Partying? Yes? No?

I love going out and partying. In fact, no one loves it more than I do. But I’m afraid, these days, I’m a self confessed hermit. I like being inside in my own house, with a cup of tea and some good, or not so good books, depending on your taste J

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I just, personally don’t see much point in going out, in a really short skirt, in the absolute blistering cold to meet people I see nearly every day anyway to wait around at the end of the night to spend money on a taxi to get home again. As a result of this reluctance to go out a lot of my friends have disappeared into the wood work or have been openly contemptuous toward me about my lack of interest in drinking and going out.

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I’m more than that. So are they. There’s more to us all then spending every night going out and repeating the same thing every night. I want to travel, I want adventure and I want a different life. So, spending 40 euro on a night out two or three times a week isn’t of huge interest to me.. I am aware that not going out will be deemed hugely outside of the box and the results from it can be clearly seen with my dwindling number of friends texting me and a lot of sly comments coming my way.

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I don’t care. This is not the life I want.

I can party with the best of them, believe me, I can go crazy, and I will, for a reason, for a friend’s birthday, to celebrate the end of exams, even returning to college but going out and getting “white girl wasted” every single night can’t be good for our minds, bodies or relationships and so for now, I am content to sit at home with my true friends with a take away and a fire, instead of freezing my ass off in an attempt to impress others.

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When you start doing things you love you will meet like minded people, so in an attempt to eradicate the misconceived notion that to have fun we must go out and get wasted, I have made an endless amount of new years resolutions. I am going to start yoga, I’m going to learn French again and I’m going to go hiking and mountain biking, fingers crossed.

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I just wish more of my friends would be interested in doing the same. 

Yes.

Some people make your life better by walking into it while other people make your life better by simply walking out of it.

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."

Never a failure; always a lesson

Be brave, take risks; nothing can substitute experience.

Think of all the beauty left around you and be happy.

The only person standing in your way is you.

Search for who you aspire to be.

Insist on yourself, never imitate.

We often fear those things that we want the most.

Flora Women's Mini Marathon

I completed the Flora Mini Marathon on Monday!!! I did it!! It was amazing. I have to say the atmosphere around Stephens Green was just insane.


The Flora Women's Mini Marathon is the biggest all women's event of its kind in the world. It has grown from its beginnings in 1983 with almost 9,000 participants to a staggering 40,057 women participating in 2011.

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Since 1983 nearly 780,000 women have entered the event - and the Flora Women's Mini Marathon had a record field of over 40,000 in 2011. This event has grown as women’s interest in their own health and vitality has developed over the last three decades.

Indeed, it is not only women who have benefited from the event, but the charities are also the big winners. In 2011 it is estimated that almost €14m was raised by the participants bringing the total since the race started in 1983 close to €137m. All charities benefit as it is the women themselves who decide who they will support and many local causes gain vital revenue from the event. It is now the biggest single day charity event in the country.

I ran the marathon for Jigsaw Galway. Jigsaw is a counselling service for 15 to 25 year olds in Galway city in Ireland, the county I'm from. It's a fabulous service and it's run with no government funding whatsoever so it really needs all the help it can get. During my Leaving Certificate year I went there plenty and availed of their services quite frequently and I can honestly say that without it I'm not sure if I would have made it through the exams :) 

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The lady I talked to was called Thelma, she was, without a doubt one of the most understanding and kind people I have ever talked to in the world. She listened and tried to help me in every way possible. I'm eternally grateful to her!!

Several of my friends completed the Mini Marathon and I'm so so proud of us. My housemates; Roisín and Reddin ran it for a rehab centre for stroke victims. My best friend and her cousin, Kate and Aoife ran it for Jack and Jill and my other best friend Lara and her friend Lorraine ran it for cancer support, my other best friend Aideen also walked it with her mother! While we may not have trained very hard we certainly tried our best when we were there, I ran six kilometers of the ten and I walked another four. There's no denying it was tough but our plan is to continue doing them, we want to run plenty more and hopefully raise plenty more money for charities around the country!

The feeling when you actually finish the run is just beyond belief. The relief is wonderful, I thought I was going to start tearing up, I really had to pull myself together. I understand how people get hooked on racing and marathons and all of them activities. Any other things that you think I should do I'd love any more suggestions!! I think everyone should definitely get involved in marathons and charity based activities!

Wordless Wednesdays

Bucket List Number Two

Below is my second column for our college newspaper. Enjoy!

Judging by the amount of people Facebook says has read “The Top 5 regrets of the dying” it is clear that I’m not the only one who is concerned about leaving here, college that is, with massive regrets. Regrets ranging from working too hard, it’s hard to imagine many people here suffering from that dilemma, to having the courage to express their feelings.

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So take this as an excuse to skip a week of lectures and tell everyone you don’t like, just how much hatred you feel toward them. Don’t die with any regrets. That responsibility is on you but this article is to protect you from graduating college with no regrets! On that note I have gotten advice, with a lot of pestering and promises that I wouldn’t reveal their identity, from one of the wonderful Varsity college basketball coaches. Her advice is, true to form, to join as many clubs and societies as possible, all of which can be found through www.yourspace.nuigalway.ie.

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She goes on to say that in particular for first years it is the best idea “There's so many clubs and societies to choose from it gives people a chance to try something new. From a clubs perspective, most have beginners levels so you're mixed in with people who will be as clueless as yourself!” Try out something you’ve never done before, something new, college is all about new experiences and meeting new types of people after all. As Helen Keller said “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”

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 She herself is glad she got involved with the basketball team, she claims that between the actual tournaments and games, the highlight being the Varsity Tournament in April, and the nights out for “team bonding” there’s never a dull moment! “I have had some of the craziest experiences since first year from this club!” And from what I can see she’s made some of the best friends. Unless you plan on living your college life ala Asher Roth getting involved is one of the most important things a student can and should do. We should constantly be participating in activities and groups that will be memorable so that we can have many a fond memory to look back on and friends to laugh about it with when we’re in the real world.

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 The last thing she really wants to achieve, and most common aim when we hit college, is to graduate, with flying colours I presume 


 To get a totally opposite perspective on college life I’ve also enrolled Galway University Musical Society’s Sophie Connolly who is the director of the wonderful Spring Awakening this year. In her own words she says that college to a first year Arts student(her own course of choice) consists of drinking, drinking, making new friends, joining societies, drinking and if you have the time attending introductory lectures and choosing your subjects.

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She advises indulging, enjoying your first year but at your own risk! Her plan was to pass first year, “which I can safely say I achieved…somehow”, behave responsibly without the influence of alcohol and to be part of as many societies as she could “and that’s when GUMS took over” When I got one of the lead roles in ‘The Wedding Singer’ I was shocked. I loved every minute of being in the musical so this year when GUMS where looking for a director for ‘Spring Awakening’ I jumped at the chance.

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 Directing a musical and balancing college work has been difficult but I wouldn’t change it, I’d advise all first year students to get involved in GUMS or a society you really like. Directing Spring Awakening has been one of the most rewarding college experiences I’ve had. Like us all though, Sophie has regrets that extra curriculurs may ahve taken over her focus on college work, but it’s all relevant! I’m sure at some point I had dreams of getting 1st in my exams which is something I wish I had kept focused on and I also wish I had auditioned for more DramSoc shows; both goals I’m hoping to get around to this year. To new college students whatever you don’t get around to in 1st year there is always 2nd Year.

 The advice here is all given out at a guide to your new found freedom and opportunities. Trying everything out once is strongly recommended! Just try not to get arrested.

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Little Gems

This has been making working on Sundays easier every week

This lady has not only inspired me to follow my dreams but to dress well while I'm at it :)

As if we weren't already jealous enough of Scarlett Johansson

Doing this tomorrow, wish me luck!!!

Yes.

Everyone should watch this

I wanna go everywhere, such wanderlust

To au pair or not to au pair, that is the question

Enjoying this movie a lot 

Bucket List - 1st SIN article

Ever since I made it to Secondary School I have asked every single, older, wiser or more interesting person then me what they deem to be an essential element to enjoying and making the most of your college years, therefore when I hit college, I was fully prepared with my extensive list of “must-do’s” while you’re in college, thoughts and opinions from everyone ranging from my Grandmother, who never had the privilege of going to college to my Secondary School Business teacher.

From here

There is a time and a place for everything… it’s called college. College is probably the first time in your life you are living on your own, have little or no responsibility, and there are a million awesome distractions all around you, and that’s the problem, with all the distractions and temptations  it’s very easy to lose your way in a blur of  vodka, “society meetings” and all nighters before exams. It’s hard to complete all of your aims and finish your list, I have personally gotten lost in a blur of stuff that I never intended to do in college.

Galway is a fabulous county, full of things to do but it extends outside of the city and from talking to people and looking at my group of friends I believe the only thing been discovered is the well worn trail from Cps to Buskers, we enjoy an odd sociable drink. So I’m going to take advantage of my creative licence and attempt to inspire you to go and discover the whole county from Kinvara to Oughterard. You never appreciate what’s on your doorstep so with the help of many people around the college this column will gently guide you.

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Everyone has aims when they come to college ranging from getting a 1:1, ambitious, to hooking up with the babe in your physics tutorial, even more ambitious, and it’s very rare to meet a person who is utterly satisfied and content with how they spend their college years. I don’t want to feel like I threw mine away so I’m focusing on my own bucket list, which has far too many “to do’s” and not enough “done’s”.

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Therefore, I’m going to take inspiration from everyone I meet and ask them what they would do if they got the chance again, or the time or money, and, luckily for ye, report back here, in the hopes it will enthuse and spur you on, not make you feel inadequate. Seen as all everyone loves hearing about other peoples’ lives and people do love to talk about themselves it seems the perfect working relationship.

To get the ball rolling and ease us into this our wonderful editor here at Sin will be the first person to give us a taster into her college years and some ideas,

 “I was very good about getting stuff done in college, even essays. I was always quick to hop on a bus and do something different, or travel to see friends in other universities around Ireland. When I was in UCD my friends and I had a thing called "Random Spontaneous Adventure Tuesdays" where we would have a liquid lunch and then go do something random and adventurous. My one regret is that we often spoke about taking the ferry to Holyhead and back (our adventures really weren't all that spontaneous) but we never did it. We did go to Clery's on O'Connell St and fly the carpets once: there may have been more than one pint involved that time.”

You only have ten years to be in your twenties after all.. Or four years to complete your Undergrad and finish your bucket list J

 from here