Daisy Confetti

I have been thinking alot about my favorite things I have discovered here in Galway over the span of this school year. When everything feels hard and new like this year has felt, it is easy to forget that there are good things here, things that I love and will likely miss once I leave this place. 

Like the birds in Galway. Galway is so rainy and incredibly cold most of the time. But the birds add glimmers of confetti to my day. Somehow, even through bad-weather days, flashes of color will illuminate the grey. I think they greatly make up for the rain (although maybe not entirely). The birds here are surprisingly colorful. There are Irish goldfinches with reds, yellows, browns, black and white. There are little blue birds with striking blue and gold with little black stripes across their eyes. There are the robins which are my absolute favorites with their bright red faces and big personalities. There are beautiful swans in the canals and birds called wag tails which “wag” their tails as if they are constantly floating on water. 

We installed a little bird feeder on the bush outside our room so I can view them from our window. And I think the birds have kept me sane and in good company in the 58 days of quarantine that I have been inside.

Then there are the spring flowers. There are always a lot of flowers hanging from the various pubs and stores around town. But when the weather starts improving, all of a sudden groups of bright daffodils pop up from grassy lawns and around trees lending beautiful yellow and cream hues. They grow where you would least expect them; They are everywhere. Among the daffodils are the many colored tulips which bloom in April. They are gorgeous and I want to paint all of them. Then, there are the wildflowers that bloom on grassy lawns everywhere. I love that the little white daisies wait for the sun to rise before opening. When the sun awakes, the flowers do too, and the bright color of the flowers with the sunlight makes the world around me a vastly different place. 

In fact, I think this is the first time I understand the hope associated with Spring. The end of winter was hard to bear with 6 storms back to back with a mix of thunder, high winds and icy rain. But suddenly, the weather started to clear and there were so many bird songs and flowers! And not to mention the cutest bumblebees with white and red tails buzzing all around. I started slowly feeling less low when I looked outside. I felt like I was awakening, that the hope within me was given new life. It is easier now to tell myself everything will be okay. If the world can bloom after such storms, maybe I can too. 

The downtown area of Galway is something I will always remember. For all my fellow Harry Potter fans out there, I imagine I am walking down Diagon Alley as I gaze at the beautiful stone architecture and colorful buildings. I listen to the music on every street corner and the bustle of people around me. It all lends a magical air to the city. In downtown there is a plant store and a chocolate shop both of which I adore. The plant store is a hole-in-the-wall with beautiful bouquets and a small selection of indoor plants. There is this kind lady from Poland who works there and we have both bonded over our love of plants. We’ve shown each other our gardens from back home and I love talking with her whenever I visit. Also the chocolate shop is probably the cutest store in all of Galway. It is quaint and everything is pristine. Each chocolate is carefully handcrafted and packaged in these artistically designed boxes that I adore. They have the yummiest hot chocolates, too. 

One thing Ireland has taught me is that I love walking. Since we don’t have a car, we have to walk everywhere. Every day we walk from 2-7 miles as we go to school, to town, to appointments or stores, and back home. I love seeing the quaint country buildings as I walk by. Some still have thatched roofs and all the homes and buildings are painted different colors. I love walking along the old stone walls that line the streets instead of wire fences. They look like they have been there forever and little flowers often grow in the cracks between stones, making them look even more beautiful. I love walking the canals in Galway that surround the city. The canals are beautiful and peaceful. I enjoy zigzagging through them when Justin and I walk to the market or our favorite coffee shop. From the canals I can see the Galway cathedral and St. Nicholas Church, two landmarks which guide me to town or towards school. I love the sound of water paired with the occasional swan gliding on by or the silver glint of fishes swimming quickly past.

Even on the worst weather days, I enjoy walking and being outside. I feel alive and feel like I can breathe. During quarantine we have continued walking. We wind along the neighborhoods behind us, to this hill overlooking the sparkling sea. Seeing the ocean makes me feel less claustrophobic or trapped like I often feel being in such a small country city like Galway. I am so thankful to be close to the ocean here. It lends me peace. 

I love the pubs in Galway. Even on the dreariest of stormy nights, my favorite pub Tig Coili transports me to another world– one that is from years and years ago, one brimming with warmth and light. I love to sit and listen to the music there. There are family groups who will come and play traditional Irish music. Their music is incredible and I love to watch them. They have riffs that they all know and begin with. But once they begin, they constantly improvise off each other, weaving intricate melodies. They make it seem so easy and are closely attuned to each other. Between songs, there is a grandpa type figure who occasionally stands up to sing these beautiful, and somewhat haunting Irish tales with his singsong voice. Everyone in the pub will become silent with all eyes on him. I often look around to gaze at the people around me. Many of us do not know each other. Yet, there is a special feeling of closeness as we all experience this grand song full of emotion and life. As I sit there, I suddenly feel like I understand everything Tolkien wrote about when he set the scene for hobbit life with the beautiful songs, parties and the warmth of friendship.  

During our walk yesterday, Justin exclaimed how glad he is that we can live in such a beautiful place such as Galway. I agree with him. Even though we are 10 months in, it still hasn’t fully hit me that we live here now. In Galway, Ireland of all places. What a blessing it is to be here now with Justin in this magical place. It is something I will never forget.