Thank you for signing up for my newsletter!
I hope to send one out every season at least — maybe a little more, hopefully not a lot less — to include a few personal updates on my life/goings-on, professional announcements, bits and pieces I find interesting, and possibly a recipe or two.
Well... the biggest life update is that I am in Ireland again! Like most of the planet, my springtime had many shifts. For me, when one major aspect in my life changes, I am suddenly able to make a multitude of choices, including big ones. So, in June I bought a one-way ticket to Ireland. I spent the summer planning and preparing myself for this return — after living abroad for 3 years, I left Ballyvaughan in 2017 and have only made short visits since. Though I was tremendously excited to return to Ireland, I felt hesitant to tell many people about my big move. With the world in upheaval, making plans feels extraordinarily presumptuous. I had very few things ‘lined up’ and anticipated the rocky road to where I am sitting at this very moment. Facing so many unknowns, I promised myself that if I didn’t know where I was going to live, I wasn’t going to go. Six days prior to my departure, something came through. The morning before boarding the plane, I sat at our family’s kitchen table crying, telling my mom how much I don’t like out of the ordinary experiences — I enjoy ‘normal!’ Therefore, packing up essentials, saying goodbye, doing ‘xyz’ one last time, embracing transition can always be a bit painful. The reward, however, is sitting here writing to you about how this is becoming my new normal: morning run, oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, email, a bit of writing, some yoga, and meditation. I just had lunch and am waiting for groceries to be delivered. I also painted the moon... (SO excited to be back into moon paintings!)
My intention is to make this move permanent; in fact, I’m submitting an application for a long-term visa to make Ireland my home base. I welcome any energy vibes that can help this dream come to fruition!
Because I arrived from a ‘red’ country — red in terms of Covid-carrying risk — I am now on day 11 of a 14-day self-isolation required by the Irish government. This quarantine has been a very positive experience (aside from a few to-be-expected hiccups) with amazing friends bringing over essentials, a few neighbors helping me get settled, and the opportunity to dive into a vast load of painting supplies and reading material.
I hope you are well and safe and finding your own daily comforts in our ever changing world,
-ie
