chilled to the bone

Each time I hopen the heavy red coloured front door my body is shot with a tight chill, every step I take I don't think it can get any colder but then I turn another corner and I'm surprised at the huge drop in temperature.
I'm trying my hardest to brace myself for it will only get colder in the coming months.
As much as I despise being chilled to the smallest of my bones, the cold weather brings a feeling of romance as well, wanting to grab close and cuddle up with that someone special wrapped up in your warmest of warm clothes or a huge, soft blanket drinking a glass of hard red wine relishing in each other's warmth and company.

I would like to get out to the country during the cold months and embrace this beautiful frosted green preserved country as much as I possibly can.
I love the rolling green hills, you picture and you romanticize about the way Ireland looks and the way it would feel but it's the reality of the country there's such a romantic history to it all.
Even living in Galway which is a larger centre, there are traces of the old lifestyle everywhere you look, be it a 2 metre thick stone wall inbetween a brand new shopping centre and a fast-food centre or be it the Spanish Arch circa. 1600's, or the deep smiles in the elderly people of this area. The people of Ireland all seem to be keeping a delicious secret close to their hearts and deep underneath their woolen woven jumpers and vests.

I also love how if you were to ever bring up fairies to anyone in this country you won't be able to shut them up, they believe full heartedly in them which satisfies my beliefs from when I was a young girl.

I love the mythical mysteries of this country.
Even the haunting, tight below freezing temperatures.

A Christmas Abroad

It's finally hit me that I will not be in Brentwood Bay, let alone Canada for Christmas this year. I'm excited to experience a completely new kind of Christmas but at the same time I would absolutely love to be curled up in my cozy home nestled in with a Terry's Chocolate Orange and my sweet little Gus.

Galway has been decked out in Christmas attire; Christmas hangings all along Shop St, a Christmas Tree in the middle of Eyre Square, painted frost in all the shop windows.. Yet it still seems to be missing something, it could be my friends and family? Or it could be that absolutely no one has any true Christmas spirit, all they care about is the coolest, most trendy gift for their ever consuming families!

Sam has decided to pimp our hostel out in decorations which I couldn't be more excited for, I don't know what it is I just love the atmosphere and the cold yet cozy time of year. I was a little undecided of what I would be doing over the holidays, should I pop up to Glasgow? Should I go and see Robyn and Brandon in London before they head over to India? Should I go home and settle my homesick urges? .. Well I've decided to stick around here, Ollie works at another hostel and they will be closing down for Christmas eve and Christmas day and kicking everyone out. So him and I will have the crib to ourselves! A huge hostel? Privacy? A fireplace? PLAYSTATION? .. could life be any better?!

A Pretty Good Craic..

My procrastination of updating my blog has officially come to an end. A few times I have sat down and surrounded myself in the couch with blankets, ready to pour my heart out to the keyboard but I just can't find the creativity to write, it may be a lack of challenging my brain lately, it may be that I'm as lazy as a sloth or it could be that I'm afraid if I start I won't be able to stop.

The last time I wrote was while I was still in Greece mode, rather post-almost dying Greece mode. The rest of my trip was everything I could have asked for.. well maybe it could have been longer.. I now long for the sun-drenched and Greek cuisine filled days.

I've now been in Galway, Ireland for about 7/8 weeks now.

Even though the "Honeymoon" stage has officially worn off I'm still absolutely head over heels in love with it here, well maybe minus the lowest employment rate in 12 years and the crude folk of the green isle.
I'm long terming at a hostel, The Claddagh hostel, a cozy place full of the kindest, most crazy people you will ever meet.

My days are filled with sleeping, cooking, job-hunting, drinking, wandering aimlessly and laughing my head off at the ridiculousness of this country. It's so easy to get lost in the spirit of this country and just drink all day and everyday until you turn in to a pint of Guinness and not want work another day in my life.

I as of now vow to myself to see more of this country as of my 7 so odd weeks since I've been here I've only seen this city and Inis Mor of The Aran Islands for a couple of days ( They were a really lovely pair of days, don't get me wrong ) .. I just want to see more.

Onward!