A leithéid de sheachtain! / What a week!

A leithéid de sheachtain! Dé Máirt atá ann anois agus tá mé go fóill ag teacht ar ais chugam féin i ndiaidh na seachtaine seo caite. Seachtain lán ranganna, taisteal, cairde agus grá. Nuair a smaoinigh mé ar an mblag seo a scríobh shíl mé go mbeadh croí trom agam, go mbeadh mé brónach i ndiaidh mo ranganna sna Sé Chontae a chríochnú agus cairde a fhágáil. Ach a mhalairt ar fad atá á mhothú agam. Tá croí go hiomlán lán agam!

What a week! It is Tuesday and I feel like I am still recovering from last week! I had a week full of classes, travelling, friends – old and new, and so much love! When I thought about writing this blog about the past week, I thought that I would be writing it with a heavy heart after all of my goodbyes but in fact, I have such a full heart after it all! A heart full of love and gratitude for it all!

Chomh maith le bheith ag múineadh ó thuaidh an tseachtain seo caite, bhí mé ag múineadh i gConamara freisin. Bhí ranganna agam mar chuid de chúrsa A le Coláiste Chamuis agus sílim gur thuig an chuid is mó de na scoláirí a bhí agam mé, go háirithe na scoláirí níos sine. Nuair a shiúil mé isteach sa halla sin rith sé liom nach raibh mé cinnte an raibh mé níos neirbhísí an lá sin, nó ar na laethanta gur thosaigh mé ann agus mé i mo scoláire. Tá roinnt taithí agam le déagóirí ach ní an-chuid agus cosúil le chuile dhuine, tá siad uilig difriúil óna chéile ach de bharr m’easpa taithí leo agus díreach toisc gur grúpa nua a bhí ann bhí eagla an domhain orm agus mé ag gabháil isteach le ranganna aireachais a mhúineadh dóibh. I ndiaidh an chéad rang, d’athraigh mé ord an ranga thart ach don chuid is mó sílim gur bhain siad sult as agus gur d’fhoghlaim siad rud nó dhó. Bhí an rang céanna agam do gach grúpa ach bhí gach uile rang difriúil toisc gur grúpa difriúil a bhí ann.  

As well as teaching in the North this week I was also teaching in Connemara. I was teaching mindfulness classes as part of Coláiste Chamuis’s Cúrsa A and I think the students understood some of what I was teaching! Which is always a plus! When I walked into that hall to teach I couldn’t work out if I was more nervous that day or on the days way back when when I was a student! I do have some experience with teaching teenagers but not a lot, and as well as that they’re all different, just like we are I guess! But due to my lack of experience and simply because they were a new group for me I was really nervous! After my first class I changed around the order of what I was teaching but all in all I think they enjoyed learning about mindfulness and I think some of them may have even learnt a thing or two as well! I taught the same class to every group but it was never actually the same class because it was a new group with fresh ideas and fresh eyes.

An uair dheireanach roimhe seo go raibh mé i nGaillimh, ná mí Feabhra na bliana seo. Bhí an cinneadh déanta agam go mbogfainn go Gaillimh ach bhí a fhios agam go raibh cúpla mí go fóill le dul agam. Shíl mé ag an am sin agus mé ag tabhairt cúirte ar chara liom go mothóinn níos fearr faoin gcinneadh. Go mbeadh faoiseamh nó rud éigin le mothú agam agus mé ar ais ann ach níor mhothaigh. Mhothaigh mé níos measa. Chuir an turas ar fad eagla orm; thosaigh mé ag ceistiú mé féin; b’fhéidir nach seo an áit is fearr dom, bheadh sé i bhfad níos fusa fanacht i mBéal Feirste, áit atá cairde agam agus atá fios mo bhealaigh agam….ach an uair seo, a mhalairt fad a tharla!

Before this, the last time I was in Galway was in February this year. At that point I had decided that I was moving to Galway but I knew that it wouldn’t be for another few months. I thought that going down to visit my friend would make me feel better. I thought that I would get some sort of a ‘you’ve made the right decision’ feeling but I didn’t. Being in the city made me really nervous, it made me start questioning whether Galway was where I should go, I even started wondering if I should stay in Belfast but this trip had me feeling the complete opposite!  

Bhí deis agam ranganna aireachais a mhúineadh i nGaeilge; an dhá rud is ansa liom tagtha le chéile! Cuireadh fáilte mhór romham sa choláiste agus chas mé le seanchairde agus daoine nua. Bhí brón de chineál éigin orm agus mé ag fágáil ar an gCéadaoin ach brón le croí lán a bhí ann!

I had the opportunity to teach mindfulness classes in Irish; two of my favourite things coming together. The staff at Coláiste Chamuis and Gearóid Denvir who happened to be there as well all welcomed me with open arms. I met old friends who are teaching there and I also met lots of new people. I was even a little sad to be leaving on Wednesday but I had a full heart which made the sadness feel a little better.

Ansin ar an Déardaoin, bhí mé scriosta i ndiaidh an taistil ar fad ach bhí a fhios agam go raibh lá mothúchánach romham agus mé ag fágáil slán le Bunscoil Naomh Seosamh sna Sruthán. Le linn na hoibre ar fad atá déanta agam orm féin, go háirithe le Miranda MacPherson le blianta beaga anuas, d’fhoghlaim mé neart fuaim féin. Ceann de na rudaí a d’fhoghlaim mé ná ó aois an-óg bheartaigh mé nach raibh agus nach bhfuil mé tábhachtach. Croí-chreidiúint atá ann dom agus dá bharr, de gnáth níor tharraing mé aird orm féin. Thaitin ‘Slán na hÉireannaigh’ go mór liom; sleamhnú amach an dorais gan slán a fhágáil le héinne. Ach le dul i ngleic leis an gcreidiúint seo bhí orm a rá leis na daltaí agus na múinteoirí ar fad in Naomh Seosamh go raibh mé ag fágáil agus dá bharr bhí lá deireanach álainn agam! Tugadh bronntanais gleoite dom, glacadh pictiúir agus bhí barróga go leor ann dom! Shíl mé go mbeadh mo chroí trom i ndiaidh an lae sin ach arís eile bhí mo chroí lán grá agus tá mé thar a bheith buíoch de na múinteoirí agus na daltaí ar fad! Ach go háirithe de Louise a chruthaigh an fráma álainn dom le gach dalta istigh ann! (thíos) A leithéid de thalún!

And then on Thursday, I was wreaked after all of my travelling but I knew that I had a big emotional day ahead of me in St Joseph’s. In recent years, with the help of my meditation practice and my teacher Miranda MacPherson I have learnt a lot about myself. One of the things that I learnt is that one of my core beliefs is that I am not important. I developed this belief as a young child and as a result of it I have avoided drawing any attention to myself. I really loved the ‘Irish goodbye’ of slipping out the door without saying anything to anyone. But in order to help myself break down this belief I had to tell the students and teachers at St Joseph’s that I was leaving and the result of that was that I had a lovely last day! I was given some lovely presents, had my picture taken with the students and I got lots of hugs! I thought that I would have a heavy heart after it all but I was completely the opposite! My heart was so full of love and gratitude for the students and teachers, especially for Louise who made me such a beautiful present with all of the children in it (below). What talent!

Mar a dúirt mé ag an tús, tá mé go fóill ag teacht ar ais chugam féin i ndiaidh na seachtaine ach níl an t-am agam sos a ghlacadh go fóill – tá aistriúcháin le déanamh, lóistín le haimsiú, an carr le socrú agus bhí cúpla ag cara liom an tseachtain seo caite freisin! A leithéid de sheachtain! Agus tá mé thar a bheith buíoch de na cairde ar fad atá agam timpeall na tíre a lig dom fanacht leo, chuir siad go mór leis an seachtain agus deis cainte agam leo, chomh maith leis na béiltí a tugadh dom! Mo ghrá sibh!

As I mentioned above, I am still recovering from the past week but I don’t have the time yet to take a break – I have translations to do, accommodation to find, a car to sort out and my best friend had twins last week as well! What a week! And it really wouldn’t have been the same without the fantastic friends I have all over the country that put me up, gave me a chance to catch up with them and even fed me! Thank you all! Xx