Life Update…
Coole Lough, Co. Galway, Ireland
Good morning! Today will be a quick life update. I said I’d blog my journey so you could follow along; maybe it’ll give you some ideas or inspire you to take on some creative projects while you work everything else out. I’m going to say right off the bat that I am still figuring things out! No big dream job just yet, but I think it’s just not the right time for it.
Quick recap: after I quit my job as a contact tracer, we set off to Brazil for the month of July, we spent August in Ireland planning our scouting trip in Portugal, and the next 6 weeks on said trip.
Before I quit, contact tracing had dialled down majorly, so I had an abundance of time (at work!) to figure out my next source of income. Ideal. I’d have no fixed address for the next 3 months, at least, so I would need something very flexible and remote for the foreseeable future.
Luke’s mum suggested teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). My knee-jerk reaction was, ‘no’ - I’ve never really been interested in teaching, but it only took me a few minutes to realise it would be perfect. I could take an online course at my own pace and then teach online from anywhere. Theoretically, I’d even be able to choose my own hours and maybe even my rates. I did a lot of research into the courses and the current jobs/ platforms available, and I decided to go for it. I’ve always loved languages, and it would be fun to learn about the English language from a student’s perspective. - This got me especially excited. Plus… I miss learning.
I even thought up a long-term plan: if TEFL went well, I could look into teaching Medical English. This would be a little more specific to my skill set and would be niche enough to increase my rates. I found an online follow-up course and contacted them to confirm it was relevant - it was. By the time I quit contact tracing, I had a solid plan and I was feeling pretty good about it!
I started the TEFL course in August and got about halfway at a nice steady pace - just a little bit each day… then we went to Portugal. I got lazy with it and let myself get distracted. I’ve done very little TEFL since August, but I am going to finish it. It would be great to feel productive again.
Regarding Portugal, our relocation agent is still looking for a pet-friendly rental house for us. There’s been an increase in demand for rental properties in the area, so landlords have their pick and non-pet owners are more desirable, unfortunately; but we can be patient.
Anyhow, we weren’t expecting to be in Ireland over winter - with our stuff packed into boxes in the shed. Including my plants! Not in boxes of course. The plants were at risk of frost damage and the rest of our stuff was probably already getting damp, so we had the brilliant idea to move into the shed with them!
We spent the better part of the last two weeks turning the shed into a tiny home! I love designing spaces, so I was beaming when we decided to do this. I had the best couple of weeks. I was motivated, I had energy, I was productive. It was the best break from the mundane, and I just love a project!
We have everything but a bathroom and an oven in here, but it is wonderful! We’ve unpacked a load of stuff, so we have access to more clothes, our couch, tv, kitchenware, and Luke’s standing desk. It’s really great. I’ve dreamed of a tiny home experience for years and now I have the chance to try it out! It’s perfect for now.
I have a few other things going on as well; like writing this blog. I’ve had some great feedback, so thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts! I’m so pleased it’s reaching people.
I foster kittens. We have two in our care at the moment and they’re looking for homes, so if you’re in Ireland and you’d like to adopt one or two friendly felines, you can check them out at @galwayfosters on Instagram, and send me a DM through there.
I crochet. I’ve created three original patterns for soft toys, and I sell the physical toys in Barna, Co. Galway. The beautiful little shop is called Ro & Vee… cois farraige. - You might be interested to know that Ro was an SHO on my team at Portiuncula Hospital. She’s a GP trainee now and a very talented jeweller!
And I’ve reopened my Etsy shop. I’ve put my crochet patterns up for sale as instant PDF downloads. Check them out if you like to crochet! I’ll be donating all proceeds from sales between now and Christmas Day to North Galway Animal Supporters (NGAS) - they’re a very small local animal charity and rescue in Tuam/ Claregalway, Co. Galway. Luke and I have been fostering kittens with them since 2019, and it has been a wonderful experience!
If you don’t crochet but you’d like to support NGAS, you can donate to them directly. Their PayPal and Registered Charity Number are at the top of their Facebook page.
I think that sums it all up! At the risk of ending this post on a somewhat sombre note, I want to share that it’s been a little tough the last while. I expected to be in a different country, settling into a new community and culture by now. I admit I was relying on the adrenaline rush that comes with moving to a whole new place, to give me the energy, inspire and motivate me - to give me A PUSH to just do the thing and start making a little money! Not knowing when we’ll be relocating has put us at a bit of a standstill. I've definitely used that as an excuse to put the TEFL off … but I can’t anymore because it’s affecting my mood.
Not having a regular source of income has been a major source of self-doubt for me. One really great thing my intern year gave me was financial independence. When I left medicine, I felt huge anxiety over being unemployed and potentially having to ask my dad to help me out again. Unemployment, for me at least, brings with it feelings of guilt and shame and ultimately self-doubt and low self-esteem. This is something I’d like to discuss further in a future post because it was a significant ‘side-effect’ of leaving medicine when I did and how I did.
I want to make a promise to you (so I can be held accountable) and to myself: I will finish this TEFL course, and I will finish it within the next 6 weeks.
Take care and stay warm!
Isabella
