Month in Review: September

If you’ve checked this blog at all recently, you’d notice that I haven’t posted in a month. I’m usually an avid poster, but turns out moving to a new country, a new house, and starting a new job does indeed take up a lot of energy. I’ve written three articles, so hopefully this blog will be back to it’s usual rhythm before long. Writing is such a cathartic activity for me, so I definitely plan on writing more soon.

September was a lot of settling in and getting used to life in Wexford, the expectations of my job, and life in my new house. There were moments of stress and difficultly, but overall there many, many moments of joy, discovery, and excitement. Here are some highlights:

1-    Seaside Retreat- The month began with a visit from our friends at Teach Bhride Dublin. We spent two days at Ballyvaloo near Curracloe Beach. It was great to take some time for team building and reflection before our year began. It was also such a blessing to enjoy the sunshine, sea air, and beach.

2-    Knock Trip- Another wonderful part of September was visiting Knock in County Mayo. Knock is an apparition site, so it was really cool to see a sight where Mary appeared. The basilica was beautiful. It was a great way to get to know the members of our parish even better and see new parts of Ireland.

3-    Back to Ballet- I was so lucky to be able to find and join a ballet studio in Clonard. The teacher is so kind and invited me to join the senior class. It’s definitely been adjustment to get used to learning a new style of ballet (ISTD), but it’s wonderful to be dancing again.

4-    Kilmore Quay- Sometimes perfect days are spur of the moment surprises, as was our trip to Kilmore. Our parish priest, Father Dennis, owns a summer home in Kilmore. We spent an afternoon having a picnic lunch there before going to explore the seaside town. Apparently it’s known for having some of the best seafood in Ireland. I can’t wait to go back and try some!

5-    Dublin, Finally!- We finished the month by heading to Dublin. I spent last summer interning in Dublin, so it was wonderful to be back. I loved getting to visit my favorite restaurants, catch up with old friends, and spend a few hours writing in a favorite café. While in Dublin, Teach Bhrìde also sang for the ACE Mass and celebrated our friend Biz’s birthday. It was a great way to finish my first month in Ireland!

I can’t believe I’ve been in Ireland this long already. October has already been off to a wonderful start, so I can’t wait to share more of my experience with you soon!

PS: I also have reuploaded an archive of Come Live in the Light. You can find it here.