Many of you have been asking for photos of my apartment.  I had to wait until I had a little bit more furniture so the photos weren't just rooms with blue carpet.  That's pretty boring!

So here it is...my apartment pretty much consists of 3 main rooms plus a bathroom (not pictured above).  It's pretty cozy, and I'm enjoying making it my own space.  I still need some pictures on the walls, a table for dining and a little desk to go in front of the window in my bedroom.  That will come eventually...(I hope!)

Just a note to all who may want to come for a visit...BOTH couches can transform into beds!!  I know you're excited!

Well, I slept in my new apartment last night!  I can't say it was the most comfortable bed ever...so I bought a mattress topper.  I can't say it was the cleanest apartment ever, but thanks to two sweet new friends it was cleaner than when I walked in the door.  I can't say that there aren't several things that need to be fixed, so the landlord will be hearing from me this week :)

I can say, though, that I'm so glad to have found just the right place!  It's already feeling more and more like home.  I've already brewed several pots of tea!

Here's my new address:  (it will be on my Contact info page too!)
Stephanie Kozick
Apt. 2 Knocklyon Gate
Woodstown Village
Dublin 16
Ireland

Hey friends...just a short post to tell you that I rented an apartment this morning!  I guess it was about 5AM your time, and 10AM here.

I had looked at it before and put it on my list.  So I asked to view it again today, and then prayed all day yesterday that the Lord would let me know if it was the right one.  When I went by this morning, they had cleaned it and moved out the furniture that belonged to the landlord.  I loved it way more than I remembered! 

Thanks so much for praying...and here's a photo of the outside of the building. I'll post photos when I get all moved in!

So I found this apartment yesterday that I absolutely LOVED!  The location was perfect, the layout was so great and the price was only a bit outside my price range.  After viewing the apartment, I decided to pray about it all day yesterday before calling the landlord back to see if he would lower the price about 50-60 euro a month so I could rent it.  I woke up this morning pretty pumped that God was going to work out a huge miracle, and as I prayed this morning, I asked Him to show me His plan clearly.

Just before basketball camp started, I anxiously called the landlord (his name is Bob) to ask him about the apartment.  After only a few short seconds, I found out he had already "let" the apartment that I had viewed only yesterday afternoon.  He has another one very similar, but feels it will go quickly so he won't budge on the price.

I got my answer :)  It makes me smile to know that though I LOVED it, God knows what I need and what I can pay.  So I'll be patient.

I'm headed off now to the bus stop...I'm going to see Mark and Andrea for some coffee.  (my teammates on the north side of Dublin)

Thanks for your prayers!

As I sit here this morning, I realize that I have been in Ireland ten whole days already.  In some ways I feel that I have been here longer, but at other times I feel as though the time has flown by!  So far I have my green card and have successfully applied for my PPS number.  Next on my list is finding a place to live.

Several of you have been praying for this need, and I really appreciate the prayers!  This may be a bit more daunting of a task than I would like for it to be.  I've visited two apartments (or flats) so far, and my experience was so different in each one. 

The first place I visited was a one-bedroom flat joined to another house about a 10 minute drive from Ballycullen Community Center.  I was excited about this location, as it was close to many shops, restaurants and public transportation.  Most importantly, it was about a 10 minute walk from our local Starbucks!  Upon entering the flat, it only took about 30 seconds to realize this was not the flat for me...the shower was in the KITCHEN!  The college guys here thought that was a great layout, snacks would be readily available while showering.  I, however, was not fond of the idea.

Last night, I was able to see another one-bedroom flat just down the road from the Laughlins and only a 5 minute walk to the Community Center.  The shower had it's own room down the hall from the kitchen, so already it had more positives than the first.  It was not very furnished, so a lot of stuff would be left up to me to purchase.  The price was a bit higher than what I was hoping to pay, so I filed it away on my list...we'll see what happens.  I'll keep you posted.

Just a quick post today to let everyone know that I had a very successful morning in getting my G.N.I.B. card!  My day started early as I had to catch the bus into town at 6:55am.  I arrived at immigration around 7:45am...and only had a short line to stand in.  After waiting about 30 minutes I was informed that I could get registered today if I only had one amendment to one of my many documents. 

I walked to Starbucks to grab some coffee and try to figure out how to get the changes made without having to come back another day.  With the help of some friends who were headed into town...I was able to go back to immigration just a little after nine and then walked out at ten with my card in hand!  Praise the Lord!  Thanks for praying. (see card below...I wasn't allowed to smile for the photo)

Today was my first attempt in getting any form of legal document allowing me to stay in Dublin past 30 days.  When entering Customs at the Dublin airport, I was questioned a bit more rigorously than previous teammates, they took my photograph, and stamped my passport with a 30-day limit.

So this morning I set out to TRY and obtain my PPS Number (sort of the equivalent of a Social Security Number).  I waited in the "que" for about 30 minutes and then was told I must obtain my GNIB card (similar to a green card) before being allowed to get my PPS #.  It is a bit of a tangled web or puzzle trying to figure out which documents I need for which application and in what order I should apply for certain documents.   Tomorrow I'll stand in line to try for my GNIB Card.  Stay tuned...

Everything else is going quite well!  I'm sleeping just great and seem to have gotten all adjusted to the time difference.  The Laughlins are wonderful hosts, and I have had only a short visit with the Jones' to meet their tiny baby girl, Kate.

The weather so far has been very cool.  I feels almost like October here.  I've not given up on my flip-flops, but I am wearing long sleeves or a jacket everywhere I go these days.

Here I am at the Dublin Airport! 

Well I've landed in Ireland with all my luggage!  No major problems at the airport, just a few delays here and there.  The biggest delay was actually checking my luggage in at the Knoxville airport.  Computers and printers seemed to just stop working when they tried to check me in. 

I thought I was done with the luggage issues until I arrived in Chicago and boarded my second plane to Dublin.  Shortly after taking my seat and stowing my carry-ons, a flight attendant hurried down the aisle to my seat.  She said, "are you Stephanie?"...and I told her that I was.  She then leaned down close and said, "Do you really have TWENTY pieces of checked luggage??!!??"  I laughed pretty loudly and assured her that I only had five suitcases!  All I can figure is somehow in Knoxville when my tags weren't printing, my five bags were somehow counted four times. 

So now I find myself in the Laughlin's kitchen drinking coffee!  There will be plenty of coffee consumed today so I can stay awake until this evening. 

Well, this is my first post on my blog.  I'm writing this as I am waiting to board my flight to Chicago before flying over the ocean to Dublin!  All my goodbyes are done, so now I'm excited to be heading out to my new home.

My first few weeks will be pretty full with getting settled and also helping with a basketball camp taking place in Ballycullen.  I hope to post more this week...so stay tuned!

Thank you all for your love, prayers and encouragement.