My Ireland Journey: Making Connections

Hello everyone! Conas Atá Tú? That means how are you? In Gaelic. I have been doing very well, I also have been very busy this past week. I have experienced a lot of fun times this past week and can’t wait to share with you all what I have been up to.

Daily Life:

Last week there were two days where we had beautiful weather, like it was sunny out and not really windy and it just felt good to be outside. So I took advantage of those two days, and I went down to the ocean both days since the weather was too good to pass up (and got to make sure I get that vitamin D since most days are pretty dreary). When I went down to the ocean I say this a lot but it was so relaxing being by the ocean. Especially by myself I can just let go of my mind, and just stare out at the waves as they crash onto the rocks and feel how calming it is. I will never ever get tired of the ocean I know I talk a lot about being by the ocean, and how mind-numbing it is. However if only you could be here with me, and just feel what I feel you would definitely understand that some days you just need to have a time when you don’t have to think about anything important, and just let go of everything in your mind for a little bit until you reality sets in and you have to go about your day.

Also last week three girls, and I went to a retirement home and spent some time there for a service project we are doing for one of our classes. So that day was our first day of being there, and two girls went upstairs to put lotion on elders hands and massage them and just talk with them to get to know some people. While another girl, and I stayed downstairs and played a card game with a couple of gentlemen Patty (who is a resident there), and Mick (who comes in from Spiddal, and interacts with the residents). We also got to know them a little bit, and they asked about us like where we’re from, and other questions to get to know us. I felt a little awkward, and I had no idea what I was doing (for the card game even when they sort of not really explained it, so I just winged it) at the start of us being there, but then by the time we were leaving I felt a little at ease (probably more because I had someone I knew right next to me, and not just by myself I probably wouldn’t have done good by myself). It takes me a while to warm up to people that I don’t really know, so that works against me greatly but I hope that my shyness gets better as we go to the retirement home more often. Because I believe we will be doing things with residents one-on-one so I need to not be so shy and awkward around people (but in due time I am sure it will be okay). That was an easy day for us, because we plan on all going every Wednesday then the four of us would switch every Thursday of going there (so essentially plan on going once-twice a week and two go on one Thursday and the other two go on the next Thursday). The more we keep going the harder of things we’re going to have to do to make connections with the residents. So it is not like we’re going to go there and get to play cards and not do too much it is not going to be like that I am sure of it. But I can’t wait to keep going back, because everyone is so nice, as well as the atmosphere of the place is so friendly, and I can’t wait to get to know the residents a little better. And most residents speak Irish (Gaelic), but I think they can also speak English but since they more than likely grew up speaking Irish they may speak that more, so that will be a challenge since I am still learning Irish, but I will get through that.

One last thing I wanted to talk about is how I do laundry. Now over here I do laundry differently than I would do it at home (at home I would use my handy washer and dryer machines). But here I have two options to do my laundry; Option one use the washer and dryer machines that are here, but you have to pay to use them and one of my friend’s said that she paid £9 (in coins) to wash and dry her clothes (granted she did it by herself) also you can combine your clothes with other people so it would be cheaper (but I don’t want to do that) for most people this is the quick and easy option. Option two is hand wash my clothes in my cottage, in which it takes a lot longer to do, as well as it takes a long time to dry (like a day and a half most times) but this option is mostly free (I mean I have buy my own detergent so that is not free) this option is not quick and easy. How I do my laundry is option two I hand wash all of my clothes, and I am not sure if it actually cleans my clothes but that is okay because I am saving money, and I do not have coins most times to do my laundry by machines. When I wash my clothes it takes 45 min-1 hour to get all of it done (I usually only have two loads but I have to wash and rinse every single item) then I have to hang them up to dry, and if it is nice out I hang on a clothes-line my lighter clothes and hang the heavy clothes in the cottage. But for my clothes to fully dry is about a day and/or a half (long time it seems doesn’t it) which is unfortunate, but then again it is a cheaper way to clean clothes, so that’s how I do laundry and needless to say I miss my machine washer and dryer at home.
Well thank you all for reading my blog today, next week’s blog will be very interesting I will get to tell you all about the past couple of field trips that we just had. Until next week talk to you then!