I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I figure that if you really want to change a pattern of behavior there’s no need to fetishize a particular date? Just start changing. To me picking a resolution start date is a bit like stepping on the dance floor and then choosing a particular second for that first lame-assed downward thrusting cross-body hand stab with the hip wiggle shimmy. But I digress.
Seriously, I feel any time is a good time to change behaviors you are unhappy with. But at the start of our first calendar year in Ireland, there are a few things I’d like to change about Ireland and me, but mostly about me.
Don’t worry, I’m not launching into another Five Things I Hate About Ireland post. While some of those things still grate, after six months of living in Dublin I’ve learned to live with the ones I can’t fix. The larger, deeper issues about life in Ireland are things that will take much more time for me to grow accustomed to. And, as a recent immigrant I can’t (and shouldn’t) expect the country and city to come to me. The newbie must rise to meet his new home.
With this in mind, over the coming year, these are a few of the ways that I hope to reach out to Ireland:
- Make more Irish friends and contacts – Try to foster more friendships with locals, and deepen my existing friendships with folks other than expats.
- Explore Ireland on foot – Now that I’ve found a reliable outlet for my orthopedic lifts, I’d like to see more of the remarkable Irish countryside on foot. There are lots of walking and hiking trails, and I’d like to take advantage of them while I’m still young enough to hobble down a trail.
- Get to know the waterways of Ireland – I’ve been here six months and still haven’t gone sailing. Enough said.
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- Eat more fish – It’s Ireland. The fish is great
- Read More Irish Writers – I wrote about this a while back. I am a miserably slow reader, but it’s time to take the library card by the horns….
Let’s be clear. These are not resolutions, because I don’t do resolutions. They are simply a list of things I’d like to do in the next year to get to know my new home better. I just happened to put the list together right around the start of the New Year.
Mutter….mutter…don’t do resolutions…mutter…mutter
Things to look forward to in upcoming posts:
Taxes in Two Places.
It seems to me if you change #4 to “Explore Irish cuisine”, you have listed 5 reasons why anyone would want to live in a foreign country, with Ireland as your example. If you’re not meeting the locals, exploring local culture, and visiting local habitats, why’d you leave home? (Other than for job prospects?) Therefore, these aren’t resolutions at all…
I’ve always felt the same about New Year’s Resolutions; one should always seek to improve oneself in any way possible. I recently read an article in the New York Times, however, that included some statistics about self improvement and resolutions, suggesting that people who make a resolution (any time of the year) are far more likely to succeed at change. Granted, most resolutions fail, but an even higher failure rate results when no specific resolution exists to back up one’s resolve.
That said however, I like your “resolutions.”
Why not do a determined search for Ireland’s best beers and Whiskies, Glenn? You’ll no doubt meet lots of locals, learn about some great hikes and maybe get an invite to sail. If you do your pub crawls on Fridays, you’ll get to sample the fish, too. As for Joyce & company, your reading speed probably won’t improve, but you won’t care.
Great idea, Jim. Though I’m already well on my way with the whiskey tasting. Just discovered a new “favorite” – Slane Castle. Very smooth, with a mild peat backbeat.
Hi, why not look up walking clubs? Kill 2 birds with one stone… Us Irish can be hard to get to know without a common purpose… Or to get you started on walks there are a couple of books by Joss Lynam for easy enough walks near Dublin.
Fin, Thanks for the Lynam and walking group suggestions. The books look great.
If your looking for good walks I recomend glendalough in the wicklow mountains…best thing to do if you want to make more Irish friends is join your local GAA club. Theres generally a team for all levels.
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