Wednesday, June 9, 2010

castletown bere

since i have been home, six people told me they liked my writing (who knew?) and two encouraged me to post up another part of my journal.
here is another entry, i wrote it when i was on the train from cork to dublin, but it happened in castletown bere, a south western town by the ocean.


“the fruit of the gods”:
i bite into a tomato, it exploded in my mouth. it is fresh, deep red, small but realistic. the juice dripped down my fingers, the sweet nectar wasted on a napkin. it is sweet with a tint of tang, you can taste the colors of it.

castletown berehaven:
the air is heavy with mist, cigarette smoke, and it smells of the prizes of fishermen. the setting sun is illuminating everything to a perfect rendition of classical art: skin is soft, colors muted but true, everything calm. it’s a painting.


i squeeze my toes and take another bite of ripe, ruby fruit. there isn’t a single part of me that felt any kind of anger, frustration or depression while i have been here. of course, it’s a vacation, it’s getting away from the norm. but i think this is something deeper. i feel connected here, where i am a stranger, where i don’t know anything or anybody.

connected:
to the ocean, the earth, the little pubs, cafes and shops, the people and for once, myself. i feel whole. i feel stronger, smarter, enhanced, attractive, witty, fashionable, inspired, quick-minded... not just fulfilled but above and beyond. my skin is softer because it is humid, my hair is shiny, my shoes seem to fit better, i have an appetite...
love is the last place i wanted to be, but here, walking the cobblestone street by zetland pier, i find myself drowning in it.

i pick up the pace and walk toward the water, away from the clattering noises of town. i started to jog. my flats were slowing me down so i kicked them off. the water is closer, i can smell the salt air, sand scratching at my toes. i begin to run, dropping my bag full of books, people are watching, i don’t care, they need to see it. i am almost at the grey choppy water. i keep running, my heart is pounding with exhilaration, i am almost there...

once upon a time:
there was a girl. she was upset, so depressed that it hurt physically. she felt disabled, and couldn't understand why she had been gifted such an imbalance. her logic was backwards, and she thought she didn’t deserve anything that felt good. she never smiled, she never ate, she never slept without nightmares. she didn’t feel human, but instead felt numb...

when my body hit the icy waves of the ocean, i knew that girl was dead. that miserable individual, lost, insecure. she was gone. i came out of the ocean laughing, throwing my hands and my eyes to the sky. a group of tourists began to clap, so of course, i took a bow.

“vat did you do?”:
i had a lot of explaining to do to anya when she picked me up at the docks and my skirt and top were soaking wet. i had the chills, skin prickly with goose bumps, alive. i don’t know if she understood entirely, but she smiled and handed me her jacket.

“we will go home now, ya?”

“ya, anya. definitely.”

once upon a time:
there was a girl. she organized her thoughts around dreams. she took classes in sign language and got training in care for special needs children. she sold her car, her desk and bed and bookshelves. she took her dog and got on a plane and went to where she was meant to be. she lived her life in a little village on the coast. she got a job, a house, and cooked dinner every night. she lived simply, sincerely.

why not?

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Friday, June 4, 2010

home... almost!

1. Philadelphia was NUTS.

2. Phoenix: nachos and a margarita. helllloooooo America!!!

3. got an hour to spare before my flight. feeling flighty myself.

4. KARMIE! I'LL SEE YOU SOON MY LITTLE MEXICAN RAT!

5. did i say margarita? i meant two.

6. i made a friend. chad. oooooooh boy am i convinced never to bury my neighbor's kid's dead cat, do coke and fly to Arizona. peace be with you, my little nugget of destruction.

7. at luggage claim to go thru customs, mine was the first bag to come out of the... bag collection thing. this overwhelming feeling of 'fuck yeah!' came over me. good stuff.

8. this trip to Ireland was entirely, beautifully amazing. i have wanted to go for so long, and it actually happened. how lucky am i!? i want to thank me wee little mammy SO much for helping me make it happen, check for tickets, make sure i had everything i needed, etc, she went above and beyond to make my birthday and this trip absolutely perfect. also, maxamillion! for encouraging me to go even though i was nervous about traveling by myself, and supporting me through it and answering my calls even though both times i was far from sober but you listened to me talk and talk and talk anyways... love you both, best family i could ever ask for. <3

9. also want to thank roly and catherine and their family for making the last part of my trip so much fun and beautifully comfortable, and taking me to the movies, Dublin, out for drinks and of course, shopping! i am so grateful!

10. and even though they will never read this thank you a billion, million times to anja and reinoud (and snow, hara, koosje, annie, methre, to, mo, hannah, jon (i guess...) flappy and black betty) for letting me stay on their farm for two weeks, teaching me about the goats, making me milk 'em (even though i was super nervous to touch the... udder and... squeeze...) feeding me, translating dutch tv as much as possible, letting me build a fence! and do some painting! and planting! making me a bike to ride, too! and taking me on a day trip my last day to see the Irish coast, which i was so hoping i would be able to do on this trip!!! you two are so wonderful, and i hope we can keep in touch. and i hope when it's little annie's turn to be a mammy i get pictures of her kids! my little love...

11. life is... so... so good.

12. meet you in d' pub me friends!

13. this concludes my blog about Ireland. it was AWESOME (class, savage, a jolly good time, totally gnarfest 2010.)

Thursday, June 3, 2010

i was sereneded

1. beer. lots of it.

2. i was sereneded! and he was GOOD!

3. DANCING!

4. i mean LOTS of it.

5. laughing, laughing, laughing.

6. giant onion rings.

7. i mean a freaking TON of it.

8. DANCING!

9. i actually... i actually miss annie and methre. i really do. freakin goats...

10. today was an absolutely beautiful day, we went shopping, coffee, shoes and books.

11. penney's.

12. monday is gonna be harsh.

13. next year, WWOOF in spain, or greece, then back here, try to make it for a bank holiday so we can get a cheap room in dublin and let loose.

14. i mean, to the point of being way too much beer.

15. DANCING!!!

16. what a way to end the trip. amazing, AMAZING time, catherine and roly's family is great, thomas, nicole and cassandra are so much fun and i have had such a lovely time with them!

17. time for tea.