Ireland Day 5 - Diving into work!

Shop Street.

I don't actually have any photos from work, but the highlight of today is how busy things got! I managed to take a decent amount of photos once I left for the day, and I even did a teeny tiny bit of exploring past Shop Street. Woohoo!

Today was lots of training with Brad. I took notes and followed him around the studio listening to him talk about procedure. We had a very slow morning with only the phone ringing and someone scheduling a viewing for 4:30. The day was actually kind of perfect because he was able to train me without interruption, and then after we returned from lunch a whole slew of customers showed up and I was able to participate in a hands-on recreation (a real one!) of the scenarios he explained to me.

Rothar glas!

Every person that came into the studio was a drop-in, except for the very last person: they called and scheduled a time to view. Other than that, lots of questions and passports! Passports seem to be the bane of everyones' existence, they're such a huge hassle. A regulation on size would be awesome, I think, but really only for eases sake. I helped with a man's Vietnamese Visa photo, another guy's Irish passport photo and a baby's passport photo. Pretty much all of these people showed up at once, mind.

Shortly before closing he had me call a customer to get some information on a print. Before I arrived, he told me that it's easiest to just talk like the locals do because that way they'll understand me. So, on the phone today I used the words, "bump you up on the queue" and also, "ring us when you've decided". That was pretty exciting. I smiled and looked at Brad when I said, "bump you up on the queue" and he kind of laughed and gave me a thumbs up. I'm turning Irish!

It was a very good day. There were a few moments when I felt quite worthless and irritated because I was unable to help move the customers along since I'm still training. As the day wore on and I was able to get past the tiny hang-ups that stop me from being helpful (and instead make me a menace) and actually learn what to do the next time it rolls around.

I'm nodding off between sentences so I'm going to wrap this up.

I love the doors and buildings!

My walk around Shop Street was very enjoyable, I took some nice photos and discovered another bus stop where I can ride home. I found some swans and quite a few stores that I'd like to go in. Friday is going to be laundry and shopping! Woo! Tomorrow I have to pull some more money out so I can pay Miriam for food for the week. For dinner she made me a cheese burger, a salad and a bowl of fruit. Delicious! I can't wait for the weather to clear so I can explore! I know I've said this almost everyday, it's just so true.

I was offered a ride to Connemara by both Brad and Steve, which is really exciting! Perhaps I'll love it and I'll have two different occasions to go! Steve's family lives up there and he said he'd be more than happy to take me to the non-touristy places. I'd really prefer to avoid a coach and all of the other tourists. I want to be able to stop when I want and take lots of photos! I'm hoping to make a friend that has a car so I have someone to go on leisurely day trips with. I'll give them gas money!

After dinner, Maisa, Catherine and I played quite a few rousing rounds of Egyptian Rat Screw. I haven't played in ages, so that was good craic! I'm learning Irish vernacular. Craic is Irish for "fun". They use it frequently, "How's the craic?". There are many other examples but that's the only one I can think of right now. I'm seeing how many new words I can slip into my vocabulary :P

And now for throughout the day updates!

Interesting bramble.

8:44 am: bus stop: Today has dawned steely and cool with a different scent in the air than other mornings. A bit fresher and oceany than the others. I'm told there's a nice beach very close by, I'm anxious to be able to explore. I want food available to me in Steve's house, not just Miriam's. It wastes just enough time getting into her place that I can't eat before I leave for the bus. I grabbed an apple. I hope Brad is OK with me taking an early lunch.

8:53 am: bus stop: I think I missed the bus but I'm not sure how that is. It's supposed to be here at 8:48. I saw two buses drive past the stop while I was still walking.

9:08 am: 33 bus: The bus arrived as I was writing earlier. It was very crowded. I had to stand. A lot of people just got off so now I'm sitting. The bus is very stuffy.

9:13 am: 33 bus: This thing always squeezes through such tight spaces it's like like I'm on the Knight Bus. Oh gosh someone farted and it is awful.

12:11 pm: Photo One: I have my schedule! It is subject to change though. I have enough two days off in a row to visit quite a few places!

Another friend!

1:40 pm: La Salsa: Brad is taking me out to lunch. We were walking down Shop Street and he told me I was being too loud and that people really notice and dislike the loud Americans. I apologized and told him that even at home my friends tell me I'm too loud and I'm afraid of being too loud here and he should tell me when I'm being too loud again. He said he would so long as I didn't mind. He insisted he wasn't trying to be mean/rude, but he didn't want me to get into a position of being that person. I thanked him.

3:52 pm: Photo One: The studio got very busy after we returned from lunch. I was unable to do anything without asking Brad for help, which was unfortunate because he was helping people order prints. I don't like the new employee/training phase :(

5:55 pm: Photo One: What a day! My next helping excursion went much better than the first!

6:30 pm: Eyre Square: Brad is super nice. Excellent placement for my internship. I am going to learn soo much.

6:55 pm: Somewhere near Shop Street: People here drive like maniacs!

Does it look slimmer to you?

7:08 pm: Eyre Square bus stop: Bough a Coke and a caramel Galaxy bar from Holland's. It's 500ml, the bottle is very skinny. Drinks aren't very cold here even if they're coming out of a fridge.

7:13 pm: 33 bus: It looks as though someone egged the bus, a little gross.

-MJ

Ireland Day 4 - World Cup

I'm very tired (yay!), so this will be a short one. Time for a list!

Beautiful morning! Later, a very rainy evening.

-Up at a decent hour
-Remembered to turn on the hot water
-Showered!
-Breakfast
-Walked to Cotters, the little convenience store near the bus stop
-Took lots of pictures
-Got to the studio early
-Ate a sandwich from a croissanterie
-Got to the studio a few minutes after 12
-Talked to Catharine for the next five hours and not a single person came in
-Wandered around Eyre Square and took pictures
-Ate dinner at a bar called Fagans
-Met up with Maisa and Catherine there, then went to a place called The Cellar to meet up with our new friends Dave and Roger
-Watched the World Cup
-Had my first real Guinness
-Sleep?

Bus stop friend.

11:03 am: bus stop: While taking a picture of a flower, an old man stopped and asked me what I was taking a picture of... At least I think that's what he happened. I believe he said, "Whatcha workin' on?" and I said, "Oh, I'm just taking a picture of this flower" and he smiled, nodded and said, "Oh very good then" and walked off :)

11:26 am: 33 bus: A little boy just got on wearing a shirt that said, "I (space invader image) gaming".

Grumpy old dwarf, anyone?

11:52 am: ESC: Bought lunch at a place called La Croissanterie; Roma baguette - chicken fillet (they pronounce the "t" here, but they say "fill-it", not "fill-et"), tomato, lettuce, mustard and ground pepper. I got a medium Coke and their medium is our small.

3:05 pm: Photo One: The studio opened at 12, I've been here with Catharine since then and we haven't had a single person come in. It's been nice chatting and getting to know her, but she hasn't really had a chance to show me how to do anything because there have been no customers to train on! It's everything or nothing, sheesh.

5:15 pm: ESC: Temper has flared for the first time. Two girls and a guy standing in front of the bathroom door digging for 30 cents to get in. Completely blocking my ability to exit. I said excuse me, they all just stood there. I finally pushed past the guy while saying excuse me again. He continued to talk to them as though I wasn't in front of him or talking to him. P.S. for pay toilets I expected something nicer.

"Original Maker of Claddach Rings"

5:18 pm: Eyre Square: An underage Irish girl and I just had this exchange:

Girl: If I gave you some money would you buy me some fags?

Me: Fries?

Girl: Fags. (enunciated)

Me: Oh, I'm sorry but no.

I turned to walk away and saw her put her hands up and look at her friend in exasperation. Don't smoke, or wait until you're older and see if you still want to.

5:54 pm: Shop Street: I'm feeling alone and stupid right now so I thought I'd check out the McDonalds here, see if it has strange offerings like the Subway. I have never seen a line so long at a McDonalds before, it's busier than the one in New York. Time to find somewhere else. I'm hungry.

6:15 pm: Fagans bar: Finally found the bar where I'm meeting Maisa and Catherine. The bartender is nice. They have cheese burgers. Thank God. I miss Jake.

6:31 pm: Fagans bar: Paid for my burger with my credit card just to make sure I could. Saves up my bills for some pints when the game starts :)

7:24 pm: The Cellar: My first pint of Irish Guinness. They did two pours. I couldn't even pay for it until it was "ready". The bartender laughed at me (but in a nice way) when I tried to take it too soon. Tastes thicker!  So creamy.

7:47 pm: The Cellar: The World Cup has started. I have no idea what's happening. What does the yellow card mean?

Catherine and our new friend Dave watching the game.

7:59 pm: The Cellar: Holy shit that guy just got kicked in the chest.

9:26 pm: The Cellar: OK, World Cup, please do something interesting because I am actually dozing off in the pub.

The goalie for Spain crying because they won! It was very moving.

10:03 pm: The Cellar: Ah! Happy and crying men!

GOODNIGHT!

-MJ

Ireland Day 3 - Sleeping in.

Today didn't really start off how I wanted it to.

Before I arrived in Ireland, I told myself I didn't want to sleep in and lose my days. I have big plans, see, a very full agenda and a lot on my bucket list. Get up early, go to bed at a decent hour, blog daily, photograph everything, go out and see the town, meet new people and just live it up.

Yesterday fit that bill, excluding going to bed at a decent hour, and today hasn't been nearly as successful. I have high expectations.

Happy because I took the correct stop off the bus on my way home today.

I set my alarm to go off at 8 this morning. Seeing as I went to bed at 3 am, I knew I wouldn't be in compliance. However! I expected to only sleep another hour or two, three at the latest, after turning off my alarm.

1:30 pm. I woke up at 1:30 in the freaking afternoon.

I was so angry! Half my day just gone. Gone! On top of that I was supposed to go to the studio for a few hours and work with Catharine. I rushed around and caught the 2:15 bus into Eyre Square. In terms of my internship, it wasn't a huge deal because I was told to come in whenever today. I'm just angry that I lost so much day. I could have been editing pictures, or taking more pictures!

Either way, I scooted into the studio and started working as best I could. Catharine sent me off to get lunch because I told her about my sleeping mishap. The afternoon went very well and I stayed until 5 pm. Catharine had to run to the post office so she left me in charge! While she was gone the phone rang twice and three people came in. I did my best, but on the whole wasn't incredibly helpful. I took a message for Catharine and she called someone back when she arrived. One person decided to come back after her hair appointment, and another person I sent off with a price sheet. The first phone call was Brad asking how my yesterday went, and the second call was a woman who made a booking! I felt so proud.

Catharine unleashed me early (I was supposed to stay until 5:30 when they actually close) so I would have time to go and buy a black shirt. Apparently, in Ireland, places close early on Saturdays. I told her that generally places are open later Friday and Saturday but close early Sunday. I guess places are open late Friday, close early Saturday, and open late Sunday. How interesting!

Shopping in non-US stores!

I went to a store called Penneys, an inexpensive clothing place that was a complete stampede! I felt so buffeted and uncomfortable. I managed to find a nice shirt though, hopefully it's not of terrible quality. I had a slightly panicked moment when I realized I don't know Irish clothing size! Turns out for shirts I'm a 12. I took a 10 into the changing rooms and it was just barely too small for me so I grabbed a 12 and bought it. I didn't want to go back to the changing rooms because the line was super long. This particular store had an electronic check-in system: your door tag has a bunch of holes in it and it inserts into a mechanism in the wall where the woman running the rooms inputs how many items you'll be trying on. Very structured.

After my €11 purchase (tax is included, which is awesome, because purchases just are what they are, no trying to figure out extra numbers) I saw that it was 5:30, which meant that if I hustled a bit I could make the 5:45 bus! I totally did, by the way. My sights were set toward hitting the Stop button, I was ready and in place, then someone else hit it before me D: D: D: Soooo, I hopped off the bus on time today, but I didn't have the triumph of doing it myself.

This is strange graffiti. Is that a penis?

Since I've been home, Maisa, Catherine and I have eaten pizza and watched TV. It has been a relaxing evening. I look forward to a more productive tomorrow!

And now, my daily updates, photos to come in a bit:

1:30 pm: woke up. Damn.

2:13 pm: at the bus stop: I don't want to lose half the day ever again while I'm here.

3:14 pm: Photo One: Eating lunch from a grocery type store called Dunnes. Ham & Mustard sandwich, cheese & onion crisps and a coke.

5:09 pm: Eyre Square Center: Just left Photo One, the guy in front of me on the escalator got his shoelace stuck in the top mechanism.

5:20 pm: Penneys: This clothing store has an electronic check-in system for trying on clothing. I'm curious to know the numbers for theft here vs. the US to know if their system works.

5:28 pm: Penneys: This store is a complete mad house, you'd think it was Christmas Eve.

Meow. This cat was on the second story.

5:36 pm: 33 Bus: Got to the bus stop just in time! I wasn't here a minute when it pulled up. Fingers crossed that I get off at my stop this time :D

6:03 pm: Sidewalk: Managed to get off at the right stop! Well, technically I'm off a stop before. A guy hit the stop button and I figured it wouldn't hurt to walk an extra 100 feet or so :)

Stormy and unpleasant weather. If you turn left at that first street you'll get to my house!

-MJ

Ireland day 2, Eyre Square!

This morning I woke up at 5:30 and I couldn't fall back asleep. Not sure what was up with that. I got to bed at 11pm, I guess I was just rested? I hopped online to pass the time and hoped Jake would be on. Lucky for me he was :3 We were able to chat until he went to bed, which was nice, then I got ready for the day. I was hungry so I mosied over to Miriam's house to find food, but I'm not familiar with the kitchen and I felt uncomfortable rifling through her cabinets (even though I'm allowed to), so I just grabbed an apple. FYI, apples here are tiny, as are oranges and bananas. Not sure what the deal is with that, unless we do something crazy to ours in the States and that's why they're so huge? Either way, tiny apples!

Our house in Knocknacarra.

At 8 Maisa woke up and by 9 we were back over at Miriam's place. I had cereal there and then the two of us went into town via the number 33 bus! The ride was enjoyable and strange. The roads here are pretty narrow, so sometimes the bus pulls over to allow oncoming traffic to pass. I was very entertained by all of the low walls made of stones and the huge fields of cows. Once we got to Eyre Square we went to the indoor shopping center. Maisa and I both have internships that take place there. We found the location for Photo One studios and I waited there until Brad showed up. Time is a strange thing in Ireland, no one is expected to keep it! A lot of the stores were supposed to open up at 10, Brad's included, but they were closed until around 10:10 or 10:15. I guess that's common.

So! Met Brad, he's a super nice guy, and he gave me a phone to use while I'm here. I met Catherine, a woman that covers the store while he's shooting on location, and I hung around while Brad did a family photo shoot. I chatted with Catherine and had a muffin and a very watery hot chocolate. All in all, a good time! I went to a Vodafone store and added €20 to my phone, then wandered over to Maisa's store. Apparently here when you "top off" your pay as you go phone and you add at least €20, you can get either unlimited phone and text to your carrier, or unlimited texts to all carriers, both for 30 days. I didn't realize this, and the guy that helped me didn't tell me. Maisa and her manager sent me back to the store to get the unlimited text to all carriers option put on. Apparently even if I'm out of minutes I can still text! Pretty fancy :D I had some Subway after that. The guy working there was Polish. It was difficult to order because some of the menu options are different D: They have some wacky Doritos flavors there, and cool ranch is just "cool original".

Neat alley way across from Holland's.

I went to leave for the bus and Maisa said if I wanted to hang around for an hour we could catch it together. I decided to opt for that and so I walked around the Square and took pictures. At 2 I went to the bus stop and found my spot. The bus came, Maisa wasn't there, and then it left. I thought maybe she was running late so I texted her and told her I was still waiting. She responded saying she went to a different stop because she missed the Eyre Square one and thought I was already on the bus D: D: So I waited another half an hour for the next one. I was joined in my seat by an old man who didn't understand the phrase "you're in my space".

Here's where things got stupid (but then better again): I've never had to rely on public transportation before and whenever I'm on a bus I always have someone with me that knows what they're doing and will lead the way. SO, with that in mind, I didn't realize that I had to alert the bus driver to let me off at my stop. I assumed those "stop" buttons were for when people wanted to get off at stops that weren't normally on the drivers route? I don't know. Either way, my stop came and went and I was still on the bus! I sat stupid for a while, the old man leaning on me, before I decided I'd just get off the next time the driver stopped. There wasn't a "stop" button within reach of me and even though the seats around us had cleared this man insisted on being extra close. So on we went, turning left, right and then right again. Finally a woman got up and the bus slowed, I stood up and this man just turned his knees to the right. I was thinking, "Really?!" I practically fell on him trying to get to the aisle. I had probably a mile walk back to my stop and I had my fingers crossed that I had remembered the route well enough! Fortunately I did, because I'm back here now :D

I have some more notes from today:

9:48 am: Eyre Square Center: Met a Polish guy named Lucas; he works at a Subway.

10:07 am: Eyre Square Center: Time is a strange thing here. Shops that should be open aren't. I'm waiting for Brad to show up. I guess it's customary to be late. (That's what I've read, anyway)

12:55 pm: Eyre Square Center: Just bought Subway. They don't have yellow mustard. They have corn though! Also, no ice. P.S. no cheddar triangles, just shredded.

1:46 pm: Eyre Square: I bought a tiny Caramello bar from a corner store called Holland's. Seriously, it's so small.

2:12 pm: Eyre Square bus stop: Waiting for Maisa and the bus home. I spent €55 on a 30 day bus pass, €20 on adding money to my phone and ~€5 on lunch. I have maybe €8 in my purse. *sigh*

2:24 pm: Eyre Square bus stop: Bus stop still. Apparently, "Are you long here?", means "Have you been here long?", not "Will you be here long?"

2:49 pm: On the bus. T.K. Maxx! ???

2:55 pm: On the bus. Starlight by Muse is on the bus radio. Do they play this in the States? I never listen. I feel funny.

3:11 pm: There's a guy on the bus that looks like Danny.

Saw this on my walk home.

3:16 pm: Missed my stop. I apparently don't know how buses work. I'm about a mile away from home. Time to walk.

€1900?!?! They mean business!

3:36 pm: I found a penny! And I managed to find my way back!

It shall hence forth be my lucky penny.

I don't know what a coach is. A huge bus? Who knows.

Clearly I've had an epic day, and it's only 5pm!

-MJ

***EDIT***

I went out with Maisa and Catherine tonight. We did some warm up drinking and then hit a bunch of bars in Galway near Eyre Square. We met so many interesting and fun people and saw a good portion of downtown. The night ended with us making some new friends and eating curry fries, garlic cheese fries, and a fried mars bar. We have plans to watch the World Cup final with them on Sunday! Hurrah for new friends :)

And now, my final updates:

11:39 pm: The Front Door (pub): "Oh no, put on your glasses" .... "You would look good in suspenders"

12:00 am: The Dail Bar: It's 80s night here! Everyone knows the words to "I need a hero"

12:05 am: The Dail Bar: "Do you really have real live cowboys in Texas" and then she swooned when the answer was yes.

12:12 am: The Dail Bar: Maisa can flirt so good even a girl will buy us drinks.

12:40 am: Coyote: The bathroom here has deodorant that you can pay to apply.

12:56 am: Cuba: This bar has video game screen entertainment. Currently? Mario Kart SNES.

1:00 am: Cuba: Someone just asked me if I'd dance with their friend. I said no thank you.

1:17 am: Cuba: Finally danced.

1:34 am: Club K: "How much does a polar bear weigh" "I don't know" "I'm just breaking the ice, my name is Tony"

2:40 am: A Chips Place: Just parted ways with some really nice people. We made new friends! We have plans to watch the World Cup at a pub on Sunday! We're in a cab now.

2:45 am: Cab Driver: "You've got the best approach I've ever seen. Now let's see if your departure is half as good" <- in reference to men not leaving you alone in a club.

-Miranda

Thoughts on New York.

It's pretty awesome!

I met up with my cousin Kelly who recently moved there. I'm glad he was there to guide me around, that would have been a nightmare attempt by myself! We scooted around town at a pretty rapid pace so we could do as much as possible before I had to get back to the airport. My bucket list included street vendor hot dogs and the Nintendo store. We knocked both of those out before going on to Times Square and Ground Zero. I belated realized I would have liked to get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, and we didn't have time to go to Central Park. We had a great time and I look forward to going back, so perhaps next time.

The city was so incredibly varied, it was quite the treat. We encountered friendly streets, busy streets, smelly streets and crowed streets. Fancy streets and dirty dingy ones. The street he lives on is quite quaint, I really liked it. I feel like I was able to get a pretty decent feel for the city because we went to a few different places. We rode the subway a whole bunch, I bought a 1 day "fun pass" that I assume had unlimited rides on it fora day. We rode about 6 times and it was only $8.25 so I totally saved money. Each time we hopped on it was a different experience. At one point we were alone riding along underground. Switch to a few trips later and we were packed body to body with people having the doors shut on them because they were desperately trying to get on. It was trippy. I was also privvy to a strong and offensive whiff of street urine and garbage, as well as a beggar walking from carriage to carriage begging for money on the subway. New York!

It was incredibly hoppin' though. People everywhere and an enjoyable atmosphere. It was interesting to finally see in person what I've always seen in movies and tv shows. Creepy guy in a ribbed tank selling magazines in a literal hole in the wall in the subway? Check! People standing far closer than is necessary or safe to the edge of the subway platform? Check? People clamoring into the carriage when the doors are closing and there's no more room? Check! Stairs on the sidewalk leading to the subway? Check! It seems that everything I saw is related to the subway. I didn't grow up with a subway system, so apparently they fascinate me. Everything was so bustling. I'm surprised that I liked it that much.

Photos are being uploaded right now. Once they're finished I'll add a few, but not all of them, that'll wait until I'm back home in September. Check back later!

-Miranda

Ireland - Day 1

I wrote down some thoughts and snippets while traveling, I'm going to share them now. I am in a jet-lagged daze (I forgot to take the herbal pills that Ann gave to me, damn it all), feels like I'm drunk. I've had about 6 hours of sleep in the past two days, that's never happened to me before. I went from Seattle to New York, then Dublin and here I am in Galway. Ireland. I'm in Ireland! This is amazing. I look forward to tomorrow when I'll be rested and my brain will be at optimum function to allow things to sink in. Right now everything is just too surreal. I'm on the other side of the WORLD! I have never traveled like this before. I'm 8 hours ahead of Seattle time! AHH!

-------------------

7/8 11:34 am Dublin airport: I swear I just saw Dr. Christman's Irish doppleganger!

11:43 am: waiting for my luggage and people watching. This is for Ethelyn: so many cute guys!

12:30 pm: riding the 748 to Dublin Heuston train station. The buildings here are so damn awesome. My pack is heavy, I need real sleep and hearty meals to regain my strength.

1:15 pm: Dublin Heuston: waiting for my 2:30 train to Galway. The bathroom costs 30 cents to use. I don't know if I have that! Will my train have a bathroom? This is all so new!

1:32 pm: just watched a guy check out a lady for an extremely long time. I'm surprised he didn't run into someone while he was raking her with his eyes.

2:00 pm: Dublin to Galway train: James there is a guy on here that looks a lot like Colin Farrell! I'm thinking of you!

2:17 pm: Dublin to Galway train: a girl just walked past me and she was so so beautiful, I feel even uglier than I already did, covered in two days of travel yuckiness.

There's an old couple sitting at a table with me on the train and I asked them if there's any food and they answered but I have no idea what they said. Thick accents and muffled speech!

3:13 pm: train to Galway: the snack cart comes by, the old man across from me wakes me up because he knows I wanted a snack. The man with the cart asks me what I want. I stare blankly at the snacks I've never heard of before. Buffalo Crisps?! I buy a bottled water and a blueberry muffin. They have Snickers bars here, Kit Kats too but the wrapper looks different.

There was a woman on the train whose skin was like paper and carved stone. The lines were so deep in her face, rivets really, but she was so papery at the same time. Next to her, a man with a smooshed face. He'll be a neat old old man.


And so that ends the notes I took while traveling today. I'm anxious to get back to socializing with Maisa and Catherine, but I'd like a shower. I don't have any shampoo or soap. Perhaps I can borrow some of theirs for the day? I'm in Ireland and I need some soap. I'm in Ireland :3

I have pictures to share but I haven't uploaded them yet. I think I'll wander over and ask for some soap and then bathe. More updates to come!

-MJ

****EDIT****

Here are pictures! A day late, I apologize :)

A glimpse of the east coast of Ireland!

Pretty pretty pretty pretty.

Dublin Heuston train station. Platform 2 headed for Galway.

The nice old couple that I shared part of the train ride with.

A rain splattered window, obviously.

Irish countryside.

In Lousie's car. Wrong side! xD

Maisa and Catherine, my fellow internship mates!

Next update photos will be more prompt :D

-MJ

This blog had better prepare itself.

I'll be in Ireland in just three days and that means daily posts and daily photos! I'm so excited. And nervous. Ack! I just want to be there already so I can stop dreading the airplane ride! Five hours to New York and then eight hours to Ireland. I'll be in New York for a few hours visiting the city and my cousin, I can't wait to take some pictures there! I have my fingers crossed that I'll sleep for the majority of both plane rides. EIGHT HOURS!

Until then, here are two photos.

Cassidy asked me to take a few more photos of her products today (a paid job!) for some more listings. This photo is of her entire chapstick flavor line, available in both regular and vegan. My goal for her photos is to draw the audiences attention amid the masses of photos and products. I try my hardest to create unique and fun pictures. Here's my favorite:

Now THAT is interesting! On a whim I tried backlighting before putting away my setup and I really liked the results. Interesting, different, eye-catching. I feel like I did a good job here. Apparently she gets a lot of comments on the photography on her etsy site, that makes me feel really good for both of us.

-MJ