My first week in Ireland has been a whirlwind of various feelings. I was nervous when flying into Dublin, but after meeting my host family, I felt right at home. It is such a blessing to be placed with such a warm and friendly family. Murial, my host mom, is hands down the best cook in the entire world. Allister, my host dad, is absolutely hilarious. Two of my favorite things in this world is eating and laughing, so I am "as happy as a clam" (like they say here in Ireland).
The Rumballs are avid sailors and make their living running a sailing school here in Ireland. They have plans to take me sailing in the next few weekends, and I couldn't be more excited. My home is in a beautiful area south of Dublin called Greystones. I am a short walk from the harbor, sandy beaches, and a breathtaking view.
I am working at a private all girls school called Rathdown. The faculty and staff here are wonderful and the girls are brilliant. The school follows a Montessori style of teaching that is very hands on and inquiry based. The girls study English, Irish and French daily in addition to music lessons and ballet. The girls begin coming to this school at age 4, when they begin learning the foundations of reading. By the first grade, the students are able to read chapter novels. I have been able to pick up some tips and tricks for building literacy that I will take into my future classroom.
Over the weekend I traveled to Dublin and Galway. I was overwhelmed by the size of Dublin, and easily got lost. I visited Trinity College, the Dublin Castle, and Christ Church. The next day, I took a bus across the country to Galway, which is my favorite city thus far. Galway is on the water and I was able to walk to Galway Bay. Galway is an artsy city with musicians on every corner and wonderful shops on every corner. I took a tour to the Burren, which means "great rock," which is a chain of Rocky Mountains with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.
My favorite part of the trip was getting the chance to see the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs are 214m high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometers over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O'Brien's Tower stands at the top of Cliffs. From the Cliffs one can see the Aran Islands, and Galway Bay.
While visiting Dublin, I made friends with a local who lives in Bray, which is a few miles north of my home. Her family lives in Belfast, and I have been invited to come up and stay for the weekend. I am looking forward to seeing northern Ireland, and learning about the city's history.
Slan! (goodbye)
Grace
