When One Door Closes...

Apparently several others open!  I'm metaphorically talking about moving from Dublin to Milan, but in the past week and in the two weeks to come I'm literally talking about doors...lots of them!  We'll get to that though.  It's been ages since I've written and I've got to catch you up on things.  So much has been going on these last few weeks.  I had to get things in order on one side of the pond to head to another.  I packed my tiny apartment in a few boxes and two suitcases, met an amazing new friend on Friday the 16th of December and spent most of my last weekend in Dublin with him, then he took me to the airport and toted all my belongings for me so I could head back to Charleston on Sunday the 18th. 

My flight home was really rather easy...Dublin to Chicago, a three hour layover, then Chicago home.  I had no idea they were greeting me at the airport, but when I came from my gate in Charleston I saw T'Lene, Ashley Henson, and Amy Freeman with posters of Dave Matthews and warm welcomes.  So sweet.  I visited with Mom and went home to crash, or so I thought.  Even though it was late, I ended up full of energy and unpacked everything.  Smart move at the time.

I was home for 7 days before I had renters move in for the month of January.  Funny how I rented the house the one month I would be home, right?  It was a surprise arrival two days early so I literally threw everything I'd just unpacked in my suitcases and Mom allowed me to dump it all in her living room. 

Christmas was amazing and today, the 26th, I'm sat on a couch at Ashley's as she and her new fiance are in West Virginia and have graciously allowed me to stay at their house for the week while they're out of town.  Funny this being a nomad business.  Friday I move to T'Lene's and hopefully will stay there through my departure date.  I head to Milan on January 18th!  So glad to be here in Charleston now though and love catching up with friends and family!

Christmas Spirit

I've been waiting and waiting to catch a bit of the Christmas spirit, but unfortunately, I haven't really gotten in the mood.  I wanted to visit the Christmas markets while in Italy, and did, but didn't quite get it there.  I went out today to browse a few of the markets in Dublin, but never found the joy of Christmas in any of the places I went here either.  I'm beginning to think it's just me, and in an effort to fix that, I've got Bing Crosby's Christmas album playing on YouTube and I'm writing this very Christmas-y blog!

I started the day at the Christchurch Cathedral Christmas Market.  This was nice because the market is held in the crypt and while you can see this on any tour of the church, it was much more festive as the stalls were set up all through the corridors.  It's small though, so there weren't too many gift options.  I think I spent a total of 5 minutes here before heading back out to the street. 

I then walked through Cow's Lane, which holds a market every Saturday.  There were several little stalls of jewelry, clothes, and crafts.  I overheard one artisan speaking with some girls from Boston about how he'd soon be in the states selling his works on QVC.  How funny.  I found a very cool stall of glass jewelery that I debated buying for T'Lene.  Another woman had jewelery that she had made out of lava rocks and other gems.  Her pieces were really neat.  I walked into a shop just off Cow's Lane and got a cute little statue for my neighbor Josh's Christmas present.  It's a little "man" made of steel bits such as screws.  The little statue is of a weightlifter.  This is perfect as Josh has been the one exercising out my window the whole time I've lived in Dublin...he takes good care of himself while I sit in my flat having a glass of wine and cookies! 

I walked down the River Liffey and ran up to Penny's which is a cheap clothing and home store that I hate going in because it's always busy, but I had to get some leggings today and so I braved the madness within.  I had to encourage myself the whole way in and out because of the claustrophobic attack that seemed inevitable, but I managed. 

After the madness of Penny's I walked down to the Docklands Christmas Market which really was a nice set-up.  Kids especially would enjoy the market I think.  They had a good many booths with crafts, etc and of course carousels and other kid friendly fun.  There were a few food trucks with crepes, sausages which smelled amazing, coffees, etc.  There was a choir on a small stage singing but they weren't really on key and none of the music I heard was actually Christmas music, which I found interesting. 

I left the market there feeling a little disappointed, but got a kick out of what happened next.  Just as I was thinking to myself how great Christmas in Charleston is and missing decorating my house etc, I saw a parade of motorcycles coming my way and would you believe none other than Santa Clause himself was riding by!  A huge smile swept across my face.  So what if I saw pink bunnies on Westmorland Street today?  So what if there was a parade/protest with Bob Marley music blaring on O'Connell bridge this afternoon?  It doesn't matter..."it's Ireland!"  It's Ireland and it's Christmas time.  The lights are up on Grafton, the trees are decorated in my neighbor's windows.  It's Christmas and I have one week left in this city.  I plan to enjoy it, and I'm happy to announce, I finally feel like Christmas!

Wine, Women and the Open Road

As with any trip to Tuscany, our days were spent admiring the countryside and drinking a glass of wine or two along the way.  The itinerary for one day in particular was specifically devoted to wine drinking.  We got up that morning and set out for Montepulciano.  Wikipedia notes that Montepulciano "is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and comune in the province of Siena in southern Tuscany."  It also states that Montepulciano is known worldwide for its wine, and I think we can agree now that it produces some of the finest wine in Italy. 

There are signs all over Tuscany for the "Strada del Vino" which we intended to follow throughout the day.  We plugged an address into our GPS, but ended up pulling off our path to stop first at the Poliziano vineyard.  We thought the place to be closed, but I rang the bell politely asking "Parla Inglese?" and getting the quick response which allowed us to enter.  Two men walked to the door and gave one look at the three girls then very obviously let us know they were pleased to see us.  It was a nice greeting!  It was then just the girls and one very nice Italian man who allowed us to taste 4 wines from their collection.  It was a unanimous vote for the Asinone, although they were all quite nice.  We each bought a bottle and then were given a brief tour of the premises.

After leaving the vineyard we had lunch at a cute little place our host suggested and then did a few more tastings at shops before heading to our next vineyard.  We came upon a place called Il Greppo.  Upon arriving here we found a tour bus full of Italians tasting wine and then drinking espresso trying to get ready for the road!  We waited for them to leave and then once again the three of us had the full attention of the owners' son who shared a few of their wines.  We of course bought a bottle and then walked the grounds of the beautifully organic farm and vineyards.  The day was a perfect one weather wise and we enjoyed our purchases later that evening rounding out a perfect afternoon. 

If visiting Tuscany, the wine road is an absolute must do.  I would suggest trying to choose a few vineyards before setting out though as you might cover more ground (and taste more wine) with an established plan! Salute!

Vacanza italiana

The first day of December proved to be a pleasant one here in Italy as Kit, Jamie and I arose and set out (after a grueling DVD session with Jillian Michaels) for our adventures in Volterra and Siena.  We drove the further distance to Volterra first, worried the entire way about the weather as it was extremely foggy out and Volterra sits high on a hilltop.  We parked and walked up to the little town and found a good restaurant called Don Beta.  Kit said she won the prize for best choice as she had a salad and homemade pasta dish with garlic and veggies that was amazing.  Jamie and I both ordered a set menu...she had brushetta, soup, and salad and I had brushetta, gnocchi, and salad.  I did enjoy my gnocchi quite a lot.

After lunch we leisurely walked around the town taking architectural shots and admiring the beauty of the Roman Theater ruins.  We were in town during the "siesta" hours so we didn't get to walk in many shops, but it was nice to visit Volterra and worth the drive.  I did get to pic up a few circes for T'Lene and Mom.

We later got back in the car and headed towards Siena.  By the time we arrived it was dark outside (probably between 4 and 5 o'clock) but we drove up just as a parade taking place.  The parade led to the duomo, which we didn't find out until later.  We parked and walked the tiny, winding streets in Siena and popped our head in a few shops.  We walked through the Piazza del Campo and then up to the duomo.  The building is a beautiful piece of history and it was very nice to walk inside (without paying) to see and hear the ceremony, meeting, service (who knows really) that was taking place. 

By about 7 we decided we better get on the road as it was now really dark so we grabbed a few bottles of wine and came back to the house where Kit and Jamie made us a lovely antipasto plate and I built a fire.  We planned our next full day out and headed off to bed hoping to get some good rest for what lie ahead. 

Under the Tuscan Sun

Well Kit, Jamie and I arrived in Pisa yesterday afternoon and rented our little red Audi to head to our accommodations in Monte San Savino.  We took the short drive into Pisa city center first to see the Leaning Tower and have a lovely pizza lunch before heading to the province of Arezzo. 

We arrived in town and drove a circle around the tiny center before finding our keys at Paola and Mirco's shop, L'appaltino.  We walked the short distance to our amazing accommodations (Molly's house) and unpacked.  The house is a beautifully renovated two story apartment just over one of the main squares. 

We walked out to a tiny store to get a few groceries and then to the butcher for a lovely spinach stuffed turkey loin.  Jamie fixed our dinner and we spent the night playing on the computer, etc (very exciting) but we were all so tired from our early flights so we headed to bed early. 

This morning we woke up late and did a nice yoga podcast before heading out to the markets in town.  It didn't take but about an hour (at most) to walk the entire city and see the markets (which all close at 1) so we decided to grab lots of items from the stalls and shops and make a picnic.  We walked a bit in the afternoon but then decided to drive the short distance to Gargonza for a quick view of the castle.  We found the most delightful place for a picnic and enjoyed our snacks "Under the Tuscan Sun."  It was a magnificent way to spend our first full day in Italy.

Tonight we built a fire to keep us warm and watched a sweet movie about Dublin of all places (Once).  We drank our wine and snacked on leftovers from our picnic.

Tomorrow should prove to be an exciting day as we plan to get up to exercise and then drive to a few nearby towns.  I think we are heading in the direction of Siena.  Who knows exactly what the day will hold but I'm excited to share another day with my gals exploring the Tuscan landscapes. 

Domani??!

Oh the Places You'll Go

In the children's sermon at church this morning, Andrew, the minister, said he'd like to read a little passage from a well known author.  He mentioned the title of the book, Oh the Places You'll Go, and then introduced the author himself, "Dr. Zues".  I had to smile.  I'm going to miss the way the Irish pronounce things, or shall I say, "tings". 

"Dr. Zeus", Andrew said, wrote a great piece on "The Waiting Place" and he proceeded to read from the book...

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Now Andrew ended his reading there but the story goes on to say:

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

Every time I hear about this book, or quotes from it, I think of graduation.  Graduation is a time when young adults set off into the world for new adventures.  Perhaps they plan to attend college, to travel abroad, to volunteer, to begin an internship or to start their career.  Who knows, but in the time between graduation and what's next, people tend to wait. 

I too am waiting.  The last few weeks have been a time of contemplation for me.  I have to decide what my "better break" will be, or at least what's next.  Oh the Places You'll Go is a constant reminder to me that there are bigger and better things out there, always.  It doesn't mean I'll always be on the run, but it does mean that I'll set my sites high and be encouraged to look forward, no matter where I am in my life. I can appreciate all that I have and be optimistic about all that is to come. 

I hope that you too will be encouraged; encouraged to appreciate what you have and be thankful for all that God has given you, and at the same time, excited about what He has in store for you.

So remember:

Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

The Great Debate

I'm sure at one point or another in reading through my blog that you've noticed the title.  The blog address is hesinireland but the actual title of the blog is "My Year Abroad."  It's interesting because the original plan was for me to be in Ireland for a year (thus the blog address), but of course, plans do change.  I may have mentioned it before, but my friend Jennifer Tharp once said "Write your plans in pencil and give God the eraser."  I'm not sure where she got that, but it has stuck with me ever since she said it. 

You see, my plan was to come to Ireland and I felt very confident that the Lord had a reason for that.  I still believe He did.  I came here and I worked with an amazing group of people up at DCU.  I met a cute little fellow, Ari, and got to know his family while nannying for them.  I met amazing people (mostly Americans) and I know I'll be friends with them forever.  I believe 100% that there was a reason for me coming here. 

With that same confidence, I know that the Lord has other plans for me now.  My time in Ireland may soon be coming to an end, but I will not have completed "My Year Abroad" just yet.  There are other opportunities for me out there.  Recently, I found a very interesting website called Aupair World where I created a profile for myself and in the days since doing so have had many families reach out to me interested in me becoming their next au pair. 

I've never worked as an au pair before, but I believe that in my many years of babysitting I've built some pretty good skills in childminding and I can say that my early childhood and elementary teaching backgrounds pique the interest of many families.  On top of that, these families see that my Masters is in teaching English and all of a sudden, I'm a top choice for them. 

The families mostly want someone to help with the kids in the after school hours and work with them on homework, etc as well as participate in the children's extracurricular activities.  I can do this.  These families also really want their children to learn English, or to improve it, so I've got that experience too. 

My "problem" lies with knowing where to go.  I've spoken to families throughout France, Italy, and Spain and I feel very strongly about certain places.  I am debating, in the most reasonable manner possible, and weighing the pros and cons of each.  I even created a color coded table so I can better visualize my options (that's such the teacher in me)! 

No matter the plan, I know I've got someone looking out for me.  I will know when it's time to make a decision where I am to go.  As for now, I'm enjoying learning a little about these families all over Europe and letting them try to "win" my favor.