back to reality for me...

So I tried my best to update everyone on my travels and adventures abroad but may have left out some stories and pictures that were really fun and interesting. I'm back home now for over a week and I've taken on a second job to save up money since I've spent it all on the pubs in Ireland and theatres in West End, London.

Working two jobs may seem like a bit overwhelming but it'll be good for me this summer to stay busy and focused on my goals. Another aspect of my summer that I haven't shared on my blog is that I've had some new creative writing projects in mind, but I really haven't the time to sit down and start any of them.

I'm debating whether or not it'd be good to post any of my creative writing on my blog or if I should collect them and look into publishing them in a literary magazine or an online zine. I haven't decided but I am always happy to share them with friends and exchange ideas.

So, I'll be totally honest. I did cry before my flight home. I took the bus from Galway to Sixmilebridge for my last weekend abroad and listened to a Doctor Who soundtrack (which alone could bring tears to my eyes) and I did quietly shed a few tears. But I didn't do it in complete desperation. I did tear up because I was having one of the most amazing experiences of my life and didn't want to go home yet.

I learned that I have friends just waiting to chat with me all over the world. I also learned that the world is full of beautiful and amazing people that you can't meet while sitting in the comfort of your apartment or hometown.

The parts of the trip that I will hold close to my heart are the amazing conversations I had with other people. I met people from all over the world, Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Argentina, Canada, Japan, France, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Mexico, and more.

All I have been thinking about is how to have another adventure before I get too old or too settled into my life to do it again. If I could save up my money and wander the world into my old age, I definitely would. Even now, I am tearing up at the thought of doing it all over again.

I can say that my life has had its ups and downs, it's good moments, and the times where I didn't think I'd leave the dark moods I have found myself in. But I can say that I am growing old of Chicago. I want to finish my Master's Degree and take on the world.

Whether or not I will do that is up in the air at this point. But I feel like I have limited myself by staying in my comfort zone and always being in Chicago. I didn't even go away for college, and I am beginning to regret that (even if it had been a study abroad program).

Maybe all of these feelings explain why Doctor Who has been such an obsession of mine lately. Every companion of the doctor learns to see the world as being bigger than they every knew it could be (and by world, I guess I should be saying Universe). But I think the point is that I am too unique and special to sit in one city for the rest of my life. Yes, I have family and friends here (some of the best family and friends I could ever ask for). But those family and friends have their own family and friends and I wouldn't be leaving anyone to fend for themselves. I also like to think that my family and friends would be happy for me and would cherish all the good vibes I send back toward Chicago via blogs and facebook.

Well, it's time to get ready for some margaritas and chips and salsa with some amazing and wonderful people.

Cheers to my mates, Coco

all good things must end, BUT I DON'T WANT IT TO!!!! WAAAHHHH

Ellen left me in Galway on Friday morning. I went out Friday night but it wasn't as fun as the previous few nights with my aussie mate. But alas, my journey was coming to an end and I was nearly out of money. On Saturday morning, I left Galway and went to the small town Sixmilebridge. Saturday night, I hung out with Katie, a girl from Wisconsin who is moving to Chicago for grad school (and a big doctor who fan, yes, we bonded).

Katie left on Sunday morning and then Sara and Dusty arrived. We walked about the town a bit, played scrabble in the common room, but overall it was a pretty relaxed last few days abroad. I got incredible sad and nervous about going back home. I kept thinking, 'It can't be over yet' and then secretly planning to run off and meet Ellen in Scotland. But I knew I'd be out of money all too soon and that it'd be better to go home and regroup my life and begin planning my next adventure.

Ellen and I are already in talks of meeting in New Zealand or Asia. It all depends on the money situation. She goes home to Australia sometime this fall and will need to save more money for more adventures and I need to finish my Masters Degree.

Overall, I am very pleased with everything I've accomplished in the last five weeks. Rather than focusing on my sightseeing and pictures taken, I am choosing to cherish all the people that I met and all the fun stories we've exchanged among one another. It was a great experience and I am tearing up just now thinking about it all.

I'm in New York waiting for the flight back to Chicago. I miss my extra large bed and not sharing a room with 8 or 9 strangers (most of which became friends but some were creepy).

I think being extremely tired has kept me from being emotional all day today, including saying goodbye to the two new friends from Buffalo New York who had the same return flight as me. But I now struggle to know what direction I should be taking my life. I want to do some more traveling but I'm at an age where I'm supposed to have a career and gag, marriage and children.

So I haven't cried or anything too dramatic, but I do feel the sad pangs of ending an adventure as grand as mine has been. I will do everything I can to keep making positive and interesting friends around the world and am now really determined to leave Chicago as my home and make it my hometown but take up residence somewhere new.

Having a blast in Galway

Galway...



It's been a little while since I've updated my blog. I last posted when in Killarney and since have been to Cork and am currently in Galway.

Cork was fun but it was a little too quiet and laid back for me. I went out a couple of nights and met some interesting people, went to Blarney Castle and got lots of pictures. The last night at the hostel in Cork there was really loud parties and I couldn't sleep at all. I'm going to revise my list of people met at the bottom of this post.



I arrived in Galway on Sunday and met a cool chick from Australia named Ellen. Me and her have been tearing it up in Galway. Monday night, we hit up the bars and met a lot of awesome people. I'm pretty sure that we have some crazy psychic link and that we are perfect partners in crime! Monday night we met some other female travelers and went bar hoping with them and met some local guys, Shane and Emmett. They were pretty cool and showed us where to go for delicious late night foods. I had garlic mayo chips (french fries in America) and they were amazing.

Ellen and I crawled into our hostel beds around 4:30am and by 9am, we were up and about and going to the Cliffs of Moher. We met some guys from Chicago which was the first time in my trip that I met anyone from Chicago. We got some awesome pictures at the cliffs and then went back to the hostel to relax and go out again (without napping).



So then Tuesday night, this time we rolled out with two girls from America (Dusty and Sarah) who actually are on my flight home, which is kind of cool actually. We met up with the west suburban Chicago lads and then went to a few bars. Well it's all kind of a blur, so I'll just tell you how the night ended.

Sarah and Dusty left with the Schaumburg kids to get chips (though they were still saying fries). Sarah had a glass dropped on her foot and was bleeding. I was left talking to a local and then couldn't find Ellen.

So I walked out of the bar in Ellen's shoes and started asking guys who we'd chatted with earlier, "Where's my Aussie mate?". I remember them yelling to stop saying mate because it's an Aussie thing, not an Irish thing and I yelled back but I'm looking for an Australian.




One guy, whose name I don't recall, walked with me to a food place where I couldn't find Ellen or the American gals. So then I stumbled back to the hostel, rang the bell and ran to the toliet. While in the toliet, I hear Ellen's majestic voice carry from the reception area and I go running back. There she is, still wearing my cute flats and starving for chips.

We went back to the Latin Quarter for Chips. The place emptied out and there we find Nathalie and her crew. It was Nathalie's birthday and I met her at the beginning of my journey. While we managed to not have hangovers after Monday night's adventure, we are both properly hungover today and now chilling in the TV room.


So, I've found my traveling drinking mate and we plan to stay in tonight, rest up and make tomorrow night grand. I'll see Sarah and Dusty again on Sunday where we're staying at the same hostel before flying out of Shannon together on Monday. Hopefully Sarah and Dusty will be just as sad as me and get a pint with me at the airport.

The next night was a lot of fun with Ellen. We went out with two Canadian guys and a few other girls from the hostel. I managed to leave the bar with all of them but got lost and/or distracted by a cute boy, but I still somehow got back to the hostel like 10 minutes after everyone else.


An updated list of the people I've met
Jane, from France
Francis, from Sweden
Kohei and Kyon, from Japan
Nathalie, from Canada-New Brunswick
Jessica, from Toronto
Craig, from New Zealand
Alison, from Philly
Sarah, from Canada
Virginia from Argentina
Sally from England
Josh from US-Mississippi
Aeman from Donnegal, Ireland
Brendan from Cork, Ireland
Ellen from Australia
McKenzie and Katie from Texas
Sarah and Dusty from New York
Lenora from New York
Eva from Mexico
Alex from Canada
Dan and Tom and David from Schaumburg, IL
Karol from Galway
Jana from Bavaria, Germany
The two Brendens and their two friends, from Galway
Tess from Washington DC
Chris and Adam from Ottawa
Cassie from Boulder, CO
Katie from Wisconsin
Latrisha from Cali
Ingrid from Cali
Emily from Cali
Pascelle from France

Another Travel Update

So far, I have had an amazing experience with this holiday. Traveling alone isn't as scary as I expected and I've met some amazing people so far. I'm trying to keep them in mind, so I figured a list would be in order so that I can remember them properly.

Jane, from France
Francis, from Sweden
Kohei and Kyon, from Japan
Nathalie, from Canada
Craig, from New Zealand
Alison, from Philly
Sarah, from Canada

There are so many more whose names I didn't get or I have already let slip from my mind (due to some amount of alcohol). There were the two guys from Holland who creeped me out at the London pub in West End. Then the seven young British men who made fun of my accent for hours and all in a good fun. They are as amused with the American accent as we are with everyone else's accent.

I am not back in Killarney for a few days. The travel back from London was horrendous. I stayed up the entire night cause I had to leave for the airport at 4am. I couldn't find the coach bus, saw it at the last second and had to run and catch it moments before it left. The wire of my bra snapped during my travel to the airport and punctured my skin causing me to bleed. I am down to two sports bras and wasn't able to find a replacement bra that fit me well in Killarney.

At the London airport, Ryanair had a ridiculously long tine for check in. I would probably chose to take the ferry and a train to London from Ireland. Even though Ryanair was cheap, it was a bit of a hassle with all there extra fee's. They charge extra if you don't print your own tickets, they charge for your bag being checked, and they have weight requirements for both the checked bag and the carry on bag. This made it difficult to buy souvenairs in London but I really didn't have the money for much anyways (don't worry Mom, you got your t-shirt).

While my original travel plans didn't involve very many hostels, I have learned that planning too much constricts your adventures. I've had more fun than I could have possible planned for. Had I booked up hostels for the whole of my trip, I would never have made it to Lodnon, which is probably going to be the highlight of my trip. I would not have met so many great people.

I am definitely beginning to see the formation of a book in my head. I have learned so much in the week I've been staying at hostels that I feel like a guide book for hostels and backpacking could be easily written! I also want to move to England! I loved London and would be content living somewhere close to London or in London. It's very expensive to live in London, worse than New York.

But this experience has proved to be well worth it. I feel like I've spent more than expected with the London trip but that it was worth every Dollar, Euro, Pound, etc...

Much Ado About Nothing in London

By Colleen Boyle

Maybe, it was the fact that it was the first day I ever stepped a foot in London or the fact that I had never seen a Shakespeare performance even after studying Shakespeare throughout my university studies, but I really enjoyed the current production of Much Ado About Nothing starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

So here's how it happened. I was on a five week holiday in Ireland when my friend sends me a link to an article about the production. Both Suzy and I are Doctor Who fans and well read Literature buffs. I love Shakespeare. I took a course while getting my bachelors degree and can say that I really enjoyed reading the plays.

But no matter how well I enjoyed them, I knew that something was missing. Well it's pretty obvious Shakespeare didn't write a play with the intention of it being read in a classroom—it was meant to be performed.

So before the trip to Ireland even began, I made a bucket list of all the things that I really wanted to put priority on experiencing in life. The list was silly but a few items like “See a Shakespeare play performed live” were serious things I wanted to do.

Well, I took a detour from my Ireland trip and planned a weekend in London. I haven't even been sightseeing yet, have only been on the Tube twice and haven't even bought a silly key chain. But I had my tickets to Much Ado About Nothing.

This is the preview week of the production so very feel reviews were in existence. I read a few of them and had already heard complaints that it seemed like some people were only there to laugh and respond to David Tennant. I understand that 'draw'. I am a newly found Doctor Who fan but I'm a Shakespeare fan first.

I found that there were so many reasons to laugh that I couldn't really sort out the Doctor Who fans from the theatre lovers. While, there were moments that only a few laughed because they 'knew' the joke, overall it didn't seem like I was at a Justin Beiber concert or whatever new pop singer you want to put in that sentence.

My overall thoughts were that I was a little surprised to see the modern setting but happy they retained the original language and dialogue very closely (though there were a few things changed from the original script, I believe).


But the main conclusion is that David Tennant shines on stage. Maybe that is why he made such an enjoyable Doctor, he is a very theatrical performer and he puts thought and feeling behind every word spoken.

David and Catherine as Beatrice and Benedict is a match made in heaven. I can tell you that from reading the play and watching Doctor Who. But on the stage together, they are electric together (am I starting to sound cheesy?).

The modern setting was a little off putting to me at first. I was almost expecting them dressed like the film adaptations, old suits and dresses and old English clothes. But the modern setting grew on me fast. Benedict overhearing the conversation in the orchard became entertaining when he puts his hand in a tray of paint, ending in him smearing it all over his face and hair from being so drawn into the conversation.

Catherine Tate got a similar scene that was equally entertaining. The part where the modern setting really became solid in my mind was the bachelor and bachelorette parties and the music. It's refreshing to have fun and modern music with the old Shakespearian language.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the dancing party at the beginning where Beatrice bad mouths Benedict but thought she was speaking to someone else. Don Pedro wears an Indiana Jones costume, another character in Princess Leia, Beatrice looks like a sexy androgynous Blues Brothers, and Benedict is in drag. First of all, prancing on stage in a jean skirt, pleather red high tops, and lace stockings is a good laugh no matter who does it. But taking a Doctor Who actor and putting him on stage to do that is just hilarious.

I don't know that my opinion has much credit since I am not a regular theatre attendee, but the girl working on her Masters in English Literature can go home to Chicago and say that Shakespeare on stage is absolutely thrilling. I plan to see another performance at the Globe Theatre before leaving London and will make more efforts to see Shakespeare performed live at home in Chicago.

As for David Tennant and Catherine Tate, both are wonderful on stage and did wonderful with the particular roles in Much Ado About Nothing. I would not hesitate to see another play with either actor. Beatrice is my second favorite Shakespeare female (just after Viola in Twelfth Night) and I was happy to say that Tate did a wonderful job of portraying the attitude and overall personality. I always identified with Beatrice as the opposite of that silly romantic girl you expect in older literature. Tate did her character justice.

As someone new to theatre and new to London, I can say that I am having a great time and felt absolutely privelaged to have seen David Tennant on stage. I would love them to bring this production to the United States, even if it doesn't go to my hometown Chicago, it'd still be worth a flight or drive to see.

My London Journey

Today, I arrived in London around 10:30 in the morning. The slight detour from my 5 week tour of Ireland was the greatest idea I ever had. On the way to the hostel, I started to think it was a bad idea. My shoulders and neck were tense and painful from my luggage (even though I left the majority of my luggage in Ireland at a hostel in Killarney).

But it's nearing midnight and I have no regrets at all. The Green Man Hostel in London is pretty nice. The common areas and reception are all apart of the bar. So they serve alcohol 24 hours and have people around and hanging out all the time.

I went up to my room and people are already in bed. Seems kind of early but I guess I'm a night owl. The reception/bartenders are really helpful and nice. I was shocked to find that the public transportation was more crowded than anywhere I've ever seen. It was rush hour when I got on the tube and I barely squeezed into the door with about 15 people still waiting at that one door. The messed up thing, the trains come every 1-2 minutes. And every train was full. On my way back from Wyndham Theatre, it was still pretty crowded but everyone was able to get on the next train that came through the station.

As usual, I adapt to new systems of public transportation without much effort. Maybe that's the city girl in me talking but I definitely feel more comfortable in the big city than the little towns. There's diversity with people everywhere speaking different languages, tons of young people, and bars everywhere. I feel at home!

While I was still in Killarney, I met a young guy from Philadelphia. Don't know if he's a hockey fan or not but he didn't have any hostilities towards me so, I guess not. But anyways, he was telling me all about his travels. He went to France in Sept 2010 with a student visa and then has been country hopping since. He had some cool stories and highly recommended doing more backpacking.

This has me thinking about my next travels and other such plans. Teaching English abroad or doing other fun and exciting European trips. But right now, I'm sitting in a bar in Central London, drinking a Bulmers (yeah, it's Irish, so what?), and I really need to continue with the vacation I am on before I begin to plan the next one.

So the next post is my review of Much Ado About Nothing.

determination and stubbornness can be a dangerous combo

It's my last night staying on Valentia Island and I had one last thing I wanted to see, Bray Tower. After spending most my day working my online job and doing laundry to prepare for my departure, I decided I didn't care how dark it was, I was going to hike my way up to Bray Tower.

So. I made some dinner and took a shower and then set off. I drove across the island and parked the car. It was raining, so I left my camera and bag in the car and just brought the car keys. Now, at this point, I should have been like, hmmmm, it's raining, maybe I shouldn't make the walk.

But, this is me we're talking about. So I put my bag back in the car and then walk my happy little ass in my adidas sandals and then climb the fence and start my hike. First of all, sandals wasn't the best idea and neither were the jeans I wore. I was soaking wet after 5 minutes and could feel a layer of rain water gathering on my face.

It was so foggy that I couldn't see in any direction farther than 10-20 feet. I also managed to scare a little gaggle of sheep. After 40 minutes of walking through what I'm sure could be classified as a cloud, I arrived at the tower and as it came to view, it sort of emerged in the fog very slowly. Seriously, straight out of a horror movie!

The tower wasn't that tall or much to look at and since I left the camera in the car, I can't even show you the sight I got. The whole tower was covered in fog and beyond it a high cliff with ocean waves crashing. I started to walk towards the edge of the cliff but visibility was too bad and I am prone to falling and tripping and didn't feel like swimming at that time of night.

So I headed back down the lonely country road with a new spring in my step I like to call accomplishment. It was quite good exercise to get up that trail and to the second highest point on the island.

I got back to find my housemates enjoying tea in the kitchen and they got a good laugh out of seeing me soaked from head to toe and my feet and sandals covered in mud. They made me a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows and I gave them the whole story.