May 2023, Week Twenty Seven

 Hello my lovelies, how are you all doing? I am clearly still behind in my Blog, but I've gotten as far as May, so I am making some progress, haha. After I got back from my England trip, I started to pack things up ready to move to my new home. I didn't have much with me, as the beautiful wee home I had been staying in was fully equipped, but I wanted to be ready. I also had friends coming over from the States, and I had a road trip previously planned with them, so I knew I would have to work around that.

Clonmany River Walk.

Clonmany River Walk.

Clonmany River Walk.

One day I took a walk along the Clonmany River Walk and around the surrounding area. I loved living in that location, and knew I was going to miss some of those views. I had seen the river walk in Autumn, Winter, and now Spring, and that day the path was edged with bluebells and it was just beautiful.

Obligatory Restaurant Selfie.

The Half Barn, breakfast at Nancy's.

The Friday of that week I walked to Ballyliffin, and treated myself to breakfast at Nancy's Barn. I hadn't been there in a while, but my new home is much closer to it, so I knew I'd be going there more often after I moved. After breakfast I walked to my new house to collect the keys, and then spent some time there, measuring rooms, and figuring out where I was going to put all of my things!

View of Pollan Bay and Glashedy from my new home.

View of Pollan Bay and Glashedy from the Ardagh Road.

After a fun few hours of daydreaming at the new place, I walked back to Clonmany by the Ardagh Road, and reveled in the beautiful light. I don't think I will ever get over just how gorgeous and vibrant the colours are here.

Sheep under a stormy sky.

Sheep under a stormy sky.

You know how people always say, be careful what you wish for? So often we can hold onto a dream so tightly, but when it finally comes to pass, it is not what we expected? Thankfully, I have never had that feeling since I moved here. It was my lifelong dream to live here in Inishowen, and not a second has gone by that I've regretted it. Every day since has only confirmed my choices, and I'm so happy that I never gave up on my dreams.

Green grass and Gorse in bloom.

April 2023, Week Twenty Six, Six Months Of Living In Ireland!

 Hello again my lovelies, I hope you're all doing well? I'm still six months behind in my Blog, but Week 26 marked six months of living here in beautiful Donegal, which is definitely something to celebrate. I wasn't actually IN Ireland at the time, having gone to England to spend my birthday with family, but since it was the first birthday I was able to spend at home in 18 years, I had lots of celebrating to catch up on!

Shrewsbury Castle.

Birthday lunch at The House Of Yum, in the Market Hall, Shrewsbury.

I spent the week in my hometown of Shrewsbury, catching up with family and friends, and trying out new (to me) restaurants. On my actual birthday, I really wanted to just explore that beautiful town a bit. So much has changed since I moved away, but it's a wonderful mix of new and vibrant, and old, nostalgic, and familiar. Gareth moved to Shrewsbury last year, but hasn't had much chance to explore, so he took the day off on my birthday and we spent the whole day together on a mini adventure. We started by walking the grounds at Shrewsbury Castle, then perused the Market Hall and had lunch at the House of Yum. After lunch we explored the older streets, did some shopping in small boutique shops, (Well, I shopped, and Gareth encouraged me to treat myself. This is the kind of support I need in my life, haha!) and then stopped for a pint at The Loggerheads, one of the oldest pubs in Shrewsbury, dating back to the 1700s. It was in there that Gareth asked what I wanted to do next, and I suggested we go get matching tattoos. To my surprise, he agreed! So, we immediately found the closest tattoo shop that accepted walk-in appointments, (Thank you Jessica of Vanitas Tatto Studio!) and went and got a small symbol that was meaningful to both of us on our wrists. This was Gareth's first tattoo, so quite the commitment, and an incredible way to mark the day.

About to get inked!

Celebratory post-tattoo pints in The Nag's Head, Shrewsbury.

After getting inked, we went to The Nag's Head for a celebratory pint, and walked to my sister's house along the river. It was a beautiful day, and seeing everything in the Spring sunshine was magical. My sister and mum wanted to make sure that I enjoyed this birthday, and baked and made all sorts of treats for me, which was so kind. My niece insisted on candles and sparklers too, which were also appreciated.  In the evening, Gareth and I went to Casa Naranjo, one of my favourite restaurants, and we had a beautiful meal. The whole day was so perfect, I couldn't stop smiling!

Quality sister time, the Riverbank, Shrewsbury.

Pint of Slumbering Monk at The Dolphin, my favourite pub in Shrewsbury.

The rest of the week I got to have some quality girly time with my sister, trying new (to me) restaurants, and doing more shopping. Where I live I don't have easy access to many shops, and Shrewsbury is famous for having a vast array of independent shops and boutiques, so I like to visit them when I'm over there. There were also visits to some of my favourite pubs, of course, and catching up with friends. The whole week was very special, and I feel truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

Pints at The Woodman, Shrewsbury, another of my favourite pubs!

I flew back to Ireland on the Sunday. My aunt gave me a lift home, but we made a detour to see where I'd be moving to shortly, because I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was a beautiful day here, and after unpacking my bags, (yes, I'm the kind of person that unpacks as soon as they get home!) I enjoyed a cocktail out on the patio. Knowing that I would soon be saying goodbye to that view and the sound of the waterfall was bittersweet, but it helped to know I'll have another spectacular view to look forward to.

Flying over the Isle Of Man.

View from the new house.

View from the current/old house.

April 2023, Week Twenty Five

 Hello again my lovelies! I am going to attempt to catch up with a few more posts about my life here in beautiful Inishowen this week. There are so many beautiful photos to share, and it's difficult to choose which are the best ones, but I try to give you a good sample of the gorgeous views here, as well as any fun things I get up to. I used to keep a diary, for most of my life from the age of 11 until quite recently. Now I mostly document things through photos, and even though I'm six months behind in this Blog, I can look back to the photos from that time and remember everything I got up to, so it makes it easy to write up those past adventures.

The Shore Road to Pollan Bay, Ballyliffin. Difficult to believe this is Ireland in April!

My 25th week here was actually split between Inishowen and Shrewsbury, England, as I flew home to spend time with family and friends for my birthday. The Monday evening I went to my favourite pub in Clonmany, McFeeley's, and had an early birthday celebration. Sadly, I was too busy having fun (and being bought LOTS of drinks!) to take any photos that night, but from what I remember, I had a blast, haha. It was one of those nights where there was impromptu music and singing, and I was so happy to be surrounded by so many new friends.

Turquoise waters, Pollan Bay.

Glashedy Island, Pollan Bay.

On the Wednesday I walked down to the shore in Ballyliffin, to visit with an aunt and uncle of mine, and then they walked with me to view another potential rental property in Ardagh. I absolutely fell in love with that house and its incredible views, and was over the moon when I got the news that I'd been accepted as tenant. I loved the small house in Clonmany where I spent the Winter, but knew I would have to move out before the Summer, so I had been looking for a bigger place for a while. There are not many houses available in this area, and I was starting to get a little concerned that I wouldn't find a place in time, but this one became available at the perfect time, and it was perfect for me!

Stunning view  of Glashedy from my new house.

View of Bulaba/Bulbin, walking the Ardagh Road.

View of Bulaba/Bulbin and Raghtin Mór from the Ardagh Road.

View of Crockaughrim and Ballyliffin from the Ardagh Road.

I have always wanted to live surrounded by these views!

On the Thursday of that week I flew back to England, and Gareth picked me up from the airport. The long distance relationship can be difficult at times, but we always have the next trip to look forward to, and we are always excited to see each other.

Obligatory airport drink selfie!

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were fun days, I was busy catching up with my family and friends, trying on potential bridesmaid dresses for my friend's wedding next year, and spending time with Gareth's family too. It is so important to me that I am able to see everyone as frequently as I do. After so many year's living in America, I cherish every moment I get to spend with my loved ones.

Celebrating my beautiful friend and her upcoming wedding!

April 2023, Week Twenty Four

 Hello again my lovelies, how are you all doing? Clearly I didn't keep up with my mission to post here more often, so I am still very much playing catch up, but I hope you'll forgive me. ;-)
My 24th week here in beautiful Inishowen was a busy one. I met up with different cousins and their families, spent time with them and stayed down by the shore overnight. I did my taxes for the last time in America, (phew! that is not something I'm going to miss!) and continued my VO classes and work. I viewed a new potential rental property, I met with a friend for lunch, and I went out to McFeeley's to listen to the Inishowen Singers Circle perform. And I took few, if any, photos of all of that! I did, however, take some nice shots of the beach and the hills and the sunsets, so I'm going to share those with you. Enjoy!

View of Pollan Bay from my family's cottage.

Stormy tide at Pollan Bay.

Stormy tide at Pollan Bay.

Raghtin Mór in the Spring Sunshine.

I can't get over the colours here! SO vibrant!

Lunch at the Market House Cafe, Clonmany.

Bloody Mary on my patio in the Spring Sunshine.

Sunshine and clouds.

Sunshine and clouds.

Sunset over Raghtin Mór.