WOW! It has been a long time since I have blogged. I have been saying for the past weeks... "I really need to blog.", "I should blog, tonight.", "I will blog when I get home." Days turned into weeks... and I guess the weeks turned into a month! I'm not sure how to catch you up with a month's worth of adventure, learning, silly moments, etc. but I will do my best! Recently I have watched the movie, "Eat Pray Love". I know. I know. The book is much better, but I would like to share with you some quotes that fit in my life here in Ireland from that movie/book.
I am currently listening to my "WWJD" Spotify playlist (Christian music). It has become my favorite in the past month. I have been feeling so loved by God and so thankful for his blessings. Here is something I'd like to share: Some would tell me that I shouldn't blog about it, but I choose to because it really has been a part of my experience over here and I have grown so much from it! “Listen to me. Someday you're gonna look back on this moment of your
life as such a sweet time of grieving. You'll see that you were in
mourning and your heart was broken, but your life was changing.”
- Eat Pray Love. I have gone through a breakup while I've been over here. It was a rough break because I wasn't really listening to God and I kept doing what Megan Mitchell thought was the right thing to do and eventually everything came to a painful ending. After the break I had to find love somewhere else. That's when I turned and ran toward God. Eat Pray Love quote: "Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water." There is another quote, "Painful endings are sometimes disguised as beautiful beginnings." I believe it! Since the break, I've become closer to God and my faith has strengthened, and I'm becoming content again. I wouldn't have been able to get through this without the friends I am surrounded by here, in Ireland. (My family and friends at home helped too!) I believe that breakups are one of the most painful experiences that people have to go through. Through the healing process you learn a lot about yourself and become stronger than you were before it. I thank God for placing me in the perfect place to heal from it - Ireland. It makes the healing a little more full of bliss. Eat Pray Love quote: "I want God to play in my bloodstream the way sunlight amuses itself on the water." I look around and realize where I am and feel so blessed. I have been embracing moments more and more and counting my blessings continuosly. I feel so fortunate! So when people say, "You don't want to go through a breakup while you're abroad because it'll taint your experience." I laugh and say, "No no no. It was part of my experience. It was one of the ways in which I grew!" I will look back and be able to see how much I grew! EPL Quote: “At some point, you gotta let go, and sit still, and allow contentment to come to you.”
In the past month I have become closer to my friends here.
We have family dinners. The food is always delicious with a lot of good conversation, dancing, music, laughing, etc. We've made: pasta, stuffed peppers, bread, rice and sweet/sour chicken, salad, cake, and lots more. Sara H. is a little Betty Crocker and always seems to have something baked that we can munch on while we await the food to finish cooking! :) I’m so tired of saying no, and waking up in the morning and recalling
everything I ate the day before – counting every calorie I consumed so I
know exactly how much self-loathing to take into the shower.
I’m going for it. I have no interest in being obese, I’m just through
with the guilt. So, here’s what we’re going to do: we’re going to finish
this pizza, and tomorrow, we’re going to buy ourselves some bigger
jeans." - Eat Pray Love. I've been eating a lot of food over here.
Especially with friends, girls nights, eating out, new food.. it ads up
and I'm not as skinny as I was when I left, but I'm challenging myself
to be okay with it, because I am in Ireland! And there is more to life
than being skinny and in mint condition. I will get there again someday,
maybe, but right now, I'm embracing where I'm at and I am learning to
love myself no matter what shape I am in. It is a challenge, but I'm
trying! We go out together once in a while. There was a RAG week this past month. It originally formed for raising money for charities, but not it seems to be an excuse for the Irish to get rip roaring drunk every day of the week. (As if that is different than any other week. haha!) It's a little unfortunate that it has gotten away from the charities. I only went out twice that week and barely got tipsy. It was a fun time with friends! Loved dancing!
We workout together. Working out together means we go to the gym and listen to our own music, do our own workout, and then leave together. haha. At least there is good company!) I have been running around the town of Maynooth. (Yes! My injury is fading and I am slowly getting back into running! Hoorah! What better place to come back from injury?!) Sometimes I go out a direction in which I run along a field of sheep until I reach a development of cute houses. One evening I went for a run after class. The sun was just setting. I ran past the field of sheep that were laying out and looked so peaceful. Then in the development there were children in their uniforms playing "football" (soccer) and racing each other. I could smell some families cooking out. And then when I ran past the field again I smelled the smell of spring. And I was overwhelmed with peace and bliss. I can't even describe it. “Most of us, even if only for two minutes in our lives, have experienced at some time or another an inexplicable and random sense of complete bliss, unrelated to anything that was happening in the outside world.”-Eat Pray Love My favorite place to run is at the end of the mainstreet in Maynooth. It is a long path and then you cross a road into a golf course that is in the middle of country land. It is so amazing! Words can't describe. It makes me feel at such peace. (I even got to see some ponies and farmland!!!) There is nothing like the smell of farm fields to take you back home.
We complain about silly things. (Yes, we are in Ireland and we love it here! But sometimes it's not all rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes there are flying monkeys and witches and it's nice to have each other to confide in.) The internet wasn't working for a while. My heat and hot water wasn't working. Teachers aren't clear all the time. It's raining again? It's snowing!?
We travel together. A group of us went to Cork and the Blarney Castle. It was good craic! That is for sure! We visited the English Market and walked around Cork City. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! Couldn't have asked for better weather! We got to kiss the stone and go through the castle. (I'm sure some of you saw the pictures on Facebook.) One of my favorite moments was when I was waiting at a cross walk with one of my closer friends, Katie. And I smiled up at the sky and laughed and said, "It's just weird." She said, "What is?" I replied, "It's weird that a month ago a boy and I were inlove and now it's like we don't know each other." And she said, "That's okay! Because now you're inlove with Ireland . . . and me!" It made my day! She was right! I am inlove with Ireland. I booked a trip to Barcelona and Rome with two friends! It's set for May! YAY!“If I were going to have such a short visit on earth, I had to do everything possible to experience it now.”- Eat Pray Love
We go to concerts together. Katie and I went to Carrie Underwood in Dublin. We arrived a few hours early, got our pre-ordered tickets at the box office and decided to have a couple beers at Temple Bar. We got them at this pub that was playing live Irish music. It was perfect: we were waiting to go to a Carrie Underwood concert. We were in a pub drinking good cider, eating good food, and listening to live music. "Is this real life?" So blessed. Carrie was in a small theatre, and we were up pretty close! We seemed to be the only ones getting really into it, though. haha! We were SO EXCITED! I don't think country music is very popular here. We had a grand time! Such good craic! (Moment: At one point we were at an intersection and not sure where we were going. I pointed my finger in one direction and right away a gentleman came up and asked if we were lost and if we needed help. The Irish are so nice!)We have girls nights together where we paint our nails, eat bad food, watch sappy movies, cry, and talk. One of my roommates and I have been getting extra close this past month with our girls nights. The night of RAG week we stayed in most nights and hung out together. I couldn't ask for a better roommate!
We buy tickets to One Direction, together. When I first got here I heard that 1D were going to be in London, but tickets were super expensive. So I decided not to. Then I heard that they were having an extra concert and tickets were going on sale soon! So a couple friends and I decided we were going to go (so glad I found friends who like this boy band just as much as I do!) got together the morning the tickets went on sale, had breakfast together, then ordered the tickets as soon as they went on sale. It was a nerve bending 8 minutes as we tried different sites to get ahold of some tickets. We DID IT! We literally jumped up and down and screamed, then we had a celebration music sesh. WOOO! So I am going to London for a weekend to see the concert and travel around!
We share this crazy weather, together. So in the past month there has been a week of Sunshine and warmish weather. The next week was cloudy and rainy. Then the next week was snowy and flurries nearly every day. One morning I woke up to about an inch of snow. Story: I was SO EXCITED to go on a run in the snow. I brought my American phone with me to take pictures. I went out to a field. (I must mention that when it snows here, the Irish are 10000 times more cautious than they normally are. Traffic was terrible and the cars were moving so very slowly.) I crossed the street just beaming about this weather and I ended up slipping on the curb... It didn't hurt, but my phone landed hard on the sidewalk and the charger port got packed with snow... After I got back from my lovely run I put my phone in rice and it still works and charges! I'm one lucky girl.We sit in coffee shops for hours and order dessert and tea and talk and laugh. A couple friends and I decided that we were going to make this a regular thing. Go to the Bon-Bon every Sunday for tea, chats, and dessert. It's one of the best ideas we have ever had.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY. You'd think I'd have crazy stories to tell you, but really, I don't. I'm sorry. The weather wasn't that fantastic. It was cold and rainy, but that didn't stop us from going! Festivities started that Thursday in Dublin. We went to the Carrie Concert that night. Then on Friday we stayed in. On Saturday we went to Dublin and went to a carnival. We got these massive hot dogs. They were delicious. Then we walked around for a bit and before leaving Dublin I got a Shamrock shake and it was very tasty! I had tacos with friends that night. The next morning I got up and one of my roommates had me take a breakfast shot with her. hahaha! Then Katie and I went to the parade. I brought some Baileys with me and we put it into hot chocolate that we bought when we got there. It was delicious! IT WAS CRAZY IN DUBLIN. We could hardly find a spot to stand for the parade. Eventually we found a place to peak our heads through. Katie is lucky because she is much taller than me. The parade was. . . interesting. I'm glad I went! I heard from some Irish lads that we should leave right after the parade because it just gets way too crazy. So Katie and I decided to head back. We caught the train. When we got back we went our separate ways and we just relaxed. A couple girls invited me to walk to Tesco and get pie and ice cream. Of course I went with. We had pie and ice cream and had great chats until midnight. Then I came back and ended the night with chats with my family. It was a good day. :)I have many different groups of friends here. It's a lovely time getting to know so many different people!
Obstacle: For about a week our heat and hot water didn't work in our apartment. I started boiling water in the kettle to do dishes and to wash my hair with. Luckily I had friends who offered up their hot showers for me! You don't realize how much you take heat for granted until it is taken away from you! I will never take it for granted again!
I could go on and on about everything that I am doing here in Ireland. It's crazy the life I am living over here! You must be wondering if I even go to class here! Well yes, I do go to class. I am taking 7 classes - I described them in an earlier blog - I have grown very fond of my Theology classes because the profs have such an enthusiasm and passion about what they are teaching that it draws you in and you forget you're in class! I have been getting a little better about studying, but it is so difficult when there is so much else to do! We have final exams and papers due in May. I do not have many assignments at all for classes, but I do enjoy learning about the material as we go.
I have two family friends coming to visit tomorrow! They will be here for 10 WHOLE DAYS. It will feel good to have familiar people from home in Ireland. They will be able to see what I see every day! It is a lovely feeling to be able to share beauty that you have been experiencing, with someone else.
My friends and I still can't believe this is real life. We often talk about how lucky we are and how unreal this life is that we are living! To be able to go to concerts, travel around Europe and live in Ireland. We are living a dream!
And I'd like to share with you this last long quote from Eat Pray Love. It helped me through each challenge and I'm sure it will continue to. Let go.
“Instructions for freedom":
1. Life's metaphors are God's instructions.
2. You have just climbed up and above the roof, there is nothing between you and the Infinite; now, let go.
3. The day is ending, it's time for something that was beautiful to turn into something else that is beautiful. Now, let go.
4. Your wish for resolution was a prayer. You are being here is God's response, let go and watch the stars came out, in the inside and in the outside.
5. With all your heart ask for Grace and let go.
6. With all your heart forgive him, forgive yourself and let him go.
7. Let your intention be freedom from useless suffering then, let go.
8. Watch the heat of day pass into the cold night, let go.
9. When the Karma of a relationship is done, only Love remains. It's safe, let go.
10. When the past has past from you at last, let go.. then, climb down and begin the rest of your life with great joy.”
Here's to loving life and learning from and growing from experiences of bliss and challenge.
Blessings on your week.
