If you have
this picture of Ireland
in your head; green fields, sheep, colourful pubs and friendly people
with a
love and passion for music, then you are right. But Ireland and living
in
Ireland is much more than this!After
I
came to Killarney last
November to spend a year on the green island, I noticed very quickly
that I
couldn’t find any sheep around me, that the weather is so much better
than I’d
expected (I once counted that I didn’t need an umbrella for almost two
weeks!),
that the pubs can sometimes be empty and that the people in towns can
be in a
big rush just like every city in the world.
If
you
plan a visit or a longer stay
in Ireland, you should try to discover the country without too many
prejudices
and be open to the people because they make the place. Personally, I
think that
you should try the food even if it’s different to the food you usually
eat,
enjoy the chat with the Irish on the street, in the supermarket or in
the queue
in the bank (even if you don’t understand half the conversation!) and
open your
eyes to all the small things which happen in everyday Irish life.To my mind I
most enjoy the lifestyle
of the Irish:positive thinking, not
taking everything so seriously, a good sense of humour and making the
most of
the beautiful landscape that is all around.Maybe you’ll prefer a different place
if you visit Ireland. However, I think it would be extremely difficult
to find
a better place than Killarney!
