Dear friends,
I finally have ONE picture to show you. Apparently you have to be an administrator to download things off of your USB memory stick. What?!? However, someone posted a picture to facebook yesterday.

This is me at the top of Llansteffan Castle. It was taken from the very bottom. I'm wearing my fine down coat, which does not let in any cold. It's lovely. However, I didn't really need it that day. I actually spent most of the time in Llansteffan just wearing my sweater, because it was really nice and sunny. Not exactly warm, but maybe around 50 degrees?

Llansteffan is right on the coast, and a very strange mix of emotions met me when I saw the ocean, the otherside of which holds all my friends and family. It was also fantastically strange to stand in the place where the literature I've studied was written, and the history I've studied was made. It was almost ghostly, to finally arrive in the place you've been connected to through your reading for so long. It's so different from visiting historical sites in America. There, you're connected to the history because you know it and because you're American. Here, it's completely different--even my heritage has nothing to do with this place. I'm not sure how to describe it other than to compare it to altar serving a funeral. This seems a strange comparison, but I remember always tearing up and crying a bit when I would be serving at a funeral as a child. I never knew the people who had died, and didn't know their families either, so it seemed like I was an unwanted interloper, connecting emotionally to something I had no real part of. When I listened to the eulogies, it was almost as though I was prying--hearing about the life of someone I would never even know, as told by people who loved him or her unconditionally. I have never thought of history or literature in that way before, but being here is overwhelming in that sense. I've come up against the incontrovertable magnitude of the fact that what I study is so huge in it's depth and span that it seems difficult for me to do so authentically. Erm. Perhaps one day, I'll be able to make that sensical.

Anyhow, I went to bed at 3 AM last night, after disinfecting every disinfectable surface in my room. I woke up around 3 PM to the sounds of Britney Spears (!) being blasted from the room next to mine. Lovely.

Tonight, I'm making dinner with some friends. It's a damn good thing, because I'm really tired of potatoes. This is all they eat here. Or at least, it's all they serve in the cafeteria.

Oh, last night, we went out for fish and chips (great, more potatoes). That was really fun/not so delicious. We went to the place that we were told was the best in town. This does NOT bode well.
Afterwards, we watched movies in the International Students Lounge, which is connected to my dorm. We started off trying to watch Monty Python's Life of Brian. You'd expect that the German and Austrian girls would have had trouble understanding, because we couldn't get the subtitles to work. However, NONE of us could understand a word of it, I think because we were so exhausted from our various hiking expeditions.

I HUNGER (finally).

Tomorrow, my classes start. I can't wait to know which one's I'll actually continue taking...

Love,
Gina

Hello, all!

Here I am, safely in Carmarthen. It's about 8 o'clock pm here, which is odd. I can't quite adjust as I'm supposed to, and still have pretty bad jetlag.

We've had many, many orientation sessions the past two days, and woke up early for all of them. Then today, we went to Llansteffan Castle and also Dylan Thomas' boathouse (which is right by another castle). Llansteffan is mostly a ruin--created in the 12th century by a great Welsh king, one of the last. I can't pronounce his name. I am dying to share my pictures of Llansteffan and of Carmarthen with all of you, but haven't my wireless access yet. It will have to wait until next week.

For curious parties (Aunt Ginny, Beth, Kate, Mom, Aunt Lee) I've seen so many sheep! It's funny, because righ tbetween the main part of town (which is beautiful, by the way), and the train station, there are a bunch of sheep on a field. They look so out of place!

Favorite store name so far is The Spread Eagle, which is a restaurant/hotel. For interested lemurs, there's a place called the Boar's Head (At Cornelia Strong College, this is a Christmas Carol we sing at Holiday Tea).

I will be taking a class called "Creative Project." At the end of it, we're meant to have created a novel, a collection of short stories, an autobiography, or a travel-writing piece. I think it'll be cool to do the last, the travel writing. My plan is to group these blogs, which I will write casually, and take what is worthy to put into the larger piece. It means I'll return with a book of my adventures, and hopefully it won't be too bad. I *might* let people read it, if they ask really nicely.

At any rate, I am to watch a movie tonight with some girls I've met. Peri is an English major from Pennsylvania, Mareika is a German primary education major, Kelti is from Indiana State and studies Outdoor Pursuits, and Martina is from Austria. There are 16 other Americans from a private school in upstate NY (not Canisius, Dad), and there are to be two more Austrians from Martina's school. There are also two girls from Canada, one who's not arrived, and two boys from Indiana.

The Student Union on campus is the most popular hangout. The first floor is a disco, the second's a bar. It's quite insane.

Must go! It's movie time!

Love to all,
Gina

Last night in NYC/USA! Eek.

As a treat, Matt took me out to Josephina, which is a little Italian restaurant by his apartment in the Bronx. It had a lovely, romantic atmosphere. Oooooo. Erm.

For dessert, I've purchased the finest cannoli to be found in NYC--those from Mother's Bake Shop, a Zagat's rated Bakery that has brought me more joy than I can say since Matt moved here.

Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Manhattan for plane book shopping with Kate, and then on a plane. With my plane book.

Love,
Gina

(peace out, USA)

In NYC.

Last night, Matt and I were treated to a delicious dinner of spinach and cheese ravioli with fire roasted tomato sauce (Kate's contribution) and a wonderful, coma inducing dessert of apple crumble (Nick, the boyfriend's contribution). It was really lovely and delicious.

As for today, I'm on my own until the afternoon. Relaxation may be in order.

Love,
Gina

I'm leaving for NYC today! I'll be driving to Raleigh and flying to LaGuardia.

I'm really pleased to be spending 6 days in NYC, and even more than really pleased NOT to be flying into Newark. Newark is an awful place, filled with angry angry transportation workers who dislike polite citizens attempting to find their way to NYC. It's true.

I'm all packed, except for finding some photos that I put up on my wall while at school. I want to take them with me, so that I can remember all of you.

There are many ways in which the above sentence could be construed as creepy. Say, perhaps, that we don't know each other, or don't know each other that well. Well, there could very well be a photo of you (perhaps even with me, lurking in the background) hanging near my bed. All. Semester. If that doesn't give you the warm and fuzzies, I don't know what will.

Yes. Photos. Must find them.

Love,
Gina

Bethy's Wedding Shower

Beth the Bride with the covertly chocolate cake.


My nana and Aunt Lee.


As Maid of Honor, I do things like gather trash.


Mom, Joseph's (the Groom) Grandmother, and my oldest sister, Kate






Surprise! Beth's Wedding Shower was this Sunday. Here are some choice shots from the festivities. (for those new to my life, Beth is the younger of my two older sisters. She's getting married in the summer, and I'm her Maid of Honor!)

The Divine Waterfowl

In a merciful act CLEARLY meant to get me ready to be in colder climes, North Carolina decided to stay below freezing for two weeks. Our lake froze over, and I observed the miracle of the Divine Waterfowl.

My Welsh Experience Blog

Hello, friends and family,

This is where I'll be writing about and sharing pictures from my semester abroad at Trinity University College in Carmarthen, Wales. I'll be leaving in one (!) day--Thursday the 14th, to spend time with the boyfriend, Matt, and the dearest older sister, Kate. I leave for Heathrow Airport in London on the 19th, a Tuesday. After a 10 hour flight, I'll land at 11:25 AM and be picked up and driven to Carmarthen.

I believe I'm quite nervous. Yes. But I'm completely packed, except for a few necessary items. Tomorrow will be unbelievably busy, because I have a meeting with my professor and then shopping, and then meeting with a few friends before I leave. Eep.

Well, anyways. Enjoy, I'm glad you're here, and email me any time at gmhurley@uncg.edu.

Love,
Gina