New Beginnings

Hello!

I have a few friends that initially asked me to blog about my experience. Now that I have become a little more settled, I decided I would share how my trip to Ireland has gone, is going, and my plans for the future!

First off, I'd like to say THANKS YOU FOR READING :) It means a lot that you find my  life interesting enough to read this blog. I hope to keep you well entertained with my stories and what not. Yawoo!

So where to begin...

I have been keeping a journal since I've gotten here (thank you Reid!). It is almost full. I wrote diligently from November 23rd, the day I hopped on the plane, until near December 17th (the day I moved into my apartment!). I took a hiatus from writing for a while, and then dribbled a few entries here and there afterwards. Recently I have picked it back up again. I have a really amasing story about this actually, but I will save that for later...Seriously though, it's insane.

One day soon I will write a post about the VERY beginning of my trip, what entailed, interesting people whom I came into contact with, and all that sort. But for now I will keep this entry rather short, so as to not scare off the 2 people who will probably lay eyes on this ;) (thank you for being one of the 2!)

SO this entry will answer the burning question I know is lighting the back of your mind: WHY did Erika go to Ireland? Why Ireland? Why now? Why? Just why?

Here is the answer: there are many reasons.
1. Depending on our level of friendship, you might be aware that I did not feel comfortable living where I did before I left. After flying the coop and leaving my parent's nest, it felt extremely wrong to be there again. To be honest, it gave me anxiety. I'm starting to become more aware that I do indeed have anxiety. About many things. But anywho...

2. I also left because it is exciting to think about living in another country. You know... foreign men, beautiful scenery, attractive architecture, foreign men, experiencing a new culture, meeting people from around the world, ease of access to the rest of Europe, foreign men...and all that. But seriously, American guys you have LET ME DOWN.

3. I left because I was becoming someone that I didn't recognize. And to be honest, I still don't feel like myself. Some of you may know that I struggled with depression a few years back, and some of you may also know that I really don't like taking medicine. Here's a confession: I'm still depressed. And if I'm being honest, I think I'm bipolar. If you haven't ever suffered from depression, it can be hard to understand the depth of its relevancy in someone's life. There is no easy fix. I cannot just alter my mind with a *snap* and be ok. It's going to take a lot of work. But I want to heal myself, the natural way. So hopefully I am able to conquer this battle with my time in Ireland.

4. Why Ireland?? The answer I tell people is because "Ireland is so beautiful and I really love the country and want to learn more about the culture and experience life here." Which is very true. But the most honest answer is because it's the only country where I could get a work visa. I looked into the UK, but if you're American you cannot get a work visa there (unless you have a special skill and are sponsored by a company). Nobody wants to cooperate with the US. We're kind of assholes. But Ireland and the US have a business relationship so I was able to apply for a Working Holiday Authorization within 12 months of my graduation from college. If this interests you, go to https://www.dfa.ie/travel/visas/

WELL! There you have it! This wasn't necessarily as short as I wanted it to be, but I'm a talker and a writer so I will apologize now for my future lengthy blog entries. Because they will most likely be lengthy, SORRIES XD

Here's a picture of the canal 2 minutes walk from my apartment! xx Ka