0 dear ones

13 days. i have 13 days left in this magical fairytale world filled with the greenest greens and the bluest blues. it feels like i only just arrived here, yet at the same time it feels like i have lived here my whole life. weird how time can feel so contradictory, isn't it?

i have been stretched and consequentially have grown and learned more about life, friends, family, love, myself, and a different culture in the span of three months than i thought possible.  it is time for this chapter to come to an end and for a new one to begin, and while i am excited to be re-united with all of you beloved gems back in the americas, a large part of my heart will stay here in ireland. i will dearly miss this country and the friendships i have formed.

in years past i have prayed that God would place people in my life that would be able to accept me for who i am: awkward, eccentric, passionate, head-strong arianne. i desired to be surrounded by people that would not only accept me for who i am without judgment, but would also challenge me to pursue God on a daily basis, founding my identity in Christ above all else.  i wanted people who would hold me and listen to me as i cried and who would also laugh at stupid things with me even when there really seemed to be anything to laugh at. i wanted to share my stories and grow from other people's experiences, feeling free to say whatever came to our mind or express whatever it was either of us were truly feeling. i wanted people who would stay by my side, regardless of life's circumstances.

and God gave me that with all of you.  i have been blessed with a beautiful group of men and women on this trip and back home who have continually amazed me these past months, showing me what it truly looks like to accept and love people for who God made them to be.

i love all of you dear ones to the moon and back. thank you for being here for me.

0 paradise

today i found my favorite place in the world. i realize this is quite a statement to make, but it is true. i found paradise.  a piece of my heart will always be at hook lighthouse, and i hope and pray that i will be able to visit again.

it was so freeing to have several hours to explore caves and rocky beaches along the irish sea. i am always amazed at the power and beauty of the ocean, portraying God's immense power and control over everything. it never ceases to take my breath away.

whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
ee cummings

0 simplicity

i am currently on spring break, and there are only a few of us left who opted to stay here in Greystones.  at first, i was terribly disappointed at the prospect of not being able to travel the world, exploring Rome or Paris or London or some exotic European country my heart has always longed to visit. however, that was simply not going to work unless hundreds of euros magically floated into my hands (which is highly unlikely, considering i live in the real world, not a fairytale, where i am a poor student, not an enchanting princess with woodland creatures that help make all my dreams come true).

i went into this weekend with dissapointment and apprehension, not wanting to merely waste my free time in coolnagreina (the ywca where i live). however, as the weekend continues i have quickly come to realize that maybe i needed to stay here in greystones to learn something: life is beautiful regardless of where we are placed and is not something to be rushed through.

it is very easy for me to look towards the future, looking forward to being reunited with people or coming home to my favorite places without truly appreciating the little moments i have been given here in Ireland.  i may not be in Paris, but i am in Ireland. Ireland! the land of sheep and green rolling mountains and the glorious blue sea!

life is about little moments and i would like to learn to appreciate all of them, recognizing and appreciating beauty in all of its forms: in graffiti, in the ways people's eyes light up when they talk about what they love, in art, in the sea, in quaint vintage bookstores.

the more i am here, the more i am learning to appreciate the simplicity of life. there is something to be said for grand gestures or extravagant events, but there is also something to be said about the simple everyday joys. sometimes grand adventures are needed, but i also don't want to take for granted the little things.

below is my favorite spoken word poem: "If I should have a daughter" by Sarah Kay. it is absolutely breathtaking, so please be enchanted by its beauty.

my favorite line reads: "always apologize when you’ve done something wrong but don’t you ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining."

darlings, please allow yourself to be wonderstruck by all the beauty this world has to offer.

0 beauty and brokenness

life is chaotic and beautiful at the same time. days like today are difficult because i see all the blessings and beauty surrounding me, yet i also realize that i am surrounded by a lot of pain and suffering too.

it is difficult to know which to focus on and how to properly divide my attention between the two.

God is slowly teaching me that i can't fix all the pain in the world. i could try, but i would inevitably fail and end up more exhausted than when i started. i need to trust in His sufficient grace and allow Him to work through the hurt and the pain, carrying my burdens and the burdens of those around me.

i am trying to be present in every single moment, never taking the opportunities that i have for granted, even when life is difficult. i think we all need to learn to dance and laugh and do whatever it is that makes us feel alive, making beautiful memories every day in spite of the hurt. but we also need to know we don't have to be afraid to cry or be sad, knowing that God will carry each and every one of us through every trial if we only allow Him to. it is a difficult balance, for sure.

take hold of this life, soaking up every single moment. and most importantly, read poetry....it will soothe your soul.

Via Source: Typewriter Series #383 by Tyler Knott Gregson

0 love love love

i love love. i think it is absolutely beautiful and have always adored hearing stories of grand romantic gestures ever since i was a little girl.

yesterday we had the privilege of visiting kilmainham gaol, which is a former prison where many leaders of the Irish rebellion were imprisoned and executed during the early 1900s. the section in particular that caught my attention was the last letter exhibit that displayed letters from prisoners who wrote their last words to spouses, parents, and loved ones shortly before they were executed.

the story of Joseph and Grace Plunkett was particularly moving. shortly before Joseph was executed, the couple was given a 10 minute wedding ceremony directly before he was led to his death. 

the letter shown below was written to his beloved Grace asking for her hand in marriage.

it reads:

Darling Grace,

You will marry me and nobody else.  I have a damned fool and a blind imbecile but thank God I see...I love you and you only and will never love anyone else.

Your love,

Joe

precious and heartbreaking, isn't it? i hope that you appreciate this breathtaking expression of love, my dear ones.

0 beautiful things

i thought i would share some of the beautiful things in my life. like hearts and coffee and beautiful colors and adorable cafes and old books. enjoy, my dear ones!

 

0 seaside laughter

i love laughter. i think joy is the most beautiful feeling to both witness and personally experience. yesterday was filled with not only laughter, but the ocean and cupcakes and friends and ireland and new art supplies and ben and jerry's.  so basically yesterday was enchanting.

however, this past week has been overwhelming, exhausting, and draining. yet, as we sat on the rocks overlooking the ocean this morning, singing praise songs by the sea for chapel, i was challenged to not focus so much on the stress and worry that inevitably exists in life, but to focus on God's beauty and the spectacular things He does each and every day. i could focus on how hard this week was for me, or i could realize how much beauty surrounds me every day and how blessed i am to be in such a vibrant country.

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you"