This week has all been about the eagles. Coming from Ireland, I have no idea about American Football or how it works, however it’s clear to me the passion there is here in Philly for the Eagles and how the city embraces them in such a strong way. There’s a similar culture to be seen back home in Dublin, in terms of football – soccer as Americans call it, however none such that unites the city as much as I saw when the Eagles thrashed the 49ers over the weekend. It was a nice thing to be able to immerse myself among all the fans and pretend like I knew anything and everything about the game.
My sister came to visit me this weekend from New York. It was her first time in Philly and hopefully not her last. We could both see some similarities between both New York and Philly, however the clear difference is how less busy and more laid back the city centre is compared to the Big Apple. It seems as if people are more in tune with themselves here whereas in New York everything is busy, busy, busy. I brought her to the Rocky steps and of course for some local cuisine – the finest of cheesesteaks in a Center City diner.
So far now I think I’m really getting to grips with this whole city living style. Coming from a small town in Ireland, it has been a big change, however a great one at that. The college exchange programme here at Drexel has been a transformative experience and so far I like to think I’ve taken full advantage of my time here. The classes have been very engaging and interesting and I have managed to meet a lot of other international students along with new American friends.
Over the next few weeks I look forward to the warmer weather for a start! The weather back home is usually mild and rainy -however rain here is significantly worse and a lot colder than in Ireland! With mid-terms coming up I am firmly back in the books after the busy weeks I’ve had, however I’m now in the market for some Eagles merch for the upcoming Super Bowl. I’ll be going to DC soon and look forward to comparing it to all these different cities and their cultures with Philly. Until then, Go Birds!