Throughout our lives, no matter how long or short, we will all come into contact with different types of people. We will realize that there is a purpose for everyone we meet. Some will test us, some will use us, some will teach us, but most importantly are the ones that bring out the best in us. Those are the ones worth keeping around. If you’re lucky enough to realize that you’ve met them, then hold onto those people because as we grow older we realize that it becomes less important to have a ton of friends and more important to have real ones. I’ve been so busy writing about my new and exciting experiences here in Ireland that I focused more on the people I met for a small time and knew I would never see again (like the hitchhiker and random guy at the cathedral) , then on the ones that have made an impact on me. My friends. So instead of talking about the random things that happened to me this week (because it’s me and I always seem to get myself into the weirdest situations) I want to talk about the people I’ve met here in Ireland and have made this beautiful country feel like home. My Host Family: The Elliott’s I know many of you have been wondering why I don’t talk too much about my host family and the answer is easy, for privacy reasons. But let me begin by saying that I couldn’t have been placed anywhere better. I learn more and more each day how lucky I am to be living with this family and since day one they have gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable here. My room is huge, I have a bathroom to myself (which with five brothers and sisters is a new thing for me), my host dad is very kind and has taught me a lot about business, and my Host mom Maria is an AMAZING cook! I tell her often that she needs to start her own cooking show. The children are well mannered and make me laugh daily. They remind me to laugh at the littlest things and that a child’s laughter is the purest kind out there. We live in the most picturesque town I’ve ever seen. The house is beautiful. The town and the people here are more than welcoming and will go out of their way to help you. Everyone here is so active and even when it’s raining and pouring outside, you still see people going out for their walks and runs. I watch them from inside snuggled with my hot chocolate, hahahaha. I love it here, and I’m thankful every day that I was placed with the Elliott family. The Elliott’s are the family that brought me to Ireland. I wouldn’t be here or at least in Limerick if it weren’t for them. But I’ve also met other people that make me want to stay here in Ireland, not because it’s my job, but because I want to. The Faloons The Faloons moved to Ireland from Australia three years ago and let me just say that they run this town. They have life here in Ireland – from the people, to the shops, to the best routes- figured out and I have learned so much from them. They have introduced me to a lot of new things that would have taken me a while to do on my own. I’ve had my first bite of vegemite (which I really like so eat that haters!), taken my first public bus, introduced me to the best Milk market I’ve ever been too, and tutored me in the art of making every day deserts even better (yeah, you people have no idea what your missing) just to name a few things. I’ve learned that despite growing up opposite sides of the world we are more alike than we are different. The father Shaun Faloon is the first person who welcomed me to Ireland even before I arrived. Since he is the Branch President of the church here in Ireland, my dad contacted him to let him know I was coming (you know how dads are when their kids are moving across the world). Not even an hour later I received a message from Shaun Faloon welcoming me to Ireland and filling me in on what to expect. The fact that he would go out of his way to welcome me to a country I hadn’t even traveled to yet really made me feel at home before I even left my hometown. I remember the First time I met Kirsten Faloon she skipped the handshake and went straight for a hug. And not one of those hugs where you pat the other persons back and move on quickly, but a real hug, one that makes you feel like it’s your own mom hugging you from all the way across the world. And that’s what Kirsten feels like to me. She’s my mother from another zip code. She welcomed me into her home with loving arms and even after spending the weekend with me she invited me back again and again. I went from feeling like a guest in their home to feeling like a part of the family. Because that’s how Kirsten makes you feel. She is always genuinely happy to see you, jokes around with you you’re your best friend, knows when something is wrong, will go out of her way to help you, and like every mother wants the best for you. Kirsten has taught me how to cook some fine Sunday dinner meals for what seems sometimes like thirty people, and let me just say that she can cook! Everything she makes is amazing and every Sunday she sends her delicious food home with me that is usually devoured by lunch the next day. I don’t know what I would do without her here and honestly can’t thank her enough for her generosity and making me feel like part of the family. The Faloon kids are probably the coolest kids you’ve ever met. We are all really close in age so it’s fun to hang out and joke around with each other. The boys remind me a lot of my brothers and even though I haven’t been put in a chokehold yet (like my brothers would do) I’m pretty sure it’s coming eventually. This is Krystian. She is the kindest most selfless person I have ever met. Krystian will go out of her way to make you feel welcome, and never expects anything in return. She feels like my sister from another mister, taught me how to properly apply my makeup like any sister would, and taught me how to make sushi from scratch. She is one of those friends that you can sit in comfortable silence with and you don’t have to say anything because you guys are always on the same page. Krystian has shown me that friendship isn’t about who you have known the longest. It’s about who walked into your life, said “I’m here for you” and proved it. This is Christina. Like me she was taken in as part of the family. Christina is from Belfast and moved down when she started dating Kimball Faloon who is currently serving his mission in Germany. Christina has a big heart and has one of those faces where you can tell or ask her anything. Literally, people will stop on the street to ask for her help even when it would have been way easier to ask any of us that were closer. It’s actually pretty funny to see because it happens so often. If you want to hear the cutest northern Irish accent then all you have to do is talk to Christina, I promise it will make your day. Christina and I laugh at the dumbest things and share a love for movies and shows, especially Greys Anatomy at which we spend time every week to discuss the latest episodes at length. Christina is the friend who picks you up when you fall down, and if she can’t, she will lie down and listen until things are better again. Krystian and Christina are basically my sisters. We spend weekends shopping, watching movies, making food, talk about ordering food for hours then spend another hour looking at take out menus before we actually order and watch a movie. We know each other’s likes and dislikes, borrow each other’s makeup, and stay up late into the night talking in the dark before we actually fall asleep. Our friendship is secretly giving other people nicknames so only we know who we are talking about, not needing to explain things because we are on the same page, annoying each other and enjoying it, being each other’s therapists, and knowing the whole conversation with just one look. I would have had fun here in Ireland, but it wouldn’t be the same without them.
I don’t know what I would do without the Faloons. They have taken me in as their own and I love every minute I spend with them. Honestly, we could probably be watching fresh paint dry on a wall and I’d be perfectly content. I love them because they are real. They don’t try to be anything other than who they are and they are down to earth. They know how to take a joke and even better turn that joke back around into something even funnier. They remind me a lot of my family back home and I think that is one of the reasons that I’ve never felt homesick. Sometimes I think of how much I would be missing if I didn’t move to Ireland and never met the Faloons. But then I remind myself that I did make the move and I’m even more grateful that I did. No matter where you go you always have the opportunity to meet new people, try new things, and have new experiences. But all of that is better experienced with friends and family. Notice the people who are happy for your happiness, and sad for your sadness. They’re the ones who deserve a special place in your heart. Like Kirsten Faloon told me, “you’ll have friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime.” How long they are in your life is entirely up to you.
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February 2016
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