The Cold Plunge: The Irish Chapter Begins

I landed in Dublin on the 26th of June 2024, weary from the delayed, late-night departure from Toronto, but grateful that the time between my arrival and check-in at my accommodation had been reduced. As I caught the Dublin Express bus into the city, I felt different to how I had expected at this moment. A small part of me was excited to be back in Ireland, my spirit home and favourite country in the world. A big part was low-key terrified.

Travelling through the city, it seemed different from what I remembered, and the same all at once. After five years, it was like coming home.

As in Canada, universities in Ireland make their student accommodation rooms available for casual bookings to the public during the summer break. I had booked a room at Aparto Binary Hub in the heart of the Liberties district- unlike the others I had stayed in, this student accommodation was not connected to a university.

It was a bit early to check in, so I stored my bags at reception and ventured out to explore. The Guinness Storehouse was a short walk away, and I took a picture in front of the famous gates. I then made a trip to the grocery store- unlike the student accommodation kitchens in Canada, the one at Aparto was well equipped with cooking utensils and appliances, and I was glad to be able to cook some fresh food.

Now that I was here, I knew the holiday was over, and I needed to get back into work mode. I needed to find a job and a place to live. I was anxious about my money running out quicker than I thought, and that I wouldn’t find a job in time.

In planning for this trip, I had contemplated coming straight to Ireland, and saving the Canada trip for another time. This would definitely give me more buffer funds in the interim between arriving and finding a job. But this would be my third time in Ireland, and I also wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before, which is why I ultimately decided to include Canada in my itinerary. As it was, I still had savings left which I had budgeted for Canada. Regardless, the figure still seemed small in the long-term.

I caught myself in negative self-talk about not being able to find a job. Now that I was here in Ireland, I really needed to back myself and get behind my dream of living and working in Ireland. I could not afford to be speaking so negatively about my job prospects. I needed to stay focused on aligning with the right people and places. There was a job out there for me.

I woke around 7am the next morning. Dublin is four hours ahead of Toronto, and considering the time difference, I slept well on my first night in the Irish capital. Also considering I had hardly slept on my last night in Canada, and only dozed on the flight. I meditated and did a morning yoga practice in the small floor space at the end of my bed. My first breakfast in Ireland was a cup of tea and microwave porridge. I felt well-rested and excited to start my job search and to explore later that day.

Charged with nervous determination, I applied for twenty jobs that morning. I had this foreboding feeling I should have come to Ireland earlier and secured a summer job.

I applied for a retail merchandising role, and received a phone call about the job almost instantly, but I couldn’t proceed with the role due to not having access to a car. The swift response and quick rejection dampened my spirits, but I pressed on, reminding myself rejection was redirection. What was meant to be would not pass me by. If it was meant to be, I couldn’t fuck it up. But still my mind slid into a negative spiral, of thoughts that I wouldn’t get a job and would have to return home to Australia before the year was out. After one rejection.

I could see how my inner critic dealt in absolutes, but never swinging toward the positive.

I had bought a deck of Abraham Hicks affirmation cards at a flea market in Canada, and put them to work on my first day in Dublin. The card I pulled hit home after the first rejection- the job simply wasn’t the right fit for me in my current situation. And I deserved something that was the right fit.

I felt like I still hadn’t allowed myself to arrive in Ireland yet. I hadn’t allowed myself to immerse into the experience, because I was scared of not finding a job, and I didn’t want to get too attached to my working holiday if I couldn’t stay. I wanted to go to a pub and enjoy some traditional food, drink and music, but I was scared to spend the money. Over the past year I had thrown everything behind my plan to do this working holiday in Ireland. The trip shaped everything I did in those twelve months. I knew I was putting so much energy into the idea of not being able to stay in Ireland, and I wished I could put as much energy into the idea of staying. I was so scared to believe that I could actually get a job, in case it didn’t happen. I felt so isolated- I hadn’t heard from anyone back home except for Mum.

I woke up late on my second morning in Dublin. Jetlag had hit the night before, and I hadn’t managed to get to sleep until late. I spent the morning applying for jobs, and wrote a blog post about my time in Penticton with Janine.

In the afternoon, I took a wander around the grounds of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I wanted to continue my routine of writing in the library on Fridays, and walked to Kevin Street library, thinking it would be a nice spot to do some work the next day. I was quite proud of myself for recognising the Irish word Leabharlann on the sign outside the building, and recognising this was the library. My Duolingo dedication was paying off!

That evening, I headed out to the National Leprachaun Museum of Ireland. I had taken the Daytime tour, a guided storytelling experience, on my last trip. Now it was time for Darkland, a nighttime tour of twisted tales of the darker side of Ireland.

I had a moment during the tour where I felt the fear leave me completely. I just knew I had a job lined up somewhere, and I was just waiting to align with it. I broke through the reasons why it wouldn’t work. That I was too old for the jobs I was going for, or too late in the tourist season.

After the tour, I walked the streets for a little while and took photos of some hospitality job advertisements. The doubt was starting to creep back in, but I knew if I could just hold onto the clarity I had had earlier, it would be a game-changer.

I hope you’re enjoying coming along with me on The Cold Plunge. If you would like to help me along on this adventure, consider donating below. There are preset amounts, or you can customise an amount too. Whatever you choose, your contribution is deeply appreciated.