me miss the city itself, at the end, I am feeling the exact opposite. Even though I don’t miss the city I was born and raised in, I now have an appreciation for the culture and history that I never would have gotten without this trip. Since I have been surrounded by this city my whole life, I have never gotten an outside perspective on how diverse and involved Phoenix is with hosting sporting events, First Friday and the plethora of dining options we have to choose from. I hope I have shown my family a different side to Americans they have seen on the news in recent years because they have made an everlasting impression on me that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

[hayleyramirez1]

Best/Worst Day Prompt #6

Worst Day: I think the day after spraining my foot was probably the worst day because I spent most of it in doctors offices. Even internationally, the lines for hospitals are just as long as the ones in America. BEST DAY! My favorite day was going to Galway and seeing the mixture of a beach town and a busy city. I loved the older architecture of the buildings and the infusion of traditional Irish culture with Irish dancing on the street corners. The atmosphere of the city was incredible and even though I was thousands of miles away from home, I felt at home in this strange city that I had only just met. I could have easily spent all three weeks in Galway alone walking down and exploring every nook and cranny of the gorgeous city. Galway you will be missed dearly❤️

[hayleyramirez1]

DUBLIN!! This past weekend we went to Dublin and the city made me feel right at home! The dart acted as the lightrail and and the busy and narrow side walks mimicked those of Phoenix. Dublin was by far the most modernized city I have been to on my journey, but I didn't get to see too much of Dublin because we were all pretty tired from the 1975 concert. The weather was phenomenal as a "heatwave" of 75 degrees hit Ireland and Alice, Kiana, Faye and I enjoyed a picnic in a park! We walked around Temple Bar which had the cobblestone streets, and shopped a little before driving 3 hours back to Ennis! P.S. sprained foots do not mix well with cobblestone😬

[hayleyramirez1]

I sprained my foot

There has been a null in my posts because we have not really had a free moment in a couple of days! On Thursday we went surfing and I ended up spraining my foot😬. I am very thankful it is not broken, but I am amazed at the Irish healthcare system. I was panicked because they took me for an x-ray and in America x-rays are hundreds of dollars but my entire bill ended up being 45 euros. The trick was that I was referred by a doctor and once you have done that then their is pretty much no charge. This system is so cost effective! My foot also made me realize how rural Ireland is because there isn’t a hospital 15 minutes away from your given location. If my foot was broken I would have had to go to Limerick (another county) to get my foot casted. In hindsight I’m glad I hurt my foot because I got to experience a part of Irish culture that I wouldn’t have known!

[hayleyramirez1]

I can't believe I've been here over a week!! My host family is so generous and are very inquisitive about the America school system since it is quite different from the one here. We went to the Cliffs of Moher yesterday which took my breath away. I can't believe places like this exist and I will always be jealous of Alice because she is only 30 minutes away from the most beautiful place I've ever laid my eyes on. While this is a bold statement and I will probably see equally as beautiful scenes as I continue my travels, but for now, nothing has topped the cliffs. The peacefulness of looking straight out into the sea represents the never ending possibilities the future has in store. Also, knowing that the next major land mass was the good ole USA made me feel closer to home. I haven't really missed Phoenix itself, but I am finding myself looking through old videos with my friends and family. Hearing their voices makes me miss them a little less and video chatting helps as well! I miss my family in Phoenix but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything because I've gain new family in Ireland!

[hayleyramirez1]

My host mom Maureen eased me into the Irish food the first week of my stay, but as of today, I am eating traditional Irish meals! The first thing I've come to normalize is milk in tea. In the U.S. we take milk in our coffee, but milk in tea isn't too bad! Eating beans for breakfast has been a wonderful change in my life as I know want to eat beans and toast every day. I tried the best fish and chips I have ever had in the western most part of Ireland, today we also went and had a traditional Irish stew and had some Irish dancing that went perfectly with it! The stew was not much different from beef stew in America, but the apple pie was definitely different. Instead of apple slices it was more of an applesauce which took some getting used too. They soon brought bread out and every Halloween they put a ring in the bread and whoever finds it will be married by December. I am happy to announce I'll be getting married to someone (probably a dog) by December ;), so surprise to my parents! Alice is excited to try a different style bacon and indulge in the many sushi places Phoenix has to offer. She is also excited to compare East Coast vs West Coast burgers and try the highly talked about chipotle! I can't wait to show her around!

[hayleyramirez1]

I'm sitting on the train shaking my leg with anticipation to see Galway for the first time. Ever since Ed Sheeran released his album, I've had Galway Girl on repeat. As I stepped off the train I am overcome with glee and I truly feel like I am in a dream. Galway was so much more than I could have ever expected. We ran around finding the pubs Ed visited in his music video and even saw an Irish dancer on a street corner. We shopped around Galway for a couple hours and with each passing moment I realized that I could spend the rest of my life in this city and be the luckiest person in the world. With Salthill's gorgeous coastline 20 minutes away, Galway combines a more modern-yet architecturally medieval town- with a slice of the Irish countryside and the beach! The hustle and bustle of Galway on a Saturday is filled with thousands of people walking to where they need to go. Alice and I decided to stop and buy matching Claddagh rings to have a physical thing to symbolize our unforgettable Summer '17. After only a few hours in Galway I decided that I must study abroad here in college whether my parents like it or not ;). I hope one day all of you can visit the place who stole my heart ❤️! P.S. America needs to adopt Ireland's train system ASAP! It is extremely efficient and an adventure of it's own to navigate!

[hayleyramirez1]

Kayaking

On Thursday all 8 of us girls went kayaking which turned out to be a great bonding experience! We cheered each other on as most of us learned to kayak and navigate the freezing summer waters of Ennis. Towards the end of our kayaking, strong winds came in and made it extremely difficult to paddle but in the midst of turning in circles, we spotted a group of seals on the coast! They wriggled and flopped trying to get into the water and they would pop their heads out every so often trying to see if we were a threat. They were so cute and brought a burst of joy into the moment of frustration-as kayaking is not easy. That moment reminded me that even though cultural differences can be frustrating and every moment of everyday may not be the best, there is always moments of laughter and joy that will bring up any mood and be the highlight of a trip! I am constantly reminded that the most mundane things- like riding in a bus back down from kayaking- can turn into a sing along I will never forget. I am beyond great-full at the compassion I’ve been shown abroad and I hope that we can show the same in America!

[hayleyramirez1]

Ennis is the perfect example of a small town in the Midwest. Walking town the narrow streets my counterpart, Alice, seems to know every other person. As we continue to walk around the town cars almost graze the sides of other cars and people trying the navigate the slender streets. It is a huge contrast from the grid-like system Phoenix is built on. The businesses look like houses people live in and there are tiny shops inserted down every ally way and even smaller streets. People here are always ready to spark a conversation and are very welcoming and proud of their old but pristine town. The old architecture found at the abbey and various churches incorporate the past into the lively present-day Ennis. The River Fergus splits the town in two to physically demonstrate the shift in time periods. While Ennis isn't as lively as downtown Phoenix, we still find time to have the craic (the Irish word for fun)!!!

[hayleyramirez1]

As my first day in Ennis comes to a close, I can’t help but marvel at the greenery and the cobblestone architecture. I’ve become acquainted with all the counterparts and their friends and all the jet lag melts away. The crisp coldness of the sea air combines 2 seemingly different cultures and forms friendships that will grow stronger over the corse of these 3 weeks. This first 24 hours have been overwhelming and difficult to understand, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! 🇮🇪🇮🇪

[hayleyramirez1]

The most beautiful place in the world with the best people! 😍

[hayleyramirez1]

T-12 HOURS!!

As I'm scrambling with last minute packing, I can't help but stop to realize that I am leaving in the morning. The stress and panic of packing is dwindling away and all I can think about is "Will my counterpart like me?" We are both 17 and love Netflix, High School Musical and watching YouTube, but will that be enough? This fear is matched with uncontrollable excitement and the urge to tell everyone how life changing my summer will be. I met my 3 travel companions months ago and these strangers have quickly become my lifeline in helping me pack. The unspoken bond we already share, thanks to the use of Snapchat, eases any worry and it is replaced with the feeling of anticipation and thrill of leaving my parents behind. The countdown is almost over and my real journey is about to begin!