Living in Tallaghanbahn

When I arrived I was living in this very remote village called Tallaghanbahn   I loved it.  And I hated it.  I didn't have a vehicle and with all I had spent and was spending to figure out Lilly it was not going to happen.  Also, the house I was in was WAY too big for little ol' me!  I couldn't get it heated the water or the house.  I loved the people I rented from and the village was very quaint.  Next to the Wild Atlantic Way which was amazing! 

After two months and knowing Lilly wasn't coming I decided to move.  I found a lovely 2 bedroom near Belmullet called Blacksod.  And I went and moved.  Again remote but RIGHT ON THE OCEAN!  It was so beautiful.  The one big issue was no internet.  UGH!  Anyone that knows me knows I cannot be without my trusted internet.  So, when my visitor came I told her we were moving.  I am not going to go too much into visitor because I love her daughter and I don't want anything in here to upset her.  I will say we went to Northern Ireland, Dublin and down to Blarney Castle area.  Really fun! 

So, after a month in Blacksod I found an ad on daft.ie for a little cottage in Lacken for 300 euros a month!  When I went to talk to landlady she said I could have it for 200!  Needless to say it was perfect!  2+bedrooms and internet!  Right near Ballina and Killala so not as remote!  Have a car so able to get where I need to go.  And I help my landlady with her "Aunt" who is bedridden and 95 years old.  Met friends here.  Play Bingo here.  And started dating here!  So the next blogs will be all about that!  Hope you are enjoying! 

Today is my first time blogging

So, hello everyone!  I am Janine I am living in Ireland and really having some interesting experiences.  I think I need to start at my arrival here in June.  Because I always feel that the beginning is a good place to start! 

On June 13th I said good bye to Seattle and to all my friends and family there.  My daughter Lilly said goodbye but not for long as she was going to join me in 2 days.  On the plane on my birthday was exciting.  I had my two "emotional support" dogs sitting next to me and the Delta crew were very accommodating.  I arrived in London at Heathrow airport, breezed through customs, good to have dogs with you!  Got on the first part of my 24 hour journey into what I thought later was hell.

To get to Ireland from London is not an easy task.  I had to fly into London because of the two dogs.  So, I hoped into a taxi to take me to Euston Station where I grabbed a train to Wales to then get on a ferry to Ireland. 

When I got to the Ferry terminal in Wales is when I thought I had entered HELL!  You see Lilly didn't get on the plane, instead she met up with some druggies and decided to shoot up.  I didn't think I was going to make it, I truly didn't.  I was at the terminal like 5 hours early and just sat there sobbing.  One of the women that was at the ticket office brought me tea and a sandwich.  She booked me for free into a room on the overnight ferry.  She felt so terrible for me. 

Then I arrived in Dublin and had to go from the ferry to the train station by taxi again.  By this time I think I was numb.  So I got on the train, which they weren't going to let me on with two dogs.  I ALMOST lost it.  But luckily they did and I got to Ballina where I was supposed to get a bus to Belmullet to be picked up by my new landlords.  The bus WOULD NOT let the dogs on and I didn't know what I was going to do.  Luckily again the kind landlords came and got me after about 4 hours.  I didn't care, I just wanted to get to my new house, try to figure out if Lilly was okay and sleep. 

Lilly wasn't okay.  She was alive and that was the most important thing.  My wonderful friend Lisa finally after about a week got her and took her to the hospital.  That was the beginning of Lilly's journey which I am not going to talk much more about.  But let's just say it took 2 months for her to be where she is now.  And during that time I had a plan to hurt myself if she died.  I don't anymore.  I did then. 

So that was the beginning of my journey here.  I think that is a good place to stop this first blog.  I will continue soon.  I like this!  DUH!!!