This week has been a time of meeting people, learning new routines, jumping into my CASA volunteer term with both feet! It feels like it has flown by and at the same time, it feels like I have been here for much longer than just a week.
Last weekend was spent relaxing and sleeping in. A few of us went on a nice long walk along the Irish Sea to Port Mearnock. The picture below is from one of those walks, and the blue sky is a bit of a rarity here in Ireland, I've come to learn.
On Sunday evening, I went over to Isobel and Deryk Morris' (parent's of a friend of my Aunt Joan) for dinner. They live here in Malahide and were so welcoming and kind. It was really great to get out of the house to see them, and I would really like to keep up that connection. When I got home, Erin, Kaitlyn and myself went out to Gibney's (the local pub) for a beer. I had the mandatory first pint of Guiness and we took a picture to commemorate the event.
We cleaned the house and had meetings on Monday and Tuesday and our group arrived at 2 on Tuesday. I was paired with a really sweet lady, Margaret. She was so gentle and easy going. As a group we spent time just hanging out, going shopping, going to a museum, seeing a movie, and having a nice dinner out. I had so much fun with the group. It's very similiar to ADV Camp, just on a smaller scale and with more of an emphasis on one-to-one interaction. So there were lots of laughs over the course of the week!
Last night we went out to the pub to celebrate Lennart's 20th birthday. All 8 of us were out, so it was really great to spend time relaxing and having fun with everyone.
This is a picture of Kaitlyn, Claire and myself.
This is a picture of Kaitlyn, Claire and myself.
Claire, Lisa and I are heading off to Belfast for a few days so I'm excited to see more of Ireland!
Hope everyone is well!
Kate
Kate!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear and see about your time so far in Ireland. By the sounds of it, you seem to be settling in nicely with a good group of people.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about your term! It must be both exciting and rewarding to spend so much time with one client. Are you with Margaret for the majority of your term or will you have the opportunity to work with others as well?
Speaking of your work reminding you of ADV week, in church today we sang "Jesus, Be the Centre" and it also reminded me of ADV weeks! So much fun. Does Margaret have an Irish accent?
The picture of the beach looks gorgeous! I can't wait to see more pictures and hear more stories.
Well I hope all continues to go well. I miss you lots and look forward to reading more of your blog posts!! Your page in officially marked as one of my favourites on my bookmarks so I will be checking on a regular basis!
Have fun exploring more of Ireland!!!
Love, Anneke.