Irish Tunes You'll Love

Some easy listening for your Thursday afternoon =)

Galway Girl by Steve Earle

Whiskey in the Jar by the Dubliners

A Weekend in Donegal

This past weekend I was kindly invited to a small family reunion in Donegal, which is where Lorraine is originally from. Donegal is about two hours from Belcarra so after school on Friday we packed up the car & made the trip up. One thing that I love about Ireland is that no matter where you go, no matter how long the drive, you are bound to have a scenic journey. 

Another thing that I love about Ireland is the hospitality & friendliness. Since I arrived two weeks ago I have not been hungry, thirsty or uncomfortable once! The entire family is always checking in, making sure I am okay. This past weekend we arrived on Friday evening at Lorraine’s dad’s house. Dinner was waiting for us. After dinner is tea. & then wine. & then snacks. & then more wine. Sometimes I feel like I am at a bed & breakfast! One thing I can honestly say about the Irish is that they are some of the most welcoming, approachable & friendly people I have ever met.

After a full night of music & craic, I woke up Saturday & went for a morning stroll with my new English friend, Sheila to see more of the beautiful countryside. After that we went to Rossnowlaugh beach for some sightseeing. It was a gorgeous day – about 60 degrees & sunny. After wandering up & down the beach for a bit we walked up the hill to an old monastery that was built in the 1470’s. It was destroyed  in the 1600’s & then rebuilt as a full functioning church in 1952. The grounds were filled with history & lovely gardens.

After the morning adventures we arrived back at the house with yet another meal waiting for us on the table! & when I say meal, I don’t mean grilled cheese. The food here is AMAZING! I’ll need an entire post to write about that =) After lunch I went into Donegal town with my two new friends from England. We first visited the Craft Village, which was way out of my price range so I quickly found my way to the coffee shop. After our afternoon mocha, we walked into town. I went off by myself & wandered the streets for a bit. The villages are quaint & everything you’d picture it to be. A group of lads started up a conversation with me on the street. After my sweet “hello” they blurted out “SHE’S AMERICAN!” Am I that forthcoming? =) After chatting for a bit one guy asked me if “I’d like a fag?” Luckily I had heard this term earlier in the week & knew that a “fag” is a cigarette. I can only imagine what my reaction would have been if I hadn't known! When we got home I realized that my phone is semi-broken & would not turn on. To make a long story short—MINI HEART ATTACK! After that, another delicious meal & more music all night.

It was a busy weekend but I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. This weekend’s adventures are in the making right now! 

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!

 

What's the Craic?!

Many of you might have seen a comment left by someone in a previous post that read, “How’s the crack?” Now, many Americans might misinterpret this so I want to explain exactly what this person meant. Craic is an old Gaelic word that is used in everyday Irish conversation. Although it can be used in a variety of ways, it basically means “news,” “fun” or “gossip.” For example, last night Lorraine asked Noel, “Any craic on Facebook this weekend?” What she meant was, anything interesting going on? Another way it is used is at pubs. Often you’ll see a sign that says “Music & Craic,” which means Music & Fun. So for the few who might have thought I came to Ireland to do crack, I do apologize for the misunderstanding.

 

This weekend was very laid back. I went into Castlebar, which is about 15 minutes away from the village that I am staying in. I shopped a little & got to know the area. Upon arriving back home, Grandma Kathleen & Grandpa Gerry had come to stay for the night from County Sligo (about an hour away). For those who don’t know, Ireland is split up by county, almost small “states” within Ireland. I’m learning that each county has their own accent. Well, I quickly discovered that Grandpa Gerry was quite difficult to understand. I felt incredibly rude as I kept saying, “I’m sorry, what was that?” Not only do the Irish have their own words & phrases but many also speak VERY fast! But by Sunday evening, Grandpa Gerry & I were conversing without my rude interruptions. Grandma Kathleen made some homemade Irish soda bread & boy was it delicious. I think I might have eaten over half the loaf. The food that Noel & Lorraine make is AMAZING! I plan to write an entire post about the glorious food here in Ireland.  

Well so far today I have taught myself how to iron, got stuck in a rain storm with over a mile left in my run & attempted to talk to the painter who is at the house (he is also difficult to understand!). Time to go fetch the kids from school. Cheers!

Never Trust a Girl in a Pink Track Suit

So, I finally made it! It was a long trip but I think I have conquered the jet lag. As you can see in the pictures, Ireland is beautiful & everything I imagined it to be. I only started my journey 3 days ago & it has already been an amazing adventure. Thus far I have met a gal from Paris, whom I made friends with & exchanged emails so I can meet up with her when I get to France. I sat next to a very inspiring elderly woman on the plane. She was about 70 years old, widowed with 5 children & many grandchildren. She was on a group tour through Ireland. From there I met a middle-aged couple from Texas who were taking 6 weeks off to backpack Europe. How amazing is that!? I also met a young lad (yes, I just said lad!) on the bus who offered me excellent advice about Ireland.  I also met my first pickpocket. Here I am waiting 6 hours at the freezing cold train station in Dublin around 7am. I hadn’t slept in close to 24 hours so I was quite exhausted. All of the sudden a young guy runs up to me asking for the time. Luckily, I was too tired to look for my phone. So I just guessed. He gave me an odd look & sprinted off. Behind him was a Spanish guy & a girl wearing a hot pink track suit (running as well). I immediately felt uncomfortable & had a bad feeling about them. Since I had about 6 more hours to kill, I watched them for a while. They would pretend not to know each other & then meet up in a hidden area by the restrooms. They would then come out, looking for distraught travelers in hopes that they would distract someone enough to snatch their purse or back pack. After a while the same guy who had asked for the time came & sat directly behind me. I knew that I had nothing to worry about. I had already made friends with one of the security guards at the station. But these 3 people just gave me the heebie-jeebies so as soon as he disappeared for a moment, I went into a restaurant until my train arrived. Although this was an unfortunate event, I am happy that it happened at the beginning of my trip. You hear about pickpockets & think, “This won’t happen to me!.” Well I now know firsthand that it can & will if I am not extra cautious.  

The McCoy family (my host family) is just wonderful. I’ve spent less than 2 days with them & I already feel a part of the family. Last night we stayed up past 2am around the fire drinking wine, eating cheese & chatting about many different things. I enjoy just listening to them talk. It’s very interesting to learn the different words they use for things. & some of their phrases make me laugh. As I’m sure some of the things that I say make them laugh as well.  

I am already in the process of planning some weekend getaways. Next week I am going up to Donegal. I can’t wait to start exploring! Today is a rainy day so Cara (the 7 yr old) & I are just relaxing on the couch watching YouTube videos. Until next time!

And So It Begins!

I’m about 1 hour into my 27-hour journey to Ireland & I’m already feeling anxious! Unfortunately for me, I have no one to ask, “Are we there yet?” This was acceptable when I was 5 years old on our annual summer drive from Indiana to Iowa. But I can only imagine the train conductor would be less than thrilled if I barged into his compartment wondering what the ETA is. So I will just sit tight. I think I kind of look like a seasoned traveler right now. I’ve got my ear phones in, sipping my coffee while writing on my laptop. I could get used to this :)  

Over the past few weeks many of my friends and family members have been asking if I’m nervous about my trip. My answer was a consistent, “No, I’m just really excited!” I kept waiting for the nerves to come but they didn’t. Until last night, that is. I laid in bed going over every possible scenario. What if I don’t like it? What if the family doesn’t like me? What if I don’t make friends? What if someone steals my money? What if customs doesn’t let me in? What if I miss out on something back home? What if something bad happens? I know it’s natural to feel afraid but it’s still hard to get these thoughts out of my head. I’m learning that the best way to cope with the nerves, fear & excitement is to just Let it Be. What’s going to happen, is going to happen & my worrying isn’t going to change that. And to be honest, this trip would not be nearly as exhilarating if I had it all mapped out & knew what was around every corner. So again, I will sit tight & embrace the unknown.  

Okay, so between the nerves, excitement & coffee I think I am the most ambitious person on this train right now. I accidentally just turned on my Pandora without attaching my headphones resulting in traditional Celtic music blaring on this peaceful train. Time for a nap… Until next time!

Somebody Pinch Me!

After a night full of packing & cleaning I decided to reward myself with some R&R on the couch. I'm not much of a TV person so of course within 5 minutes I find myself browsing the internet, looking at pictures of all the places I hope to see on my trip. As I'm sitting here, I realized that 3 weeks from right now will be my last night in the States. As my departure date gets closer, the more unreal it all seems. Sometimes I literally think to myself, "Am I really going to Europe ALONE with nothing to do except wander, explore, meet new people & eat delicious food?" Four months ago I had about $300 in my savings account & had just started a new job that, for lack of better terms, just wasn't right for me. So how did I get to this point

I can tell you it wasn't easy & the entire process forced me to prioritize in a way that was very new to me. It started with a realization - a realization that no matter where I'm at or what I'm doing, I'm not going to be happy or content until I have started to pursue my desire to travel & see the world. This realization quickly turned into a goal. Well actually, many goals. How much money do I need to save for this trip? How am I going to reach that financial goal? What do I want to do while I'm there? What do I want to see? After saving up enough money & booking my flight I knew it was time to buckle down & start saving. One thing I have realized through all of this is that the way to reach a big goal is essentially just a combination of small goals: 

- "This week I'm not going to eat out"
- "Instead of going out on Saturday night, I'm going to stay in & watch a movie"
- "Instead of buying iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts, I'm going to brew my own"
- "Do I really need this new scarf?" 

You will always find something to spend your money on if you don't have a goal that you’re working towards. You will also always find something else to fill your time if you’re not putting effort into following & planning your dreams. The point that I want to make is that anything is possible if you truly put your mind & energy into it. Yes, this sounds so cliché, especially in today’s society. But honestly, less than 6 months ago I would have never imagined that I would be going backpacking in Europe for 3 months on my own. My favorite musician, Dave Matthews, quotes in one of his songs, “To change the world, start with one step, however small, the first step is hardest of all.” So, whether you’re saving up for your dream car, planning for a week in the Bahamas, thinking about moving across the country, wanting to join to Peace Corp. or like me, pursuing your desire to travel, just remember it’s not out of reach if you really want it.