Coming to Ireland was one of the greatest things I´ve EVER done! My first really long stay away from home (all in all 10 months), the first thing I did without knowing what to expect, my first pint of Guinness.
I didn´t really know a lot about Ireland before I arrived. Like the “everything-planning-controlfreak-girl” I definitely am I bought lots of books about this very green island (that is obviously the truth). There were three words I permanently read: 1. rain 2. drunk 3. Guinness. As I´m definitely more the summer type and normally drunk after one glass of … anything (I better not mention that I need sometimes a whole night to drink it – oops I just did) it didn´t really seem to be “the perfect destination” for my first REAL escape from Germany.
But – more spontaneous as I´m trying to be – I told myself: `Why not? If you´re getting drunk from a pint of Guinness you just go outside and clear your mind in the cold rain.` (If I would have known that irish rain or mist - how they call it here - comes from everywhere but NOT from above I´m not completely sure if I still would have made this decision – just tell you: jump into a pool and you would get out dryer)
I got a hostfamily quite quick, booked my flight and arrived in Dublin July 1st. That was so exciting and I´m still happy that I got the greatest hostfamily ever. I was lucky that they gave me the opportunity to travel a lot during my first weeks and everytime I wanted to.
(I will post my map so you can see all the places I traveled to during the last months. Also I will post some very special pictures I took on my trips that really inspired me – more of them you will/can find on facebook)
Anyway… the irish people are awesome! I never met such uncomplicated, easy going and just happy people. They always start a chat with a question or a report about the weather or a simple: hiya (that´s just short for “how are you?” – sounds cool, does it?). They talk to everybody.
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| What happend on platform 2? Read the story! |
One story or better situation is still on my mind (I start it literary because I love that so much):
Once upon a time … I was sitting in the train station, waiting for the train to arrive, thinking about something senseless or something with too much sense (don´t remember at all) an old woman walked slowly towards me.
It was dark – I just tell you that before you laugh at me – oh … and I have to tell you that this woman REALLY looked scary in the dark and that I definitely read too much of this wicked witch- fairytales when I was a child – actually I do STILL sometimes. Embarrassing I know- actually NOT because I work with children! Ahh… enough with this internal monologue.
Anyway…she walked towards me and was staring at me. Because we were the only persons on platform 2 it was very silent and I heard her steps echoing. While I was trying to be very cool and relaxed I was pretending to read the sign in front of me. Actually I read “Mind the gap” 50 times.
“Mind the gap, mind the gap, mind the gap, mind the gap, mind the gap, mind the gap, ... x 50)
Then she was almost in range. The wind was making a terribly load noise and I was scared to death.
“Don´t kill me! Don´t kill me! Don´t kill me!”
The scary witch did another step towards me and was still staring at me. I realized that she was staring at my neck.
She opened her mouth for a few seconds and was saying with a really beautiful voice (compared to her look absolutely unsuitable – like if you see Bryan Adams, expect something awesome but he starts singing with Justin Bieber´s voice): “Your necklace is unbelievably gorgeous? Where did you get it?”
What I wanted to answer: “Thank you so much. I got it in Pennys. Just 10 €.”
I did understand her but what I actually said: “Ehm…ehm…ehm… i´m german!”
Her face was like: “?!%&/()=? ##+*” and I was totally embarrassed
but at least … I still live happily ever after (and changed the irish opinion about the “perfection” of german people´s english skills).
Enough for now … I still have to return this necklace. Off I go to Pennys.
Love, Anni
P.S. Do something you LOVE every day!
P.S. 2: Don´t wear necklaces in train stations.
