Greetings to my dear friends and family! I hope everyone stayed indoors on the east coast....saw that certain parts of New England got a good dumping, sad to not be able to enjoy it! It is officially spring in Ireland which for me is insane! It's slowly getting warmer and that is a real treat especially in February. The sun has been shining a lot and for the Irish this is rare and so it boosts everyone's moods. It's amazing what seeing the sun after weeks can do, I remember one breakfast where when we all saw the sun we proceeded to have a highly musical meal where it was like we were in our own musical.....yeah we are special here in Dingle.
There has been some big changes for me in the recent past few weeks that have proven to be a real test along with my daily tasks that are not easy either! I have been asked to switch to the other house that is in our community partially on account that I spend my entire day both at work and at the house with one companion and that can go very unhealthy for me and my companion. It is a constant job I get her up and work in the workshops with her during the day and then put her to bed. I am basically on the clock with maybe an hour off a day. I just assumed this was how it was supposed to be but I understand where they are coming from as it is very hard to sometimes have the patience to deal during the day because we started the day arguing. In the new house I will not have any women companions to help, but will still have the opportunity to work with the male companions at the other house. There are a few other reasons that I will not go into as this is a public blog. Having to leave the house that I have called home for the past six months is very hard. The people in this house have very much changed me and made this year such an amazing fun experience. Yes I will of course see everyone everyday but it is not the same at all. I have had my rough patches as well don't get me wrong but when it all comes down to it, it is very hard for me to have to leave these people and this house. I am curious as to what the next seven months living in the other house will have to offer me and it will be very good for the community but having to have a conversation with a companion who asked when will I come back and have to say I won't, was heartbreaking. Then the companion I work with everyday all day to ask why I don't want to be her co-worker (this is not what they told her, she's amazing at twisting words). Its very hard to leave the house and people and not have them in daily life on the intimate level that comes from living with a group of people. But I am going to do my best to look at it as a learning experience and make the best of this new opportunity.
But in more exciting and less dramatic news we've have some really nice celebrations with the changing of seasons. Two weeks ago was candlemas which is a really nice ceremony that basically helps warm up the earth after winter. So on the first of February which is the first day of spring here you go around your land and dig a hole and put a candle in it and burn it and sing, to help warm up the earth and get it ready for spring. This is a Camphill tradition and not Irish.
Also this same weekend me and my dear friend companion went on a lovely outing as it was beautiful, which here is rare! We walked from town along the cliffs over looking the ocean to Dolphin (my future home) house. Saying that it rains for weeks on end with maybe one dry day it was rather wet but we managed and made it to the house in forty five minutes which for us is amazing since we are notorious for taking at least an hour to get anywhere, but it was a really nice day, Ann Marie and I spend a lot of time together and we are finally to the point that we are friends and its not a working relationship and this is huge and took six months to get there!
Every friday is my day off and this past Friday was amazing weather the sun was shining and you could feel the warmth, it was fantastic after a very rough week. I climbed up part of the mountain out back and stared out over the ocean and sheep. Followed by a lovely walk into town where I got picked up by a local (This is completely normal here, they signal to see where you are going and if your headed to Dingle they stop and you get a free ride). Some of the best irish history I've learned is from my trips to Dingle with locals who've lived here there whole lives. Amazing. Anyway, I spent the day and evening in Dingle and got to see the most beautiful sunset ever over the harbor while reading a book. Followed by a great evening at a local restaurant that reminded me of American Flatbread from home.
It's amazing to think I have hit the half way mark here in Ireland! We were asked in a recent review to think back to the beginning, when we first started and this was really hard because it feels like years ago. The first few months here were some of the happiest of my life because so many new things were happening to me and it is a time that I think back to with nothing but happiness and freedom. Since that time this job has done nothing but test me, in all good ways. I have been trained by countless jobs before me to look at a negative or hard work experience and turn it into a positive one and that is what I've been tested in most this year. I know I will come out all that much stronger and my life will be forever changed by these people and this beautiful place. I hope everyone has an amazing love day tomorrow and an amazing weekend!
xoElsie
Also this same weekend me and my dear friend companion went on a lovely outing as it was beautiful, which here is rare! We walked from town along the cliffs over looking the ocean to Dolphin (my future home) house. Saying that it rains for weeks on end with maybe one dry day it was rather wet but we managed and made it to the house in forty five minutes which for us is amazing since we are notorious for taking at least an hour to get anywhere, but it was a really nice day, Ann Marie and I spend a lot of time together and we are finally to the point that we are friends and its not a working relationship and this is huge and took six months to get there!
Every friday is my day off and this past Friday was amazing weather the sun was shining and you could feel the warmth, it was fantastic after a very rough week. I climbed up part of the mountain out back and stared out over the ocean and sheep. Followed by a lovely walk into town where I got picked up by a local (This is completely normal here, they signal to see where you are going and if your headed to Dingle they stop and you get a free ride). Some of the best irish history I've learned is from my trips to Dingle with locals who've lived here there whole lives. Amazing. Anyway, I spent the day and evening in Dingle and got to see the most beautiful sunset ever over the harbor while reading a book. Followed by a great evening at a local restaurant that reminded me of American Flatbread from home.
It's amazing to think I have hit the half way mark here in Ireland! We were asked in a recent review to think back to the beginning, when we first started and this was really hard because it feels like years ago. The first few months here were some of the happiest of my life because so many new things were happening to me and it is a time that I think back to with nothing but happiness and freedom. Since that time this job has done nothing but test me, in all good ways. I have been trained by countless jobs before me to look at a negative or hard work experience and turn it into a positive one and that is what I've been tested in most this year. I know I will come out all that much stronger and my life will be forever changed by these people and this beautiful place. I hope everyone has an amazing love day tomorrow and an amazing weekend!
xoElsie
