Moving to Ireland for a year was initially very intimidating, as I did not know much about Carlow, nor the people that live here. However, everyone has been so willing to go out of their way to make sure I am situated. Moments after Kojack learned that Johnny and I had not tried a certain Irish chocolate, he pulled off the road to get us some. Due to my limited cooking skills, my teammates have Friday night dinners and teach me how to cook various meals. Another teammate has surprised me with home cooked meals simply out of thoughtfulness. Others have driven me to see the view of Carlow from night as well as to a mountain where there are miles of farmland. A cashier once took fifteen minutes out of her day to draw a map displaying a recommended running route.
I live nearly 3,000 miles away from home, but it is acts of kindness like these that make me feel at home. Moving to a different country without knowing anyone there is a daunting thing to do. However, the ways in which the people of Carlow, as well as the strangers of Ireland, have gone out of their way to assist me is something I could not be more grateful for. It has made me realize the way life could be, as the past twenty-three years I have often found myself living in a haste, tunnel-vision manner. After being the outsider looking in, I have learned how meaningful little acts of kindness can be. And if there’s anything I can take away from this experience thus far, it is to try to implement this way of living as much as possible in my own life.
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
