A Place to Call Home

A week ago from right now I was just boarding my first train from Syracuse to NYC. I can’t believe it has already been a week! Time is going by very quickly but I am happy to say that I have settled nicely into my new home in Belcarra =)

 

I couldn’t ask for a more welcoming family than the McCoy’s. They go out of their way each day to make sure I am happy & comfortable. The kids, Cara & Matt, are so lovely. I really enjoy spending time with them. On a normal weekday, I would have some light house work (“hoovering,” ironing, dishes, laundry, etc.) to get done in the morning. I have until 2:50 to myself & then I walk to the school to pick up the kids. Lorraine & Noel get home around 5:30 & then we all usually sit around the fire watching TV or reading. Every evening so far Lorraine, Noel & I have stayed up past 12 chatting, which I think is so nice of them considering they have to be up much earlier than I. The weekends I have to myself & I actually have every weekend up to October 18^th (when I leave Belcarra) booked with trips!

 

As you can see the landscape around Belcarra is gorgeous. Even on a rainy, gloomy day I am still astounded at how beautiful it is. Around every corner there is another mountain, farm or field of rolling green hills. I have been running every morning & taking different routes & each day I am more amazed.

 

 

Last night Lorraine had to go into town (Castlebar) for a couple of hours so she dropped me off on the way in so I could do some exploring. In Castlebar you would find shops, grocery stores, cafes & pubs. Unfortunately, customary to European culture, the shops & cafes close around 5:30 every day. So after taking a walk around the lake I decided to go to a pub, alone. This was probably the most intimidating thing I’ve done yet. Going into a social setting in a completely unknown area, not knowing a soul was certainly not an easy thing to do. But I’m here to make the absolute best out of every situation so going out of my comfort zone is going to be mandatory. I walked in & situated myself next to 2 other people who were alone. One woman immediately welcomed me & we started chatting. She may or may not have been a littler off her rocker. After hearing about her ENTIRE relationship history, her fascination with African American men & subsequently listening to her fight over the phone with someone, I decided it was time to go meet Lorraine. Definitely not what I expected from my first pub experience but hey, no complaints here! Chatting with a crazy woman is better than chatting with no one at all!