Filed under: Travel Plans
Robbie came over today and we made some plans - this time not involving large amounts of money. In fact, I believe we might just do a good job of surviving frugally over in Ireland!
As an update, we have chosen to stay in Dublin for the first week, with plans to hit Wicklow, County Meath, and Howth; as well as explore Dublin via FREE walking tours (ever so kindly provided by our guide book, Let’s Go! and Visit Dublin, which offers downloadable mp3s for my iPod. We are planning on attending the USIT Orientation on Monday September 15th, and then leaving via bus or rail for Cork on the 18th.
In Cork, we will be staying in a hostel until we find a flat to rent. I want one with a dishwasher… but that does not go along with frugalness, so perhaps I will have to suck it up and wash the dishes by hand.
Those are our current plans, anyhow.
Filed under: Preparation
While I’m unemployed this summer, one of my tasks has been to sort, purge, pack up, get rid of, etcetera, all the stuff I have collected in my large three bedroom apartment. This has been a daunting task, mostly because I haven’t got to it yet.
Time is running out. According to my Facebook countdown device, I only have 34 days until I leave for Ireland. I still have a lot of things I want to do, like make some dresses, use up my craft supplies, put some of my belongings into a yard sale, visit friends and family, pack up the remainder of my things, pack for Ireland. It seems like there is a lot of things that I need to do.
This week I am pleased to say that I have started sorting. I’ve posted quite a few items in my etsy shop, including some supplies like beads that I will never use, and I’ve moved a lot of things into the ‘get rid of this’ pile. I’m hoping that both endeavours will serve to bring in a little bit of cash flow. I’ve also moved my finished Persephone’s Awakening products to Carrie’s Hair Shoppe on consignment. She is confident that they will sell, and I’m hoping she is right!
What I should be doing rather than writing in my journal is working on the house. It’s messy. I need to paint some things. I need to get boxes are put things away. Today I’m focusing on my bedroom and sorting out my dressers - yes, I have two. Then I desperately need to wash dishes, and clean the gunk off the kitchen floor.
I thought that by being off work, I’d have way more time to keep a tidy home. Apparently I was wrong!
Filed under: Travel Plans
Today we booked our flight. It’s a go - September 11th til December 1st, 2008. We have run into a bit of a predicament in that we don’t want to work so much as we would like to travel. Alas, we aren’t made of money. There are so many things we’d like to see and do. Now it’s time to get organized, stop buying trivial things (aka save up as much money as possible for the trip so as to not dip into my savings) and get ready to go. There are only 45 days until we leave!
Filed under: Preparation
I’ve decided not to bring my Digital Rebel with me to Ireland, because it’s too big, too heavy, and I want something that I can hold up and then Robbie and I can stick our faces in and say ‘gosh we’re cute!’ without me toppling over. That was a long sentence.
Back to the camera.
Last night I was up until 0100h researching cameras. Mom has offered me her HBC points to use towards a new Point and Shoot. My choices are: the Sony Cybershot DSCW55, which so happens to be the #1 Sony camera used on Flickr. It does not have any manual settings, though, and now that I’ve had that, I don’t know if I can go back to automatic; the Canon PowerShot A550, which uses rechargeable batters, but not the wall-loading kind, so that may be out. Any comments on that camera?; and the Canon PowerShot SD1000. My last camera was an SD300, and I loved it. It is rated #6 on Flickr (out of Canon cameras). I believe the newest version is the SD1100, and the camera sites recommend the SD850.
Any insight? I’m a bit confused. If I can get the camera for free (or close to it) from HBC, I’d rather do that… but I want a good camera. If you can recommend any camera review sites, or research or whatever may be helpful, I’d really appreciate it!
Filed under: Travel Plans
It’s official: I can’t back out now. I’ve paid my work visa fees, and I’m in for it. I’m going to Ireland! The flights have not been booked, but I am happy to say that I have a cohort with me for the journey. She’s been great at helping things fall into place, too. For example, she requested that we set a date to register for the trip (July 10th). She has a wedding on December 6th, so that has prompted me to determine a return date. And now I won’t be all by myself over there, which is much less scary.
Filed under: The Quest
Come away, O human child,
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.
Filed under: The Quest
I’ve had a lot of people ask me “Why Ireland?” I can’t really explain it, beyond saying that it has been calling to me since I first read the book The Hunter’s Moon
To answer your next question, I do not know how long I’m staying, where I will be living when I go there, or where I will be working. That’s all part of letting go and letting my life happen how it should. I don’t need to control things that can take care of themselves.
Filed under: Travel Plans
I’ve decided on a few dates for my journey.
- Register for SWAP on July 10/08.
- Fly out on September 11/08.
But that’s all I know thus far. I want to go to surfing school while I’m there - in Cork. I want to break even financially (that means make enough to pay my way around). I want to enjoy my job, even if it’s not a career. I want to feel like I belong and like I am accepted where I’m at. And I want to return to Canada with a clearer head.
