"Live like a butterfly, take a rest but never forget to fly."
Remember all the changes you have gone through to get to where you are. Are you flying? Are you resting? If not those things - what else is there?
I am currently sitting on a bench in Cahir, Ireland - near the castle and river. It was a rainy, windy morning, but right now, I am lucky to have peace. This town is beautiful, even in the clouds' glare. There is a huge green park with peculiar tree sculptures and huge white geese strutting around the river (or ducks - I'm not great with animal names). I strolled 2km one way to see the Swiss Cottage - which was very secluded and hard to see without paying for a tour. Nonetheless, I enjoyed uncovering whimsical and colorful fairy castle villages and wooden animal carvings for free.
There are so many places to explore in Ireland and I haven't even scratched the surface. This week marks 1 year since I've been living here and I can't believe how much has happened in 365 days.
Not too long ago, I was hugging co-workers goodbye and packing three suitcases and a bike to fly with me to Dublin. Soon after my arrival, it was off to Northern Italy for an adventurous 'honeymoon.' Ranging from the top of the Italian Dolomites to a musical garage in Glosgow, my husband and I travelled a fair bit in a short time. To cap it all off, he endured an incredible 5 day cycling race in Switzerland this week! He covered 425km by bike in one week! While I didn't get to go, it shows how much a person can accomplish in a short amount of time.
One thing I struggled with most in the beginning was finding a job. I thought it would be easy to land a job, but I was wrong. After trying out marketing and reception, I decided to take the CELTA course and become certified to teach English to non-native speakers. Nearly 7 months after moving here, I settled with a teaching job. It's now been a solid 5 months since I started teaching full-time and I can say it's a job that keeps you on your feet! Teaching is certainly like riding a roller-coaster: you want to go on the ride again again, for that feeling in your stomach you get at the top; but you know that there will be moments of fear too.
With the first year away from home under my belt, I'm ready to have another action-packed year of travel and growth - starting with a visit to Connecticut next week. ;)
Comments