To The Next Resident of Jennings Pool Apartment 15, Room 2

          Hope you're doing well and settling in okay.  I know it’s a big adjustment to move to a new place and there's a definite learning curve. Trust me, for the first month or two I got lost either trying to find my class or simply looking for the phone store. But it gets better and once it gets better you’ll realize how great this study abroad experience truly is.

Cork, specifically,  is a great city to live in, so if you take anything from this note, go explore it. They have a beautiful park where the remains of the original Cork wall (from Cork’s days as a fortress) are gated off. It’s the only green part of the whole city.  There are also many coffee shops and restaurants that are local and delicious, even close to the UCC campus (if you’re coming to study here).

A Typical Cork Street

In fact, if you ever end up having class in the Conolly Building or Theatre Department, there is a cute coffee shop called The Coffee House (creative I know)  on the way where I often stop for a scone, tea, hot chocolate, or maybe all of the above. The workers there are super nice and have great Irish accents if you’re into accents that is.

Their scones are huge and always have a sweetness to them that’s not too overpowering and are a great cross between soft cookie dough and a hard ginger snap. So it won’t completely crumble in your hands or break your teeth, two important things to avoid when hurrying along to your next class.

The tea and hot chocolate are amazing. Their whipped cream is what I would imagine clouds would taste like and the hot chocolate itself is just sweet enough and warm but not scorching hot that it will burn your tongue off. In other words,  it's perfect to drink on your way to class when you need a “pick me up” and like me, you don’t like coffee.

            Besides the food, there is a lovely stretch of street called Grand Parade with street lights curved over a gray stone walkway. This is like the Times Square of Cork City, where all the big parades and events happen and it’s easy to find even for the directionally impaired like myself.  Almost every side street and alley leads to it and you can’t miss the marble monument dedicated to the various Irish uprisings held in Cork against the British. 

Grand Parade During Christmas Time. 

 Blarney Castle and Jameson Distillery are a must as well since they are the most well-known of the area but be warned: The Blarney Stone is hard to kiss and Jameson Whiskey doesn’t taste good without a mixer. But there are also some unknown and not touristy attractions that were great as well. One of them is the Cork Zoo which is more like a park in which the animals can wander free throughout the park (within reason, of course). 
   I even took some close-up photos of animals just chilling on a wooden fence only a few feet away from us. It was kind of odd since it didn’t seem afraid of us at all, but it was great that the animals weren’t locked in cages.

A Ringtailed Lemur just chilling in the Cork Zoo. 

            Cork is just the beginning, There are also places all over Europe that you can travel to as well but I would advise you not to wait to the last minute to complete your assignments even if it seems you have “all the time in the world” because, in reality, you don’t. I learned that the hard way by staying up all night in order to finish some assignments. And for some classes, one exam is your only grade in the class, so I don’t recommend waiting until the last minute. So, don’t go traveling every weekend. School is still a thing whether your abroad or not. 

            Also, it might be helpful to lay down some rules with your suite-mates about cleanliness if you aren’t a fan of hair on the shower walls and crumbs all over the kitchen counter. You will be living with Irish students too, which has been an interesting experience.  Their lifestyle is a little different than ours so it is good to be flexible.   

Most of all, I advise trying not to stress too much and enjoy your experience abroad. Just don’t forget you're learning too! J

With All The Best Wishes,

The Former Resident of Jennings Pool Apt #15, Room 2

If you haven't guessed, that's me. And yes, I am crazy. :)