Uncles

Yesterday I spent the entire evening and night hanging out with a few of my uncles. For a number of reasons its an occurrence that is becoming less and less frequent. It’s an evening I really really enjoyed. 

My uncles are my mentors, my guardians, and my friends. If they think that you are doing something wrong with your life or making some questionable life decisions, they’re not shy about talking to you about it. On the other hand though, if they are pleased with something, they are wonderful encouragers. They give credit where credit is due… but not too much because trust me, these guys will keep you grounded! 🙂 

We covered topics from small talk to moving to London to family to marriage to this blog to my mother and back. Not once did any one of them shy away from any questions or comments I had. I’m lucky to have had, and still have, a mountain of support behind me in the way of my enormous family. My uncles are my guardians. They watch out for me and they call me out when I need it. 

One thought kept cropping up in my head last night. Whenever the day comes that I bring a guy home to meet my uncles, god help him because he’ll have a tough road trying to keep up with them. They can be an intimidating bunch when they want to be! But if a guy can’t handle my uncles, they’re not going to be able to handle me. Love me, love my family because I’m not me with them. 

P.S. I was told last night that these blogs are too happy all the time, that I need to show the darker side of life sometimes. My original thought was to only write when I’m happy to avoid this, but apparently it gives people the sense that my life is too good all the time, and its unrealistic. So readers, from now on things may get real. I’m not going to go for a complete turn around in attitude, but you may have to deal with the occasional bump on the road. I hope you will continue reading. 

xxx

Nostalgic for life

[Warning: Content of an extremely soppy nature]

Tonight I find myself felling very sentimental. Nothing new there…except that my nostalgia reaches much further into the past than merely the last 18 months. My nostalgia tonight is for the life I have had so far. I have been looking over old photos, recalling memories and reflecting on the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful events of the past 25 years.

We all have our trials and burdens, our hardships and losses. The journey has not always been easy, in fact at times it has been a real struggle, sometimes the heart ache too much to bear. I am so grateful tonight to be able to say that despite these obstacles I have faced, I love my life, I am a happy person and I am very very glad to be here.

Re-visiting old photos I have been reminded of the journey that has brought me to where I am today. The journey that has made me into the person I am. I have met so many amazing people along the way and I’ve seen amazingly beautiful things. I am humbled by the opportunities I have been given in my life and by the love, friendship and warmth I have encountered on each adventure I have undertaken.

Its amazing the images that pop into my head thinking back on certain times in my life for just a minute or two…

Childhood: Sleepovers, dancing to meatloaf with Bernie, treasure hunts, hotel on the waterfall, 7up and marietta biscuits at grandas,

Teenage years: “Dancing in the Moonlight”, school tours, singing, Irish class, babysitting.

College: The Lodge, tea and toast after nights out, headstands in the kitchen, The Stables, wonderful housemates, RAG weeks.

Norway: Kristiansand, vorspiels, fjords, Tromso, northern lights.

New York: Randal Og’s, pride parade, sweet carolines deuling piano bar, broadway shows, fireworks on lake George, family bbqs, fall foliage, cycling in central park.

Scotland: attempting to learn Russian, pitchers in the outback, great neighbours, scottish ceili, a terrible christmas party!

Spain: Incredible scenery and towns, struggling and sometimes succeeding with a new language, teaching, salsa, calimutxo.

Belfast: Inception, Camden street craziness, great visits/visitors, Soul Food, tree-top adventures, Champagne Thursdays, picnics in the park, a year and a half of laughter, fun, friendship, and taking a much needed break from stress.

I’m a lucky girl.

To all the people who have helped me along the way, and continue to do so by just being part of my life, thank you. It is true to say that my life would be nothing without all of you because you make the everyday special, the ordinary unique, the norm fun, and the hard times bareable.

I am nothing without the inspiration/encouragement/love/criticisms/grounding/laughter/discipline/memories you give me. You have turned my existence into a life.

xxx

Cheers to the freakin’ weekend!!

What a weekend I have just had!!! It really has been beyond perfect and I am one extremely tired but very happy girl tonight! The past 36 hours have been beyond incredible and I think it will take me a few days to comprehend the awesomeness of it all.

As you know from my previous entry, I was lucky enough to have a ticket for The Boss in King’s Hall Arena, Belfast. I have to say at this point thank you thank you and thanks a million times over to the wonderful guys for getting together to get me this ticket, pretty much the BEST birthday present EVER! You guys are all legends and I love ya! Anyway, after a very excitable morning in work yesterday, and very little sleep (due purely to too much excitement also) the night before, our plans for Bruce commenced! A few pints in The Bot to get us started and then off to Sinead’s where studies into Bruce’s extensive musical catalog was imperative before our final jaunt to the arena.

There are no words for the sheer epic-ness of the concert. I’m not at all kidding when I say that it will take me at least a few days to really take it all in. It was just, incredible. The set list was fun, the crowd were nice, the E-Street band were flawless, and the main man himself was even more awe-striking in person that you could ever imagine. His vocal skills blew me away, especially when, at one point he took to the stage alone armed with an acoustic guitar and held the 25,000 strong crowd in rapture. There were some songs I would have loved to hear him perform, but its impossible to be disappointed with an experience like that.

Looking out on thousands of fans from Daryl’s shoulders singing alone to “Born to Run” is a memory that will stay with me for years to come. One thing’s for sure, that certainly won’t be my last encounter with The Boss!

Tonight I have just arrived home from a day at beautiful Lough Erne in County Fermanagh. I am exhausted from a day on the water but I really wanted to write this entry tonight while the buzz of the weekend’s events is fresh. I know the sentimentality of my entries is steadily increasing but I’ve always been a very reflective and pensive person. I collect and store memories like trinkets and treasures. Sitting on the dock looking out over Lough Erne today was definitely a scene I spent time implanting in my mind to call upon in future times of stress or strife.

It was truly a wonderful day with tons of laughing and quality time with quality people. In true happy Sunday style, the evening was nicely complete with Luke and Katharine hosting a bbq in their back yard. Great food, wonderful company, now tired and full.

Thanks for it all you guys.

xxx

Random thoughts…

My head is all a muddle this week with all that is currently going on in my life and I am unable to focus on writing anything of any great interest today. To my loyal readers out there, I do apologise.

As well as contemplating work here and my impending big move to London my head is occupied by thoughts of concerts this week. Yes, I am in the happy position of beginning my week in Phoenix Park to see Mumford and Sons and finishing it at Kings Hall Arena to see the one and only Bruce Springsteen! I can’t even begin to put my excitment into words.

My over-sentimental side continues to break through and rather than delve into that, I have compilled a short list of a just a few things I’ve learned from my time in Belfast over the past 17 or so months:

1. As confusing as it may seem, when someone says “ah! what aboutcha” answer with “ah, grand, yourself”

2. On first meeting, it can be handy to have a translator around for the thicker Northern accents.

3. Going to sleep to the sound of police helicopters is nothing unusual.

4. When daydreaming and listening to music you happen to notice you’re walking into the middle of an angry loyalist protest, walk the other way.

5. Buy a guy a pint the first time you meet them and you’ll make a friend for life!

6. Butterknives can wound too.

7. I hate to love zumba.

8. There is an awful awful lot to be said for being broke and happy.

9. When down to your last few pennies, its ok to have cous cous for breakfast.

10. “I can’t wash my hair, my boiler’s broke” is not an acceptable excuse to avoid socialising.

11. Don’t use the cheap halloween face-paint.

12. If planning an elaborate party contact the following: Emma, Katherine, Ashleigh, Shiv.

13. I NEVER want to do a treetop adventure obstacle course again.

14. 88 cupcakes is a bit too much to bring to a party.

15. Boules is not a good spectator sport.

My bags are packed… but I’m not quite ready to go just yet…

Its officially the beginning of the end of my time in Belfast. Notice has been given, job applications to London are flying, and as of yesterday the majority of my worldly possessions are packed up and ready for shipping back to West Cork. The plan being that when I move next month I will only have a couple of bags to hike on the train with me!

I, being me, have already started to get sentimental about everything. My last tag report, my last time going to my hairdresser here, etc., etc. Unsurprisingly, much of my conversation focus with friends is on the move to London… which I think is very understandable as its a considerable change to make. After a drink or two though, talk shifts from practicalities of the move and leaving dates to “oh my god I’m going to miss you guys so much!”. I was talking to one of the lads about this just a few days ago and his response was “ah sure you’re nothing but a sentimental old softy anyway”. And I suppose he was dead right.

I’m almost too good at the mushy stuff and saying things out-loud that tend to make people uncomfortable for sheer sappiness. People have tried to talk me out of it for years but guys I’m afraid you’re just going to have to embrace it because its just the kind of sap I am. I am trying to keep in to a minimum at the moment, believe it or not.

My 18 months in Belfast has given me an awful lot. It was a move I was very unsure of making but am so glad I did. I’ve worked hard, and I’ve played harder. I’ve made wonderful friends and discovered a fantastic city. I’ve made memories that are sure to keep my smiling through all the trials moving to yet another new city will bring.

Belfast, I am so grateful for what you have been to me, what you have taught me, and the people you have introduced me to but I’m ready to see what’s next. Here’s to my last 5 weeks in Belfast, and to my new adventure waiting around the corner!

xxx

Working on a dream

I’m In need of some life motivation this week so here’s my attempt at a pep-talk from me, to me! :

It can be easy sometimes to feel stuck, like running in quick sand. You offer all your energy and dedication to something yet you still find yourself in the same place with little to show for all your effort. Lets call this place what it is, a rut. There are many ways of falling into the chasm of a rut. You could choose it, fall into one without seeing it for what it is, or just by bad luck and circumstance. How you get into the rut doesn’t matter. Life is about how to keep going and move forward.

“You live. You learn.”

If achieving your dreams were easy then everyone would have the perfect lives. I saw something on facebook this morning that said “good things come to those who {wait} get up off their ass and work for it”. Its so true. Yes, patience is a virtue but expecting the world to revolve around you instead of fighting for your dreams is redundant. Opportunities will not just fall onto your lap. You need to get out there and look for them, talk to anyone you can, share your dream. When everyone sees how passionate you are, they will believe in you too and thats when those precious opportunities will come along.

Don’t squander all you’ve been given because of fear. Be grateful for what you have, what you’ve learned, and all the people who have helped you along the way. Go for it, fight for your dream, give it everything you’ve got.

There is no room for self-doubt now, push past it. When you work hard to achieve something, you will know that when you do get it, you will truly deserve it. Giving up is not an option. When the pressure is on and everything seems a bit too much to handle, just stop and remember what it is you are working for. It will all be worth it eventually and you will learn so many invaluable life lessons along the way.

Work for your dream, but enjoy the journey too.

xxx