If there are two things Ireland love (besides chips of course!) it would be 1) roundabouts and 2) revolving doors. Every trip we have taken or every road we travel on, there is at least 4-5 roundabouts that we have to go around. It seems like almost every five feet there is a lovely roundabout, and let me tell you Irish drivers don’t go slow through these! Along with roundabouts, almost anytime you walk into a store or shopping centre-you have to go through one of those revolving doors-the ones where you have to push to keep it moving. To be honest, I am slightly claustrophobic and usually avoid those doors. However, Sport Changes Life and Ireland are really making me face my fears. I have now gotten used to the lovely revolving doors and embrace them everywhere I go!
Now, you may be wondering why in the world I am writing a blog about roundabouts and revolving doors. These two things lead me to my main point of this blog. Here in Letterkenny, I have no access to car and/or public transportation, which means I have to walk or bike everywhere. (Shoutout to Ed for letting us borrow his bikes!) This means biking or walking to school, workouts, grocery shopping, and anywhere else you can think of. I love to track the miles I walk a day, and sometimes I am walking 7 miles a day. This a great workout for my body and staying in shape for hoop, but it also means that everything I do takes longer. If I have to bike or walk to a workout that is several miles away, that means I have to leave much earlier than I normally would. Walking or biking everywhere is especially fun when it rains here in Ireland, which let me tell you is everyday! A good raincoat is a sure necessity. During all my time spent walking, it is safe to say I come in contact with roundabouts and revolving doors quite often.
I didn’t write this blog to complain about walking or biking everywhere, I actually really enjoy getting fresh air and getting to stay in shape! I realized that I love it so much the other day when it was down pouring and the wind was blowing and I was still a mile away from home- and at first I thought, “NO!” but then I thought “YES!” It made me appreciate everything that I have access to at home in America and how truly lucky I am that when I go home, I will have access to a car (love my car Bessy) and public transportation. I realized how much easier life is with those things. I definitely had a moment in the rain, where I was just so thankful for all that I have been able to have in life. While I won’t have access to much transportation for the rest of this year, I am going to totally embrace it. How amazing it is to have this opportunity to be in Ireland and get to experience such a beautiful country by walking or biking everywhere. This whole experience has truly made me grateful for everything I have back home, and as also allowed me to live a much slower and relaxed way of life. I get to take in nature and appreciate everything around me during my walks to and from places.
So for this year, I will fully embrace every long walk, every bike ride, every roundabout, and even every revolving door! Sometimes, the best things in life are the little things that truly make you appreciate everything you have.
