First things first, I’ve had an email from Ashford Castle, declaring my job trial “unsuccessful”.

Quite how I’ve been unsuccessful, I have no idea, but regardless, that’s that.

On a more positive note, my good friend from Bath visited me here in Renvyle, from the 1st – 6th October, which was a great antidote to my job-finding frustrations and a boost to my morale. (At this point I had applied for 35+ jobs online and also handed my CV in to many places locally, in person, with no real luck).

So that my friend could see all the places I’d been passionately describing over Skype for the last few months, I drove us around a good number of sights in the area. As we rolled through rural villages, I provided a verbal commentary to accompany the visuals. My mind gradually lightened after purging the backlog of memories, freeing up brain-space. Therapy indeed.

We also went to a number of local pubs, soaking up the Guinness and inhaling the finest aromas of smouldering turf wafting over from the open fires, marinading ourselves in the best Ireland has to offer. If we stayed at the bar long enough I’m sure we could eventually be strung up like smoked, cured meats, the colour of Guinness. Irish jerky perhaps!

All in all, we just hung out together and it was great (especially for me), spending time again with someone I know well enough that an “extra conscious effort” is not required.

Over the course of the week, my morale took on a gradual upward trajectory, until the day my friend had to return to the UK. For me, then, it was a rather rapid drop back down to the reality of job hunting, running out of money and meeting strangers all over again, but I decided to re-double my efforts and focus my energies on something constructive. Sometimes these moments can have a galvanising effect if you channel your thoughts in the right direction and I was still as committed to wringing out every last drop of opportunity from this whole experience as when I arrived, if not more so. Pressing ahead and forging as good a foundation here as possible could still and would still be achieved!

I gritted my teeth and transferred my remaining €1000 into my Irish account and decided to continue on with my plan of finding a job in Ireland, blocking out my critical monologue, suggesting I be sensible and head home to Bath. A little longer, just a little longer!

In the bigger picture and long arc of time, I’m aware that sacrifices (i.e. spending hard earned savings) must sometimes be made in order to move on to something better. Nothing changes unless you make it change, most of the time.

I had one final job prospect remaining in Ireland:

I called the number written on the job advert and after a generally positive chat, I emailed over my CV .

I made an ultimatum to myself:

If I didn’t hear anything positive back from this one, in a week’s time, I’d buy a ferry ticket and drive the van back to Bath.

Everything now rested on this last chance.

 

Music on the iPhone:

Run Away with Me by Carly Rae Jepsen

Boy Problems by Carly Rae Jepsen

Kill V. Maim by Grimes

Artangels by Grimes

Barem se Ergen nahodih by Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria & Vania Moneva

Nowadays (Remastered) by Yus

I’m Gonna Be Strong by Cyndi Lauper

Walkabout by Blue States