Month-in-Review: February

February was one of those months that starts off scary and stressful, but by the end is exciting and amazing. It could have used some more sunlight and less wind and rain, but all things considered I think I made the best of it.

St. Brigid Festival

I’m currently doing a program called House of Brigid, named after St. Brigid of Kildare. So part of my job involved putting on a night of reflection to celebrate St. Brigid. I really enjoyed the process of putting the festival together- from weaving crosses, to visiting wells, to learning more about St. Brigid herself (total badass). I also got to choreograph a dance, which became the talk of the town (literally- it’s a small town). It was a really nice way to celebrate and learn more about an important Irish saint.

Galentines Day

I love Galentine's Day! I think it's so so important to celebrate female friendships. Unfortunately, all my female housemates were out of town for Galentines, so I decided to celebrate with the wonderful ladies who have tea at our church every morning after mass. Even though these women are old enough to be my granny, they have become some of my closest friends in Wexford. I decorated the tea room, made Valentines, brought flowers and cupcakes, and taught them about the new holiday. They definitely got a kick out of it.

Happy Reunions

I was so excited to be visited by one of my dear friends from home, Amy, for a week in February. Amy and I were both Weird Horse Girls in 4^th grade, so we decided to celebrate our friendship by going horseback riding. We took an amazing trail ride to the top of Wexford, Forth Mountain. It also meant a reunion with my best horse friend, Ross. He may be slow and sassy, but he’s also adorable.

Northern Ireland Adventures

While Amy was in town, we took a short trip up to Northern Ireland. The first day we took a bus tour to Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-Reid rope bridge, and Giants Causeway. Honestly, Giants Causeway is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen ever. Then we spent the night in Belfast. The next day we explored Lisburn Road, had a gorgeous brunch, and took an open top bus tour of the city. Belfast has a tumultuous history, but it is one of the friendliest, most interesting, and most artistic cities I’ve ever visited.

Tea Time

The month ended with my birthday. My amazing housemates took me to afternoon tea at posh hotel in Wexford. It was such a treat and totally made me feel like Lady Mary! We finished the day with dinner (chicken goujons and sweet potato fries), cake, and one of my favorite movies. It’s such a treasured memory.

I finished February feeling really happy about the amazing friendships in my life and the wonderful adventures I’m lucky enough to have here in Ireland.

Month-in-Review: December & January

Long time, no blog- I know! Things have been hectic for me lately- with grad school applications, traveling, and a very full schedule at work- in addition to some personal issues that waylayed my blogging. So here is a little catch up on the last few months (a February one will come soon as well).

Christmas in Ireland

I wrote a few months ago about the difficulty and excitement of celebrating Christmas in another country. In the end, I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about Christmas traditions in Ireland and celebrate the holiday with my new friends in Wexford.

 Home Sweet Home

After Christmas, I headed home for a week and a half. I had the wonderful treat getting to fly First Class on the way home (shout out to Paddy at Aer Lingus for the upgrade). I loved getting to spend time with my family and friends after months away. Whether it was restaging Christmas day with my family, ringing in the New Year with my dear friends the Tarpleys, or grabbing margs and tacos with my Golden Trio of BFFS- every moment of my time at home was refreshing and comforting.

 Cottage Time

One of the best parts of being home was spending a few days at our cottage in Port Sanilac. Our lakeside cottage is one of my favorite places to visits and it’s a really special place in the winter. Walking along the icy beach and through the snowy forest are always really magical things to do in the winter. When not exploring outside, it was great to practice the snuggly art of hygge by spending time inside reading, writing, and drinking tea.

  Another Seaside Retreat

Just like that, my time at home was over and I was back in Ireland! My first week back was spent alongside Curracloe Beach for our mid-year work retreat. It was such a treat to be joined by Father Pat Reidy from Notre Dame who facilitated the retreat. It was great to catch up with other Teach Bhríde members, spend time walking along the beach, and refocusing for a new “semester” in Ireland.

---

And just like that, I was back into the swing of things for another few more months in Ireland. I’m so grateful for the midyear break which gave me the opportunity to relax at home and see love ones. It’s crazy to think that the next time I’m home, my time in Ireland will be done!

If Only In My Dreams

There is this countdown that’s been taking place on my wall for the last few weeks. Unlike basically everyone else in the world, my countdown has not been for Christmas, but for December 28, 2016.

The day I go back to America for 2 weeks of vacation.

It might seem weird to be counting down to going to America because it seems contrary of my overarching life goals: 1) Moving to Europe and 2) Avoiding Michigan winters. In fact, the last time I left Ireland (at the time not knowing that I’d be back so soon), I basically sat in St Stephens Green eating froyo and crying for a few hours. So it’s very counterintuitive for me to actually be excited to go back to America.

But of course the reason why is Christmas.

There is something about this time as year that, despite my perpetual restlessness, makes me crave home. I want my mom’s homemade pecan rolls and ribbon jello. I want to run down the stairs on Christmas morning and feel like the child again. I want to laugh as my sister finds a way to exhaust every role in our church’s Christmas pageant. I want the comfort of my memory foam mattress, my dog and my bunny, and the way that family lets you be 100% yourself. Christmas just goes hand in hand with family and home.

Which probably explains why Christmas has felt thoroughly un-Christmas-y this year. There is something about the holiday that just needs home to fit right. I find that when I think about it too much I can fall into a deep sadness at being separated from my family for Christmas day this year. So in my usual stubbornly optimistic fashion, I’m thinking instead about how grateful I am for the experience I’ve had of spending Christmas in Ireland.

Irish Christmas has brought many wonderful discoveries. After years of reading Christmas books and watching Christmas films set in Ireland or the UK during Christmas, it was exciting to finally discover what those books were talking about. I was introduced to the culinary oddity that is Christmas pudding. I learned that here they say “Santy” instead of “Santa,” “Happy Christmas” in place of “Merry Christmas.” I got to witness two primary school carol services that certainly melted my heart. I got to learn a new array of Christmas Carols I’d never sung before, including The Wexford Carol, which comes from this very county. I got to see city streets not just in Wexford, but in Dublin, London, and Zurich decked out for Christmas. I got see Eoin Colfer’s amazingly heartfelt new musical Noel, which premiered in Wexford’s Opera House this week. Most importantly, I’ve become acquainted with the cult Christmas masterpiece that is “Stay Another Day” by East 17.

Probably one of the weirder Christmas discoveries was a tree full of singing children in Zurich

 All of these amazing wonders would have been missed if I had spent Christmas at home. The reason I love to travel so much is because I love to learn about different stories. I love to learn about what life is like in different parts of the world. What is Christmas abroad if not the fullest version of living that out?

Embracing the culture and eating an Irish breakfast on Christmas morning
(instead of my mom's usual ham & eggs)

Furthermore, I got to enjoy the rich hospitality that comes from Ireland. So many friends of our program, our parish, and our community reached out to welcome and embrace my housemates and me this season. Whether it was Christmas morning breakfast at our friend Ruiri’s house, Christmas dinner at our parish priest Father Dennis’ house, or any of the countless Christmas parties we attended this season- I never felt lonely this holiday season. And if that doesn’t speak to the kindness of our friends here, the 14 boxes of chocolate and 17 bottles of wine we received certainly do!

Christmas this year has been different. It’s been difficult at times, but genuinely heartwarming at others. There have been moments where I’ve hid under my covers wishing I was home in my bed, but plenty more where my heart has soared with warmth, gratitude, and love for where I am now and the people who surround me. It’s these unique and precious moments that make this Christmas not just unusual, but extraordinary.