Week one done!

Whew! What a week it has been so far.

Things are getting more regular and easier every day. I've been taking care of the little details and they have gone a long way in easing my mind. Grocery shopping has been fun and interesting. There are certainly pros and cons to living this independently:

Pros:

-I get to pick my own food
-I don't have to walk very far to get food
-If I need something, I can get it whenever
-We can cook meals together and have a great sense of "family" involvement with each other in our apartment.


Cons:

-I have to pay for it. Paying equals getting the cheap stuff
-I have to actually do the shopping
-Cleaning. Enough said.
-Stuff goes bad and if it does, too bad.


It is an experience. Again, what is cool is that I'm learning all these things... in another country. I have taken several more trips downtown and around, each time learning a bit more than the previous journey. I have been inside three different churches here and have yet to find one I will go to all the time. I think actually I will bounce around, but we shall see.

Most importantly, I'm feeling more and more at ease with being in Ireland. I have a good group surrounding me and am going to enjoy my time here even if it is a maelstrom outside every freaking morning.

Finally, I would like to say that the phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is possibly the most honest truth I have ever heard. I do miss my family, friends, and familiar environment, enough to feel that I should always appreciate them when they are present.

Side note, I'm hoping to get more pictures up as time goes on. I'm still a little shaky as to choosing which ones to put up as I hate all of my own photography. Nonetheless, they will make it up...eventually. Cheers!