2014: A Year of Change

Happy (three weeks late) New Year!! Hopefully your 2014 had as great a start as mine...which took place in IRELAND!

The Dublin Wall of Fame in the Temple Bar District of Dublin

That's right, I'm currently living and working in County Kildare, Ireland as an au pair to three lovely little kiddos, ages 4, 2.5, and 1 year. January marks month three of #aupairlife and I couldn't be happier! County Kildare has a HUGE network of au pairs from all over (mostly western Europe, though there's another girl here from CA - USA represent!) and together we've been exploring the cities, shopping, planning trips, and adjusting to Irish life.

Patrick, James, and Lily

I left my beautiful bluegrass state of Kentucky late October (Oct 23rd, to be exact) and flew Aer Lingus straight into Dublin. My host mom Anny, (technically, my employer, but I've basically been accepted as an older sister into the family) was working in Galway (ahh, the lovely coast!) at the time of my arrival, so her brother Jim collected me from the airport, treated me to a welcome breakfast at Avoca www.avoca.ie, and dropped me off at the house in quaint little Calverstown.

Galway coastline

The Gorman family (or, my Irish family) is dad Padraig (pronounced "poor-rick"), mom Anny, Patrick (age 4), Lily (age 2.5), and baby James, who celebrated his first birthday in November. Then there's Nana Kathleen (Padraig's mom, and a wonderful lady who let's me stay with her at her house in Naas when I meet up with the other au pairs for a few pints), Nana Lily (Anny's mom, who is hilarious and apparently asks everyone about their teeth when she meets them), Anny's brothers Brian and Jim, Brian's boys Kieran and Evan, and Padraig's sister Aisling, her husband Kiearn, and their kids Amy, Cian, and Jack. Anny actually has LOADS more siblings (she's the ninth in her family) but I've only had the pleasure of meeting the others once or twice. Her brother John and her niece Scarlet were here for New Years and basically if this family isn't the most fascinating family in the entire world then we need to redefine the word fascinating. I'm talking travels to India, Africa, Antarctica, Australia (to name a few); published authors and sheep farmers, and pretty much all around renaissance-men, jack-of-all-trades types.

Ha'Penny Bridge in Dublin

One big change: the family is vegetarian/pescatarian, so no meat. No meat?? I'm from Kentucky where we raise our own beef cattle! Talk about an adjustment...
But I'm actually loving it! Anny is a healthcare practitioner, so everything we eat is pretty much great for your body, full of nutrients and protein and  superfoods power. Oh, and she's an amazing cook. No complaints from me or my tummy :))

Life has been an adjustment, but 2014 is my year of change. I've steadily working on my resolutions:

• write more everyday (getting back to this blog was a part of that)
• take time to catch up with a close friend at least once a month
• stop biting my nails (how did I become 10 years old again??)
• send out 5 resumes over the course of this year to 5 very different, very challenging, once-in-a-lifetime, can't miss opportunities

Here's to 2014 and making it my best year yet :)