Sarah Coppinger

So, since we\’ve come back after Christmas we\’ve had loads of visitors, thank god! Marilyn came and I think Dave found a new best friend! We had one of the best weekends ever, going to Stuttgart and Gt.Gallen in Switzerland. I think all the snow made it extra better, I wish the snow would come back, it was SO pretty! Then Lynn came to visit from Saarland the week after. That was also a great weekend and we went to Zurich which was way prettier than I had remembered. We did a really cool city tour there too on a trolley kind of thingie. And then last weekend my mammy and lil cousin Abbie came to visit too…it was so handy coz my mam rented a car (thank god seein as it rained all weekend long!) and we went to Meersburg and ice skating twice. Ill be like a pro by time I go home for good! Susan went home today for 7weeks…Im gona miss her loads but sure Ill be heading home in just over 2weeks and in the meantime Ill have Elaine and Erik over to visit, yay! We\’re going to stay in Stuttgart for one night (Elaine is so good,its a little present for me and Dave!) and we\’re also going snowboarding! I cant wait! At least we both have that to look forward to before heading home for the festivities of Paddys Day, woohoo!!! Cant wait! xxxx

So we\’re back in Germany after the best Christmas ever! I had so much fun being with all my friends again, going to the new nightclub Velvet, The Harp, The Lamb, playing darts, beating the boys at poker and of course seeing my family again, especially Ger. Dave bought me loads of lovely presents including my VERY pretty pink digital camera and Santa was also very good to me. It was the best time ever and I have to admit that I really do think it was even harder to come back this time than it was to go in the first place. But we\’re both settling in again now. The weather has been real strange…the other day there was a storm like in the reat of Europe and I nearly got blown off my bike twice on my way home from college! But then this morning when I went down to the bakery it felt like a summers morning! And next week theres meant to be snow!!! I dont know what clothes to be wearing! Anyway, Marilyn is coming on Thursday which Im really lookin forward to and then Mammy and Abbie are coming 2 weeks later so all is good I will be headin home in March for Paddys Day for probably about 3 weeks so Im on the countdown again! xxxxx

This week was pretty uneventful…everyone is pretty smashed coz of Christmas so there was no going out partying this week I met up with my Tandem Partner again on Thursday and we went to the Christmas Market. Shes so lovely. Its cool having someone that can answer all my questions…and she can help me with my homework too Susan stayed on Friday night and yesterday it was lashing but we decided to still go into town for a few sausages in the Christmas Market and then we went to see the new James Bond film. It was the first one Id ever seen and Dave was shocked when I told him! I actually quite enjoyed it, Im gona hafta try and watch a few more of them now! We\’re planning on going to Heidelberg on Tuesday, but we\’ve very little money so we\’ll have to see how things go. Not long til we\’re heading home for Christmas, Im SO excited. xxx

This week we decided we may as well take advantage of having so many countries around us so we went to Basel in Switzerland for the day. It was SO pretty! And had way more shops than our little town much to my delight All the Christmas decorations and lights were up which made it even more beautiful. Its a tradition in Germany (and a few other countries too) to have a Christmas Market in the few weeks before Christmas so we decided to sample the Ghluewein and have a few sausages, which I actually quite liked, I was very surprised! I also bought a few German Christmas decorations to bring home for mammy Saturday night myself and Dave decided to head to Dance Palace (the local nightclub) with a lad that we had met on the street one day (hes from Beligium and he approached us coz we were speaking English) We had a good laugh but the both of us got a little sad coz we miss our friends Ah well, just over 2 weeks to go! It\’ll be parties go leor over the Christmas, cant wait!! xxx

So, I know its been a VERY long time since I updated this but I figured I may as well start using it again seen as Im on my own little adventure now. Life has changed a good bit since I last updated…Im living in Germany now! I got a scholarship to study in the University of Konstanz so Im living here with Dave until next July. We found a little house just outside the town in Reichenau Waldsiedlung. I have to admit that when we first moved in I was a little scared because you have to walk through a forest (which is lit up at night) to get to the train station but all is good now. We\’ve settled in grand and the house is SO pretty! And I actually dont mind living with a boy College is going good. Its very different from back home but sure thats to be expected. The nightlife is fun and the people are really nice so I suppose that made the move easier too. I have to admit that Im a little more homesick that I thought I would be but sure its less than 4 weeks til we\’re home for Christmas so the thought of that is keeping me going! Im missin everyone loads n loads but Ill see you all again soon! xxxxxxxx

Happy Christmas Ais! We got your Christmas card! It was so good to hear from you! Dave wants to hang it up on the notice board in the centre! It must be so weird spending Christmas in the sun, I cant imagine what its like! Everyone is grand back home…its all work and no play though. Im getting on great with my new job, I really like it. Im gona bring a camera out over Christmas so hopefully Ill be able to post a few new pictures for you. Joe\’s home, but I still havent seen him yet. I think hes just home for a month. Well Happy Christmas my buddy! Tell Jon I sent my best wishes too! Have a great one! Love you! Wont be long now til you\’re home! xxxxxx J1

Well, Im fully back into the horrible routine of going to college and work now…Its tough!! College is really hard this year. Ill be sitting my finals for Irish in the summer and then only doing German for my fourth year. Ive been thinking about taking a year out next year though to go to live and work in Germany…Everyone else in my class is going so if I dont do it Ill be the only one left in my lectures and I dont think that would be very nice!! Just wish that Ireland had of made it to the world cup coz then at least it would make me want to go over even more! Ah well, theres always 2010, but sure dont we say that every time we dont qualify! Work is going grand, I still havent had my interview for the supervisors job so cant give you\’s any more info on that yet! Everything is grand at home…everyones keeping well. Ais, cant believe its only 15 weeks til you come home! Its so crazy! It was actually about this time last year that Dave told me he was going away, its so mad! Hope the both of you are keeping well. Keep in touch! xx

Finally I was able to put some more photos on the website!! Yipee! Anyway, thats all the photos we have from interrailing. Theres a few from the bus journey home after my 21st. Im sure you\’ll all be able to tell which ones they are! Ive been working full time for the past few weeks so Im sorry I havent been able to email anyone…Im back to college next week though so I should have more time on my hands then to fill you\’s in on all the gossip Joe, just wanted to let you know that Ger started college and hes getting on great. He loves it! He made the first team and hes going to Memphis in February. Ill keep you updated on how he gets on anyway….

Ive decided that Im going to start using this site espically for my friends who are travelling at the moment (namely Joe and Ais!) Ill keep you guys updated with gossip and stuff from here, but of course Ill still email you both with the \”inside\” info!!! Ill be uploading my pics from interrailing in the next few days so keep your eyes peeled!!! Miss you both loads and loads xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Just to let yeh know, Dorothy is back workin in the chipper (wonder what happened there!) and guess what, Kitty Hawkes is gone! They tore it down! So there\’ll be no more birthday parties up there for you! In the middle of my exams so Im very stressed out. I still have 4 more to go. Oooo, its only 16 more days to go! Im so excited! Love you Dave. Be careful in New York, coz I have a story to tell you about Stephen Blake…xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Just thought I\’d give you all the news from Rivervalley….Like Mo was saying on your website, they\’ve put these crazy looking kind of island things down the end of your road and near the enterance to the valley…nobodys really sure what they\’re for! They dont really look like traffic calmer thingies. The \”new\” roundabout is the roundabout up near the cornfield. They did it all up. I dont really understand why coz they\’re just gona have to tear it down again when they open the road through to Ridgewood! But thats typical Ireland for yeh! Like I said already, Dorothy is workin in Gilroys now! Its crazy seeing her in there! Is she crazy?! New owners took over the chipper so thats probably why….I wonder will they still call it Tonys?…Has anyone told you that the layout of the Harp is kinda different now? Well, the door that you used to go in is now a little sound proof room for all the old folks…The bus routes havent changed yet. I think thats nearly everything. Got the results of my blood tests. Turns out my iron level is too high. Kinda strange coz I thought it would have been the other way around. But anywho…only about 19 or so more days to go!Take care. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Only 31 days to go! And that\’ll fly in because its exam time. Thay start on the 26th and finish on the 9th of June, which is really late but at least it\’ll only be 11 days after that until you come home. Theres nothing much going on at home. I was reading in the newspaper today that the average time a person from Swords spends travelling to the city centre for work or college every year is 16.5 WEEKS! Imagine all that time you\’ll have to flake out when you go back to college babe! Everyone says hi anyway babe and they cant wait to see you. Take care in Burma and listen to what that fella Kraabel said on your website! He seems like a wise aul charachter! xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Happy anniversary baby! Wow, can you believe its 5 years already?! Its so crazy. I wish more than anything that I was with you right now, its so crap not even gettin a big hug At least you\’re having fun! Wish I was too though. Anyway, enjoy the last little bit of your trip! Take care. I love you xxxxxxxxxxx

Only 39 days to go to be exact! YEE HAA! I cant wait. I know it must feel crap on poor Davey Baby that he\’ll have to come back to the real world but wont it be worth it when you see me babe! And then its only 2 weeks til we go off travelling TOGETHER! The proper way to do it! Been to loads of 21st\’s lately, so broke! Have another one this weekend. SO jealous of Bren and Del, I wish it was me thats gona get to see you this weekend. Lucky duckers. Exams are startin in 2 weeks, getting really nervous now. Anywho, take care baby. Only a week to go til our 5 YEAR anniversary, scary isnt it? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Davey Baby, happy birthday to you! I cant believe you\’re 22 already! Its mental! Do you remember your 16th?! That only seems like the other day! Hope you have a good night anyway pet. I wish I was there with you. I love you. Take care. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry about the lack of pictures. Im havin a lot of trouble tryin to get them sorted! I hate not having my own personal tech support guy!!! Nothin much going on back home…everyones startin to get a lil stressed out over exams n stuff. I wish the weather would ever get a little better. Its so depressing! Dads home. He finished the Marathon of Death in 49 hours 48 seconds altogether and he has vowed he\’ll never do it again! Theres a big party going down in my Auntie Asho\’s house on Saturday night to celebrate. Auntie Jacinta is even coming over! It\’ll be fun. Havent seen so many of my Coppinger family in a long time. Im looking forward to it. Only 8 weeks to go now, Im getting really excited. And just in case you have no concept of the date and stuff Dave, you better be warned that its only one month til our 5 year anniversary!!! You better start saving for one hell of a call card so you can ring me for the day! Take care anyway, and get well soon (again!) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well, Im fully back into the swing of college now after my break. Its getting tough, only a few more weeks until the exams, so Im starting to get a bit nervous now! I better pass! If I dont there\’ll be trouble! Dads in the Sahara at the moment, I think hes gone a little bit mad in his old age Good luck anyway dad, and I hope you come back alive and well!! The weathers getting a little bit better at home now, still nothing like the tropics of Asia though. I wish! Ais, HAPPY BIRTHDAY chicken! I wish I could have been with you for it, Im sure you had a lovely day anyway, espically now that Jon is there with you. Yeh lucky lil divil! Its now just over half way through Daves trip (it feels like years since he went) Only about 60 or so more days to go…. Anyway take care Dave, hope you enjoyed being back in Chiang Mai AGAIN! Love you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well its about bloody time I heard from the young nomad David Davis! (whom I was actually on the verge of killing!) Im glad you got to Cambodia safely anyway pet…you can never do ANYTHING by the book! Theres not much going on at home anyway…but you\’ll never guess who was on Scrubs tonight….only your best mate Farreller! Can you believe dat!! It wasnt a very good episode though. Anyway, having a bit if trouble trying to post my pictures from the Gaeltacht…I actually cannot believe that I dont remember my password for my server…does anyone have any idea how Id be able to find out what it is?! Thats all for now! Take care Dave xxx

I forgot to mention that Im having a little difficulty with posting my pictures from the Gaeltacht but as soon as Im talking to Dave (my own personal tech support guy!) everything will be sorted!

Well,Im back home in Dublin now…at first I didnt really want to come home,just coz being away kinda took my mind off how much I really miss Dave.But now that Im actually in my own bed again,Im glad! I forgot how comfy it actually is! The weather has been really nice the past few days, but unfortunately I was straight back into work on Friday so I havent seen much of it. Im so tired now though…I slept for 12 hours on Thursday night and 11 on Friday and Im still wrecked! SO not like me! I can usually handle late nights n stuff no probs! I guess its the old age catching up! Saw Minty for the first time last night since he came home. It was kinda weird but grand at the same time. Havent really had a proper chat with him yet. Jon is going over to Ais in as week and a half. I wonder how thats gona turn out! I wish I was going over to visit Dave. At this point in time, I actually have no clue where he is-even if hes still alive! I havent heard from him or got a text in 3 days. So babe, if you read this before you\’re talking to me, ring as soon as you can,k. Im worried about yeh. Sinead was home for the week but I didnt get to see her coz of not getting home from the Gaeltacht til Thursday and then I was in work too. Not long to go until shes home for good though. Yay! Thats all my news anyway. PS: Thanks for my Easter Egg Dave! I love yeh! If you have any idea where you\’re gona be for your burfday, try to let me know and Ill send you a lovely prezzie,k. xxx