i've arrived

this is my first post, as you may have noticed. i have been in dublin for a week now. i don't even know where to start...
i'm loving it here. simply put i feel i am where i'm suppose to be. this is where the lord has called me, He has prepared my heart, & i have felt at home since i've arrived.

i am learning to navigate the buses, the luas (tram system) & the paths (sidewalks). i know how to get home, for the most part. i can get around the city centre, for the most part, with a map (looking like a tourist!). i am a 10 minute walk from a mall & a few steps from a bus stop.

i live in a beautiful yellow house with 4 other girls but only 2 of them have moved in. it's been fun to settle in to my room & orient myself.

our yellow house

it's all so overwhelming but all of it is so grand (adjective used a lot here, i plan to use a lot)! a lot of the differences are slight but just enough to throw me off. lots of words such as rubbish for trash, press for cupboard, paths for sidewalks, toilet for bathroom/restroom, jumper for jacket/sweatshirt, trousers for pants, & so many more. ireland drives on the left side of the road which makes it difficult to even cross the street correctly; i make sure i look both ways before crossing just to make sure i don't get hit by a bus. haha. time is more relaxed here so being on time is not a huge concern which is nice when using unpredictable publin transportation. they don't use clothes dryers but hang all of their clothes outside or inside to dry. oh & the immersion! haha, this heats the water so you have to remember to turn it on a bit before you need to shower so that the water is hot. & then you must remember to turn it off, always turn it off!

i love just walking around & soaking up all i can. the people, the sights, the weather, the sounds, the smells, everything! it's great to really embrace a new place, discover its oddities, & explore its character.

park near our house (yes, that's a mountain in the back there)

i will be volunteering part time with innovista ireland. this is a group of people investing in the inner city youth & young adults in dublin to build up their leadership skills & enable them to bring hope to their communities. i will be participating in tempo, one of their programs for young adults (see pic below). i will also be volunteering part time at the dublin ymca. this will be a chance to get to know the people who live in & around that area. see what their lives are like, what their needs are, & simply live life with them!

tempo training with innovista

i'm am very excited about what the lord has in store! it feels as though He has been preparing me for a long time to be in this place, with these people, & doing what i'm doing! it's awesome, truly awesome, to testify to the lord's calling & His faithfulness! He has gone before us to prepare the way, He IS the Way, & He will never leave us or forsake us (no matter what we get ourselves in to)!

city centre on the river liffey

me in front of the dublin castle at night