Brooklyn, the Movie and Book

I watch TV through Hulu and they kept having advertisements for a movie called, Brooklyn. It was written by Colm Toibin. It was set in the 50's and was about a girl from Ireland, so I had to see it since I love Ireland so much. I'd also seen the lead actress on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon; I love her name, Saoirse Ronan. She plans the lead role so well. I can't imagine anyone else as Eilis.

The Movie
It opens on a family of two daughters and their mother. The younger daughter, Eilis, can't find full time employment. She works on Sundays in a shop for a stuck up Ms. Kelly who gives preference to more affluent customers while treating everyone else like crap. The movie centers around Eilis. Her and her friend, Nancy go to dances together where Nancy dances with her crush, George.

Eilis' sister, Rose makes arrangements with a priest friend for Eilis to have housing and a job waiting for her in Brooklyn. Ms. Kelly doesn't take the news well and immediately fires Eilis. She comments on how Eilis' poor sister, Rose will be left to care for their mother.

As Eilis boards the ship for her journey to America, it's too much for her mom to handle and she leaves before Eilis' ship leaves. On the ship, Eilis shares a room and bunk bed with a worldly traveler. Not knowing that a big storm was brewing and no one else was eating dinner, Eilis eats alone in the dining room. Each room shares a bathroom, with another room. Knowing of the impending storm and wanting to have sole access to the bathroom, the other room locks access to the bathroom from Eilis' room. She get violently ill and must use a bucket to vomit in and use the bathroom. Her roommate comes back and cares for her, putting a cool towel on her head. She encourages Eilis not to eat until the storms end. The seasickness and not eating have made Eilis' fair skin especially pale. Her roommate points out that this will be an issue trying to get into the US. If she looks sick, they won't let her in. The roommate helps her select clothing and apply make up to make her look healthy.

She breezes into America, her boarding house, and job. She's so homesick though. Letters from home make her more sad. Her glum attitude gets her pulled from the sales floor. Her boss calls the priest who helped her secure her house and job. He comes to visit her and brainstorms for her to enroll in bookkeeping classes in the evenings. That helps keep her preoccupied.

Her landlady likes her. A new awkward boarder joins the house. Eilis is stuck going to the dance with her. There they see their popular, beautiful roommates. Eilis dances with a guy who then ignores her to dance the second dance with one of the prettier roommates. A guy emerges from the sidelines and asks her to dance. He said dancing is about acting like you know what you're doing. She asks him to walk her home at the end of the night, so she doesn't have to walk with her awkward, new roommate. He does and they plan to see each other the next week for dinner and then the dance.

Next thing you know, she has a steady boyfriend, Tony. He's head over heels crazy about Eilis. He's Italian, but attracted to Irish girls. He works as a plumber. He meets Eilis after her classes get out and walks her home. One night, Tony blurts out that he loves Eilis. She freaks out. The next week, when he'd normally meet her after class she gets out and he's not there. Soon he runs up, work kept him late. She wants to talk about what he said. He doesn't and thinks she's breaking up with him. Instead, she says that the next time he says he loves her, she'll say she loves him too. He's over the moon. Soon he asks her to meet his family. Her roommates help teach her how to eat spaghetti so she doesn't embarrass herself. Tony is one of 4 boys. His family lives in a small apartment. He warns her about his honery, little brother, Franky. His parents and other brothers are pleasant. Then, in the middle of dinner, Franky blurts out, "We don't like Irish people." He quickly gets escorted out for words with his dad. He quickly comes back and apologizes.

Eilis is doing well at work and school. She passes her year 1 exams with flying colors. Everyone is proud of her. On Christmas, she helps feed the needy. She takes a day trip to Coney Island with Tony. There they go to the beach. Later, he takes her to the country in Long Island. He and his oldest brothers have bought a large piece of land. He shares their plans to split the land into 5 lots; one for their parents, three to sell, and one for Tony. He said it would be "their" house. He's not sure what she'll say, but she thinks it's a good idea.

One day at work, her priest friend, Father Flood shows up. He has bad news, her sister, Rose has died. Eilis' world seems to be crashing down on her. Grief overcomes her. Father Flood arranges a call with her mom. That doesn't help, but makes her feel so far away. Tony comes to support her. She decides she wants to go home for a visit. Tony freaks out about it as he feels she will go and never come back unless...she marries him. He doesn't feel a promise from her that she'll come back is strong enough. So, a sex scene commenced. Then they get married at the courthouse and tell no one.

She heads back to Ireland. Eilis and her mother visit Rose's grave and put a wreath on it. She looks at Rose's old room; it feels so empty without her, but still has her jewelry that she left on the end table the night before she passed away. She meets up with her friend, Nancy and gets stuck hanging out with Nancy's now fiance, George and his friend, Jim Farrell. Eilis feels set up and isn't happy about it. She wants nothing to do with Jim, until he catches her off-guard, by sharing his sincere condolences for the death of her sister and said he and his family attended the funeral. He spoke of how well-regarded Rose was. The golf club that Rose was a member of is setting up a scholarship in her honor.

Tony writes, but Eilis doesn't write back. It's like she's living a new life. Rose's coworkers send for Eilis as they have some accounting work piling up and need help. Eilis helps and continues to do so throughout her 1+ month in Ireland. She extends her trip to attend Nancy's wedding. She spends more time on double dates with Nancy, George, and Jim.

Jim comes from a well-to-do family who owns a bar with a house attached and has a house in the country. As an only child, Jim will inherit the bar and home when his family retires. They all enjoy beach trips and dinners out. Her mom drops hints of how Jim is a good catch. Everyone views Eilis as glamorous with her new clothes and other worldliness. She continues to be torn between two worlds and lives.

Jim takes Eilis and her mom to Nancy's beautiful wedding. Her mom is happy.

Rose's employer wants Eilis to stay and work there. It's like she can get her whole life back. She meets Jim's parents and they talk of their impending retirement. It's clear that Jim loves her and they're essentially a couple. Engagement is soon to come.

Eilis' former employer, Ms. Kelly sends for her. She's not sure why she's being called. Turns out that a cousin of Ms. Kelly's saw Eilis get married and knows about her new relationship with Jim. It's then and there that Eilis decides that she must go. She goes and immediately books her passage back to the United States for the next day. She goes home and tells her shocked mother that she's married. Her mother remains calm and says that her husband must be a good guy if Eilis picked him. Despite the fact that it's early afternoon, her mom says her goodbyes calmly to Eilis and heads to bed. She doesn't plan to say goodbye in the morning.

Eilis writes Jim a letter and leaves it at his home on her way to the ship.

One the ship, she befriends a young girl that's heading to America for the first time and helps her much like she was helped.

She heads straight to Tony's work and stands across the street waiting. He comes out, finally sees her, and runs to embrace her. The End!

The Book

The Differences

1. In the book, Eilis has three brothers that live in England due to not being able to find work in Ireland

2. It has Eilis doing training for bookkeeping while in Ireland

3. One of her brothers meets her and helps her get set for the voyage to America

4. She meets Father Flood as soon as she arrives

5. Things with Jim Farrell are a bit steamier than the PG content shown in the movie

Overall, I loved the first 2/3 of the movie and book. It took me back to a different place in time.

Sometimes You Need a Break

Spring semester was hard. I struggled with school, sleep, insurance issues, my rheumatoid arthritis, ending a negative friendship, I got my heart broken, and I gained weight. On top of that, I turned 30. The stress of everything had me feeling ill on a continual basis. I was nauseous every morning for months. I was tired of feeling awful. As soon as the semester ended, I hopped a plane for Ireland. In Ireland, from day 1, I felt amazing. My nausea went away. In Ireland, I felt like a brand-new me. My complexion cleared up and my hair looked amazing. With sights like these and wonderful fresh air; how could I not feel better?




I got home from my trip and after months of not being able to lose any weight; I lost 8 pounds in June! Let me be clear, the weight didn't just fall off. I watched my diet and worked incredibly hard; increasing my time in the gym. I mainly did cardio (zumba, rowing, and the elliptical) and ab class. In July, I traveled to Colorado Springs, CO and Lake of the Ozarks, MO. So, I definitely didn't lose any weight in July. :) In August, I lost 3 pounds. Though my battle with my weight will be a life-long one; I'll continue to work hard and try to stay healthy.

To brighten your day; how can one not smile when watching golden retriever puppies?! Yes, I have puppy fever! Can't have one at my apartment. :(

Another Way to Display Vacation Photos

Roughly 10 years ago, I bought coasters that could hold photos and have never used them. I've been meaning to put photos in them since I moved to my apartment nearly 2 years ago.

After my Ireland trip, I thought it would be neat to use pictures from my trip to personalize the coasters. It was hard to pick four pictures and even harder to choose how to crop them. I decided on two picture from my Ireland trip and two from my Italy trip (2012).

The top two photos are of Ireland. The top left photo is outside Ross Castle and the top right photo is of the harbor in Dingle. The bottom two pictures were taken in Cinque Terre. I really love how they turned out!

What creative way have you found to display your vacation photos?

Funny Signs in Ireland

I was surprised how many funny signs I saw along the way in Ireland and wanted to share:

Seen in Dingle.

In Kilkenny.

In Dingle

Skelligs Chocolate Factory

In Dingle.



Have you seen any funny signs during your travels?

Fashion in Ireland

While in Ireland last month, I took note of trends women followed. The extremely, messy top knot was really popular. Since Ireland has a chilly, rainy climate I was surprised how many ladies sported tall, leather boots in May. They also rocked cute bootie shoes and now I want a pair. ;)

Most of the guys sported the Mackelmore hairstyle, which I really like. It was all variations of the shaved sides and longer top. I wish more guys here would try it. The guys there seemed to embrace wearing color more than guys in the States.

Have you noticed any interesting fashion trends while traveling abroad?

Ireland: Part Seven

We left Dingle and headed to Kenmare, another small, fun town. On the way, we saw this interesting sign:

No, the bathrooms weren't that great.

Funny sign.

A pear tart I had for lunch.

:)

Couldn't resist.

Once in Kenmare, we stayed at Hawthorn House. We loved it there! Mary was wonderful and served a terrific breakfast. We really enjoyed Kenmare. I had a tasty "Out of the Sea Pizza" at O'Donnabhain's Gastro Bar.

Definitely one of the best pizzas I've ever had!

That night we checked out music at some place that had a duo that played HARP, harmonica, and guitar music. Here we tried another beer that was made in Kilkenny, Smithwick's. Lastly, we ended up at Foley's Restaurant & Bar. We listened to Irish Folk singer, Pat Kelleher.

Has anyone else been to Ireland? Any travel tips or experiences you'd like to share? I'd love to hear any feedback you have!

Ireland: Part Two

We stayed at Churchfield Bed and Breakfast. Maeve was a wonderful host. Being new to Ireland weather, we got caught in two rainstorms and she kindly dried our clothes. Her breakfast was amazing! She even let us borrow a converter.

Doolin was a nice small town to get orientated in.
Upon arriving we had lunch and tea at McGann's while waiting to check into our room.

While trying to head out to see the Cliffs of Moher, we saw dozens of cyclist and their sponsor cars zoom by. They were part of the race the Ras which had racers go all around Ireland. It was very cool to see.

The Cliffs of Moher were the site in Ireland I was most looking forward to seeing. They were beautiful! When we first arrived, it was cold and cloudy. Slowly the sun peaked through the clouds; how amazing! I'd never seen anything like the Cliffs. While there, I saw boat tours, a hang-glider, and a helicopter. All quite brave if you ask me. We walked about seven miles to get the best views. Just as we were leaving it started raining. These were my favorite pictures of the day.

There were lots of tourists there the same time we were. There was a group of well-to-do guys in their 50s, one of them said after taking pictures while literally sitting on the edge of the Cliffs, "Now I know what Ansel Adams felt like." It made me laugh, in no way could he ever be close to as adventurous as Ansel Adams. Later, another guy said, "hey, should we take a selfie?" :)

We had a wonderful dinner at O'Connor's Pub: roast beef, mashed potatoes, a parsnip and carrot puree, and peas. My dad got the sea bass. They also had terrific traditional Irish music that night. I loved it! I also, somehow got kissed on the cheek by an old Irishman. Here, I also tried Guiness for the first time. It's a little too hoppy for me. What a great first night! They played this song, The Belle of Belfest City. Good stuff and quite catchy..

Ireland: Part One

Oh, how I waited forever for this trip! The challenge in getting there was that we were flying stand by. The benefit was that the flights were free, but the stand by part was stressful.

So, after missing two flights to Newark and running through the airport like a maniac, we were on our way. I slept most of the flight, like I normally do. We arrived at a small airport in Shannon, Ireland. There I received the secon stamp on my passport. Unfortunately, my bag didn't make the trip. Instead, it took a trip to London. My dad and I set our bags down side-by-side, but his made it and mine didn't. They thought mine would arrive on the 5 or 9pm flight. If it came on the 5pm, they would drive it out to me. I was strangely relaxed about the whole thing. They gave me a bag of toiletries to get me by until I got my bag. On a side note, let me just say that a shoe shine kit doesn't make much sense in there.

From there we picked up the rental car and headed to Doolin. We stopped in Ennistymon to get cash and happened upon this pretty spot.

It was over an hour drive. There were tons of roundabouts and the roads were killer narrow. Everything was so green and pretty. We got a GPS which was one of the best ideas ever. Our first town was Doolin and we loved it!

IRELAND!

Oh friends, it has been a rough semester! Between health stuff, my struggle in my econ class (praying for mercy from God that I pass), work being busy, and getting my heart broken it's been a semester I'd almost like to forget. There have been high points: my surprise 30th birthday, my parent's 25 anniversary party, and a friendship that's gotten closer just when I needed a friend. :)

I'm a planner, but things have been so crazy that I haven't planned for Ireland as much as I'd like. I think, it'll turn out just fine and I'm excited to take a road trip throughout Ireland. I'm ready to immerse myself in the culture and see things I've dreamed of seeing in person. I plan to journal and take at least 1,100 pictures (like I did in Italy). So, until June, this will be one of my last posts. I promise to post so much about my trip that you all get sick of it. ;)

So, here's to fresh air, checking another location off my bucket list, and being grateful for each moment of living this dream; it's definitely a gift!

Let me know if you have any questions about Ireland or tips of things I should see.

Ireland in T-Minus 13 days!

Ireland

It's official, the Ireland trip is on! I'll be going in roughly six weeks. I'll be going with a family member, who I've never traveled with. We've never spent 10 whole days together, so this should be interesting and I'm really excited! I'm also thrilled that they've agreed to drive. I don't know how to drive stick and the thought of driving on the opposite side of the road terrifies me. I'm pretty spoiled, as they're letting me set the itinerary.

Any thoughts of places I should see in Ireland? So, far I'm planning to fly into Shannon and fly out of Dublin. After Shannon, the plan is to stay in Doolin for two nights to see the Cliffs of Moher and Burren. After that, we'll head to Dingle for two nights. There we will see the Blasket Islands, Dingle Peninsula, and Slea Head. Next, we'll be off to Kenmare for a night or two. There we'll see the Rings of Kerry, Skellig Michael, Muckross House, and maybe even Killarney. Off to Kinsale for a night to see the Blarney Castle/Blarney Stone kissing and Cork. Somewhere before we head to Dublin we'll also see the Rocks of Cashel, Waterford, Kilkenny, Glendalough, Wicklow Mountains, and the Gardens of Powerscott. If there is an extra day we'll head north to see Kells, Trim, the Hill of Tara and Drogheda. Our last stop is Dublin where we'll spend at least two nights. There we hope to see Trinity College, Book of Kells, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Hard Rock Cafe, a couple of places I can't remember and possibly also Howth. My cousin will be in Dublin the same time as me, so we're hoping to meet up. Out of everything I've read and researched; I'm most excited to see the Cliffs of Moher!

I'm nervous about the prospects of rain. I'm also nervous that it may be cold. Am I forgetting anything? Any tips for my trip?

Travel

Growing up, we never traveled much. We'd travel to see family or to tourist destinations in the off season. In high school, my senior class and I were the first class ever to plan a senior trip out of state. We worked together to raise money and we did. We went to Daytona Beach, Florida. We went to Orlando to Universal Studios. We stayed on the beach. It was my first time seeing the ocean and I couldn't get enough. Actually, none of us could get enough; so much so that we all got fried. The sunburns were of epic proportions, but it's a trip I'll never forget. I built my first and only sandcastle. My classmates laughed, because at the airport a little kid had the same sandcastle making set I got at Walgreens. :) The trip there was only my second time on an airplane. Since then, I can't even tell you how many times I've flown.

In college, I traveled to Cali for spring break one year. Spent time in Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur. Big Sur was gorgeous! I love the ocean, though it was too cold to get in. Water came from Alaska and it was quite chilly. I also, took a trip to Cancun my senior year. What a blast! We stayed at an all-inclusive resort. I went snorkeling for the first time. Everything was so beautiful! In college, I interned at a resort in Lake of the Ozark, Missouri. What a fun place in the summer. I spent the whole summer on the lake or working with a lake view and I was spoiled by it. Now, every summer I yearn for the lake. I was fortunate enough to be able to return there every summer after until this year. It's always on my summer list.

Since then, I traveled a lot in my last job (Seattle twice, El Paso, San Antonio twice, Fort Hood/Austin twice, Fort Bragg/Raleigh, Fort Benning/Atlanta. It was nice, but then it got a little old, though I don't think I'd trade it for anything.

A year and a half ago, I went to Italy and it was wonderful. I remember smiling the whole time, soaking everything in, and taking pictures of literally everything, because I didn't want to forget one thing about that once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Those who know me well, know that I'm always planning a trip somewhere; it gives me something to look forward to. So right now, I've given up on a spring break trip since I'm saving up for Ireland. I'd love to go to the Lake of the Ozarks again, but we'll see. A friend of mine is moving back to Hawaii soon, so I'll always have a place ot stay on the Big Island and Hawaii just so happens to be high up on my travel list. ;)

Reading

When I was little and learned to read, it was like everything turned from black and white to color; it was literally a whole new world for me. It forever changed my world. As a child, I'd get lost in books, imagining everything I read. Still to this day, I can get totally engrossed in a book. I almost felt like I needed a therapy group while reading the Hunger Games series; it felt so real. I wanted to call people and voice my deep worry for Peeta and Katniss. Down with the Capitol! I still really want a Mockingjay pin and I really would wear it. My addiction with Hunger Games is so bad that I cried twice while watching the first movie; once because the reaping scene was so emotional and once because I was finally seeing the movie and so happy/overwhelming. Nerdy, I know. :)

I love when a book overtakes my life! I'm currently reading, Born to Run; I can't put it down! The author much like myself wanted so much to love running that he kept trying, but really hated it and started getting injuries due to running. So what does he do? He keeps going to the doctor and they pretty much tell him to not run anymore. Much like me, he's really stubborn. So, he goes to Mexico in search of the Tamahumara tribe who can run for days, through impossible terrain. He wants to run like them.So, he searches for them, but they're hard to track. He finds them and well, that's about as far as I've gotten in two or three night of reading.

I've already finished a guidebook on Europe. That Rick Steves knows what he's talking about. I'm close to picking cities and setting an itinerary for my trip to Ireland; exciting!

Next, I'll start the second book in the Divergent series and then start an Ireland guidebook. The Divergent series is really addictive too. Very intense like Hunger Games, but not quite as good.

And my next European travel destination is...

It's settled; I'm going to Ireland for at least 10 days in August!!! I've always thought Ireland would be amazing to see! My friend agreed to drive while there, which was one of my key concerns, so now we're golden! I'm relieved to have the location settled! I'm getting great suggestions from friends too. I'm so excited and now I'm going to research and plan the heck out of this trip! Any suggestions of places I must see?

2014 Travel

I love to travel. I'd rather do without than miss the opportunity to see the world. Before I die, I want to see the world. I don't want to wait until I'm old to travel, because you never know if you'll still have your health.

Going to Italy last year was a wonderful opportunity and also made we want to travel more. So, I'm now planning another international trip. The hard part is deciding where to go. I've always wanted to go to Italy, so that made sense. The other country that's on the top of my list is Greece, but that's too dangerous of a location to travel to currently. I've always wanted to go to Ireland, but that seems more complicated as flights there are pricey and travel within the country is not as easy as hopping a train in Italy was. I really don't want to drive. I don't drive stick and can you really see me in a tiny car driving on the opposite side of the road?! So, I've had several recommendations for Germany. I've never wanted to go there, but we'll see. Looking at going in May or probably August. I'm not sure what other countries I'd add with it. I'm looking at being away for 10 days to 2 weeks and unfortunately, I'm on a pretty tight budget.

This spring break, I'm hoping for an actual vacation! Looking into possibly Savannah, GA or maybe San Antonio. We'll see.

I'm still hoping to make it to the Lake of the Ozarks this summer, not sure I can swing, but I did pick up a small side gig.

I love planning for a trip! Saving for it and picking locations is the hard part. ;)

Any suggestions on where I should travel and what sights I should see or not see? I need help to get the most out of each trip. Need a little help from my friends. :)