Hello again! It’s time to catch you up on what I’ve been up to over the past few weeks. As I mentioned in my last post, we had our mid-term break in the middle of February, and it was packed with fun and exciting experiences.
Family Time in Dublin
My mid-term began with a visit from my sister and her boyfriend. They came to Dublin, and we stayed together in an Airbnb in the city. Unfortunately, the weather was awful, but we made the most of it! I showed them around town, we did some shopping, and we enjoyed meals at some of the best restaurants in Dublin. We had an amazing time together, and it was bittersweet when they left.
Friends, Food, and Birthdays
The day after my sister left, my friend Malin arrived from Norway. She stayed with me at my host family’s house for three days, and we had so much fun! We went shopping, ate at Eddie Rocket’s, and she got to meet my friends here in Ireland. It was great to share my life in Dublin with her.
Wednesday of the mid-term was my Italian friend Lia’s birthday, so we all went to Hard Rock Café for lunch to celebrate. The food was delicious, and Malin fit right in with my Irish friends. It was a wonderful day, but like all good things, it had to end, and it was sad to say goodbye to Malin when she left.
Italian Adventures: Munich, Nova Levante, and Carnival
But the excitement didn’t stop there! The day after Malin left, I flew to Italy to visit my friend Nina. My journey took me through Munich, Germany, where we stayed overnight in a hotel. It was my first time in Germany, so I was thrilled to spend a bit of time exploring Munich. We woke up early on Saturday morning for a delicious hotel breakfast before heading out to see the city and do some shopping.
After our morning in Munich, it was time to start our drive to Italy. Nina’s parents drove us through Austria and into Italy, which took about three hours. Nina lives in a small, picturesque village in northern Italy called Nova Levante (or Welschnofen in German). It’s a beautiful place with around 2,000 inhabitants. What’s really cool is that the village is bilingual—everyone speaks both German and Italian. In the nearby city of Bolzano, people speak either German or Italian, so being fluent in both languages is pretty much a necessity.
Embracing Italian Culture: Skiing, Pizza, and Carnival
Now, let’s talk about all the fun things we did in Italy! First of all, we had real Italian pizza (of course!), and I got to meet Nina’s friends. We also went downhill skiing, which was an incredible experience, and did some shopping in Bolzano.
The highlight of my trip was definitely celebrating Carnival. We don’t have anything like that in Norway, so I was absolutely thrilled by the festivities. During the day, there was a parade where elaborately decorated wagons with different themes drove through the village, blasting loud music. The small village was packed with people, all dressed up in costumes. The parade was amazing, but it only lasted about an hour. Afterward, Nina and I went back to her house for dinner before heading out again for the evening party.
The village party was fantastic, with a live band and people of all ages dancing and having fun. I was a bit nervous at first because I was the only one who couldn’t speak German or Italian, but everyone was so open and welcoming. I ended up meeting some really nice people.
Here’s a photo of one of the parade wagons themed around ABBA—how cool is that? And this picture shows me dancing to the music. Nina and I wore old overalls that we painted with lots of flowers, and they actually turned out pretty cool.
This mid-term break was unforgettable, and I can’t wait to see what the next few months bring!
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