Dooneen: 2007

The wind is howling – we are in the middle of our first gale. I thought that would mean dark, grey, rain and wind – endlessly for days. Instead - it does mean intense wind (30-40 mph) – but the wonder of it is that a patch of rain and hail will blow in and you would think the world was ending and then the skies are as blue and the light so bright it is blinding and still the wind rages. Then it rains wildly again. So this is our first taste of winter in Ireland and it is more awe-inspiring than horrible. Of course this is only day two and the 2 of Dec. I will write again in Feb and we may all be going bonkers. The other natural challenge is that full light doesn’t begin until 8:00 am and it will get as bad as 8:45. So the upside of that is that every morning we see the sunrise and it is magical – brilliant light enveloping the sea. Each one is unique and breathe taking. But it is dark and the daylight begins to end around 4:30 –5:30. It isn’t like a light switch but a slow sinking of the sun – as if the sea sucks the light out of the day. I love it – Ed’s taking deep breaths and dreaming of the Med.

We have been so lucky because there have been very few days that are all rain. So it is always possible to get outside and hike – and it is so wild and big and beautiful here that it is such a restoring time to be out of doors.

The girls are great. They have made good friends and as we all know that makes the biggest difference. The girls’ favorite part of school is their breaks. They get a morning and afternoon recess as well as at lunch. The children (not call ed kids here because kids are baby goats for real in rural Ireland) and play lots of sports at school. Soccer, Gaelic football and all sorts of tag. Chloe and Maggie are learning Irish, tin whistle and Irish set dancing. In addition social studies and geography is all about Europe. The other novelty is that the public schools are run by the Catholic Church here a so children get religion lessons. You can opt out of them but we thought it would be a good heritage lesson since both Ed and I were raised Catholic. It has been eye opening for all of us. The people in the village have welcomed the girls with open arms and it makes a huge difference to us as we settle in here. Their best friend lives on a big dairy farm. (Our next door neighbors,1/2mi away) So the girls regularly get to milk the cows and round up the sheep. Many of the local past times are very different but all the kids still love Nintendo games – so there are many similarities.

I am working doing executive coaching. It is the perfect gig for me. I coach 5-10 Sales Manager around Europe who work for a technology company. It fits perfectly into my lifestyle and fits my skills well. So I am grateful to do work for which I am well suited and is easy for me to do.

I walk every day; we have an 8-month-old puppy Rascal, a border collie, who is my constant companion. I find the wild, land and seascape inspiring, comforting, the greatest joy.

Living so remotely means that just the everyday things take a bit longer. The nearest real shopping is 3o minutes away in a lovely town called Bantry. It is also near Ed’s golf course so he often does the shopping and the golfing in one run.

I have also taken to Irish Set dancing at a local pub on Thursday nights. It is so much fun. A good craic as the Irish say. It is mostly locals and I have been thoroughly welcomed. I have been called “light on my feet” so I feel very smug. Most of them have been doing this dancing since they were children so I feel very smug that I can keep up at all.

I get a mention in an article about going global in the Dec/Jan issue of More magazine. Take a look.

Ed is work is gorgeous. He is taking the most brilliant photos. This has been a really amazing creative time for him. He is also great at connecting with local people and making a connection. The opportunities for new and exciting work abound. He has been working
With world class musicians photographically, meeting with galleries, invited to photograph
Some of the best golf courses in Ireland and finding time to work on new and experimental imagery. He awaits spring to breakout the fly rod and spend some time stalking trout and salmon. Some of the best fishing in Ireland is very close to our home.

When we first got here we were in holiday making mode and went to the pubs often but as the summer folks went home and life become more ordinary I am happy to say we log many fewer pints at the pub. It is still great fun to go and meet people and to connect.

We had our neighbors Becky, Ellen and Sarah for Thanksgiving. It was such a treat to have our dear friend in our new life. They were our first visitors and it was just the infusion from the familiar that we needed as we head into winter. They brought suit cases full of “stuff” we cant’ get here. It was just a treat to laugh and visit and share our Irish paradise with them.

So we are 1/3 of our way into our year here in Ireland. It has been an amazing time. It was harder to get here than I ever thought possible. It took longer to shift and let go and begin to settle here. I wouldn’t say any of us feel at home here yet but we do really love it. All of us love the slow pace, the wild beauty and the endless amounts of time and space to just be. We miss our friends, and our home and all feel like things are familiar. Here things are different. Chips are crisps , French fries are chips, band-aids are plasters, you don’t say 2:30 but “half 2”. Everything is “grand” instead of “great”. Just little things that make you know it isn’t what you’re used to. We all wonder if one year will be enough so we are contemplating a second year. Not really sure and still have some time to decided.

Well we think of you all often. We miss you. It is hard to stay in as good touch as my intentions would have me do. Know we are well, that we are on a wonderful adventure and we long to see you all.