First Trip…to Killarney!!

It’s amazing to think that nearly 2 weeks have gone by since Han and I arrived in Ireland…and just 8 left until we come home! Craziness! Well today, we took our first trip on our own outside the city walls of Listowel to the beautiful town of Killarney! Killarney is well-known as a touristy town, and it lived up to its reputation! It was filled with countless shops and restaurants and pubs, all perfect for a curious traveler! But nevertheless, it was a beautiful and exciting place to be! This trip was also Han and my first experience using public transportation in Ireland. Our host dad got up early this morning to cook us eggs, bacon, and hash browns before dropping us off at the station, and as nervous as we may have been to navigate around these strange cities by ourselves, we made it through! And the trip was wonderful and surprisingly easy to navigate! We did end up asking nearly every bus driver where they were headed, just to make sure that we were going to the right place (we may or may not have tried to get on a bus that was parked and done for the day, as well as a bus to Cork, but that’s beside the point). At one point, a kind gentleman did ask if we needed assistance…we must have looked as lost as we felt! And he guided us to the bus we needed to ride. All in all…smooth transportation! The day turned out to be mostly sunny as well, so walking from shop to shop was a pleasant experience! We started by getting a sweet treat for the journey (I got a scone, and Han got a cupcake), and then we let our hearts and feet take us where they felt called! We wandered in an out of shoe shops, wool/sweater shops, souvenir stores, candy shops, candle stores, and even a burger king (it’s fun to find those small pieces of home while we’re here)!! But you name it, we walked past or through a store that had it. The most difficult part was knowing what to buy! The main question we kept asking ourselves was, “did we come all the way to Ireland to buy a pair of boots (or vest, or scarf, etc.)” I kept thinking, “I need to find something truly Irish to feel justified in spending money over here on it”…so after some searching, we did find a couple great things to match that description, while also finding some wonderful gifts to bring home to friends and family. The time there was amazing, very peaceful yet exciting, and a great way to spend our second weekend away!

When we got home, we were greeted by the most traditional Irish meal there is! Ham (or bacon as they call it), cabbage, and potatoes–and what a treat it was! Our host dad took extra special time and care preparing our plates perfectly for us…it was great to see how excited he was to share his culture’s food, and it was incredibly delicious as well! I have a feeling we’ll be having that more often 🙂 The food we’ve been served here is absolutely stellar…both our host mom and dad cook, and the food they prepare is amazing! We’ve had pork chops, stir fry, enchiladas, pancakes, fresh bread, scones, pizza, chips (fries), leek soup, mashed potatoes…and so much more! We definitely are being treated royally while here!

School is going great as well! This week was somewhat exhausting as we got thrown into the full swing of lesson planning, and being in the school for 7 hours a day, but we survived, and overall, it went well! I spent the majority of time each day with my class of first graders, who are adorable and full of energy! A few girls even attempted to walk home with me the other day…they just weren’t ready to say goodbye! The amount of hand-drawn and hand-colored pictures they give me continues to pile up, and it just warms my heart each time they excitedly approach me with the precious gift. This week we did some name poems, learned about adjectives (to which we watched School House Rock’s “Unpack My Adjectives” song), got grossed out by insects, and made beautiful snails out of colorful tissue paper, googley eyes, and pipe cleaners! My second graders are wonderful as well! I spend an hour with them each morning, and this week we focused on water! We explored the water cycle (which is where I introduced them to Magic School Bus…which they loved!), made water cycle bracelets, did an experiment with condensation and evaporation, researched why we should rink water, did an experiment with eggs to see what effect sugary drinks have on our teeth, did some drama and oral language related to the supermarket, and started writing poetry about water. The sunshines right into their classroom in the mornings, so it is such a pleasant experience to work with a group of great girls while the golden rays illuminate the work we are doing! And my last group is the Senior Infants (kindergarteners). I only see them for about an hour a week, but we had fun doing some drama and making things out of clay this week as well!

So life here is truly grand…wonderful family to spend my evenings with and who take care of us in the most selfless, loving way possible; a school filled with kind, supportive teachers and students; opportunities to explore the beautiful country of Ireland with a fantastic travel companion and friend; food to DIE for; and the continuous support and prayers from family and friends back home. Life is great…I can only praise and thank God for allowing me to have this truly incredible experience! But we still miss you all, and wish you were here to experience this all with us!