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Chickens in the Garden, Wellies by the Door - An American in Rural Ireland
An excerpt from the book by V J Fadely

I stood in line at the Dublin airport, waiting my turn to go through Customs, tired after the long trip, but buoyed by my excitement and not impatient as I would have been in the past. I had time; I wasn’t going anywhere. It felt strange. The familiar CÉAD MÍLE FÁILTE! (a hundred thousand welcomes) signs I’d so often seen on previous visits now held a different significance for me. They welcomed me to Ireland, not for a two week holiday, but to live. After many months of planning and preparation, I had finally made the move from California to Ireland.

My emotions were a little out of whack those first days. I went from bliss to apprehension mixed with bewildered disbelief, and all levels in between. Questions niggled away at the back of my mind like pesky mosquitoes and I swatted them away with annoyance. Had I made the right decision? Z-z-z-z. Would I like living in Ireland? Z-z-z-z. What would it be like not having a car? Z-z-z-z. Would this really be the change I hoped for? Z-z-z-splat! But overall, I felt happy anticipation. Life in Ireland would be what I made it. I was on the edge of something big; I felt certain of that.

I awoke the next morning feeling well-rested, made coffee, and lit a fire. I opened the back door and stepped out into the cool quiet of the County Kerry morning, the only sound the birds singing in the trees. I gazed out across the hillside, looked up at the blue sky and took deep breaths of the sweet Irish air before returning indoors. I drank my coffee, my first cup on my first morning, by my first fire, in my new Irish home, and imagined my elation was surely glowing like an aura around me. It had been a long road from dream to reality, but I’d made it. I smiled and laughed at myself remembering my anxiety the night before. Strong as it had been, it had disappeared along with the starry night sky. My mind had caught up with my heart. I was fine; I was more than fine. I was in Ireland!

The modern suburban landscape of my old neighborhood in Southern California was replaced with an early nineteenth century dwelling on a street lined with old stone walls where, I’d discovered on my first day, chickens scratched and clucked their way through my back garden. I walked in the rain in my wellington boots – better known as wellies – with no thought toward whether I looked fashionable, and met friends with lovely Irish accents for window shopping or a cup of tea. The neighbors brought me fresh eggs and garden produce. Random remarks to strangers could develop into full-blown chats and a few minutes could melt into half an hour. An evening outing was a few pints of perfectly-poured Guinness in a pub a short walk up the road, where the warmth of a fire, friendly folks, and jigs and reels provided the Irish ambiance I’d only experienced in movies.

I had devoted ridiculous amounts of time to serious research and planning during the year before I made the move. But there was no course available, no book to study, offering the ‘how to’s’ of the practical, day-to-day functions of living in Ireland. I hadn’t learned as much as I thought during all that research and my four two-week trips traveling around the country. I knew how to count to ten and make a few toasts in the Irish language; I was aware ordering a glass of Guinness would get you a half-pint; that a sign advertising CRAIC AGUS CEOL meant ‘fun and music,’ and traditional Irish music was called ‘trad music.’ I was nearly a pro at finding the tourist spots in Dublin. I’d been to many of Ireland’s historical sites, from Glendalough to the Skellig Islands. I’d walked on white sand beaches, through mossy forests and boggy fields, along quiet country lanes, and on steep mountain roads. So what? Very little of it had any particular relevance to the practicalities of daily living. I had much to learn. Trial and error would be the order of the day for a while.

In those first days as the autumn evenings unfolded, night’s shadows descending and the temperature cooling, I’d light the fire. I’d sit and eat dinner by the flickering flames, feeling safe and sheltered by the roof and walls of my new Irish home. In the quiet warmth I thought about the simple things that formed such an easy framework for my life in County Kerry. I felt proud of myself for all I was learning how to do and loved the tickling feeling of looking forward to what the coming days might bring, what new pleasure or discovery.

A small step at a time, I was relaxing into my Irish life. Like a chameleon dropped into a different landscape, my color was changing. While I would always show the Stars & Stripes and be That American Woman living in Ballyglen, I was settling in. I thought often of the lovely dream I’d once spent so much time in and gave thanks for the blessing of being able to live it.

ED. NOTE:

We are delighted that Ms Fadely has given us permission to reprint this excerpt from her new book "Chickens in the Garden, Wellies by the Door – An American in Rural Ireland". Yes, she is living the dream and now makes her home in rural Co Kerry.

Ms. Fadely originally contributed an article to Irish Culture and Customs in 2009 after her first trip to Ireland. To read the article, please click Two weeks in Heaven

BIO:
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, V. J. Fadely is an American with Irish ancestry. She retired from her career as a legal secretary in 2013. She enjoys gardening, writing, travel and new adventures. Her latest adventure, living in Co Kerry, Ireland, is still in progress.

Ms. Fadely has also written for Untours, an American travel company specializing in European holidays (untours.com), and authored a small booklet, Irish Bits & Pieces (©2015), a compilation of photos, tips and information for visitors to Ireland and ‘bits and pieces to bring back memories after the journey,’ is available on facebook.com/vjfadely.



Her latest book Chickens in the Garden, Wellies by the Door is available from: Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Create Space

And, Ms Fadely has also produced a fun and informative video. Please click: You Tube Promo