The Ireland Journal has been on hiatus for almost two years
since Study Abroad Ireland didn't make in 2012.
It feels a bit odd to be here after such a long time. Ireland has changed and so have I. Ireland has had a very rough couple of years
from the economy, to the weather, to changes in traditional cultural norms and
expectations.
I was so engaged in my work at SMCC, and in some exciting new
possibilities that are coming up in the fall, that part of me didn’t want to
come at all. And then, it was very hard
to say goodbye to Mark when he left on Friday morning – just as the students
were arriving.
But I’m very glad to be here, and I’m settling into my Irish
life. Right now I’m doing one of the
things I love best – I’m sitting at my table looking out over the horse farm (where
the horses are obligingly trotting by with their tails flying) towards the
Irish countryside awash in hawthorn blossoms while writing my blog!
I’m reacquainting myself with my apartment, Irish grocery
stores, and the course I’ll be teaching.
One thing that didn’t take me long to adapt to is driving on the
left. I only made Mark scream once on
the first day of driving, and since then it’s been coming back to me easily.
The picture at the top is the Shannon River from just below
the bridge in Athlone.
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