A Quick Farewell

Yikes, I've gotta make this quick! I apologize for not getting on here more often. It's finals time and tomorrow marks my very last exam. So a bit of a recap from the last few days.

Tuesday afternoon Abby C.'s mom flew in from North Dakota. She and Abby C.'s younger sister will be here for a couple of weeks touring Ireland. I thought I'd give her a warm welcome by creating a sign for her.

It feels like I already know her from all of the adventures and stories Abby C. and I have shared over the last 5 months.

Unfortunately Mrs. Coleman has had to entertain herself and become her own tour guide around Galway for the last couple of days because Abby C. and I have had our heads in books studying for exams.  What a joy it is to have a mother cook though. Aurelie's mother and sister are also here. Mrs. Mercier made us crepes....oh my goodness, crepes from a French mother. Does it get any better?!? Sadly I didn't document this event in photos. It was delicious. Fried eggs, and ham with a sprinkling of cheese were served for savory crepes, as nutella and peanut butter were used for the sweet ones.  I've been spoiled with good cooking from Mrs. Coleman as well. Tuesday evening she purchased a roast; not beef or chicken?! This is a first in our apartment. Served with a raspberry sauce and potatoes, it was a welcome change and delicious dish. This evening she stopped by the Polish store on her way home and purchased a few different items that Abby C. and I couldn't read, but that didn't matter because it tasted amazing!

Last night Brian arranged our farewell dinner at Milano's, a nice italian restaurant off of Shop Street. Isn't a bit early for a farewell when you've got almost an entire month left? Yes, it is however many of us are traveling, so we figured we might as well hold our farewell dinner while everyone is in town and have the opportunity to have a late night out to the pubs towards the end of our stay. 

Most of us ordered specialty pizzas and ate every bite! The Padana, featured goat cheese, caramelized white and red onions with rocket.

Dessert was vanilla gelato
 with chocolate fudge cake.

Brian and his girls.

Mel, Katie and Sara looking at silly photos.

Milano's

Following dinner we all took a walk to the Spanish Arch to take a group photo. Our very first day in Galway we took the same photo, so it'll be neat to look back and compare them. Unfortunately my camera was not used to take the photos so I do not yet have it.

A walk up shop street after dinner.

Following our short photo op is was off to the Skef for a pint. By this time my stomach was so full I felt like I might roll down the sidewalk. Gladly joining the group for a pint I sat and enjoyed conversation skipping the drinks.

The Skef is a bit deceiving as it doesn't appear to be very large on the outside, but is amazingly grand interior. I enjoyed the set up and cozy atmosphere. It definitely makes the list for pubs deserving multiple visits.

Today has been filled with studying..studying...studying and a bit more studying.

Working hard ahead of time I figured my diligence would pay off...not so much. I met with my professor and he basically told me I needed to add a lot more to my essay and connect the thoughts. Well that makes sense. What I had showed him was certainly not a complete essay, however I couldn't add a lot more and be expected to memorize all of the facts to regurgitate them on the exam Friday. I gladly took his advice and thanked him for his help. This wasn't so bad because I was feeling pretty good about my Occupational Stress section of the exam anyway. Meeting with that professor I showed her my essay on the stress portion. In a somewhat kind manner she ripped it to shreds! In more words or less she explained I needed to put everything she had said in lecture and on her slides into an essay in an hour during Friday's exam.....what? Are you kidding. Tempted to repeat back to her, the insane words that just came out of her mouth I smiled and looked down at my notebook. So here it is, do I panic because the exam is two days away and this grade transfers directly into my gpa and this exam is worth 50% of my mark!!! 

Nope, no panic necessary. Instead you can see the edge of my notebook paper I wrote "God you are sovereign, I will not worry" As my professor looked through her e-mails for questions I sent her, I began to write out a favorite verse of mine: 

Philippians 4:6-7 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

I am so thankful I've memorized this verse. Time after time it's help me put circumstances in perspective and keep my cool. Just a year ago, had I been in this situation, I would have freaked, scrambling to create a perfect essay and memorize all of the quotes. Not today. I know I'm not prepared as I would like to be, but I've put in hard work and there is nothing more I can do. Failing isn't exactly what I'm planning on, however in the worst case scenario even if I failed I didn't study abroad to learn about Applied Organisational Psychology. Learning about life, the international body of Christ and my faith are what I came to learn. I have done all of them and I consider my study abroad experience a success. God has taught me dependence on him no matter the circumstance, whether in times of joy and success or times of sorrow and failure. He is my rock, me is my strength, he is my guide. If you would pray for my exam tomorrow I would appreciate it. By 2:30pm tomorrow I will officially be finished with my studies in Galway. Hip hooray!

Back to the books!

With Love from Galway