And the Rain, Rain, Rain, Came Down, Down, Down

(Yes, that is a Winnie the Pooh song. Also, only Rainy Photos were selected for this blog. Nothing but authenticity for you all…)

I think it is high time that one of us talk about rain. I bet you’re wondering, “Are the rumours true?” “Is Ireland really as rainy as they say?” “If so, is that why it is so green? Well, I only had one half of a semester of ecology, so I can’t really answer that last question. I would think so…sun + dirt + water = happy plants, or so I’ve heard. However, I am here to answer your first two questions. Yes. Absolutely, yes. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, yes.

Before you grab your sunglasses and solar-powered watch and run, you should know that there is a silver lining. I’ll keep you in suspense for that. You must read to the bottom of this post! 

The rain here is of a different breed. Back in Virginia, we had things called “rainy days” in which water would fall from the sky from sunrise to sunset. Ireland doesn’t have that many of these so-called “rainy days.” Ireland is all about the “rainy ten-minutes.” It can’t make up its mind so it decides to alternate in a lovely interval pattern. The sunless sky and the rainy clouds each get a turn. Sometimes they let hail have a five-minute slot. The hail takes full advantage of this time, emptying five times as many pellets in that short window of opportunity. The rain doesn’t seem to come down as hard a lot of the time, though. It is slightly more than a mist.

 Wintertime has a very different kind of rain. It comes in with its good friend, wind. When I first got here, my Irish buddy from the International Department Buddy System (a lovely program that you can sign up for where you get a sort of Irish mentor to help you with the transition into life here in Ireland) gave me some great advice. She told me that having an umbrella was perfect for the fall and spring months. However, winters can get very windy, so I’d need to also have a raincoat with a hood. Some of the new international students this semester have told me stories about them having their umbrellas blown inside out within five minutes of their arrival in January.

 I mentioned the silver lining, right? One thing that I love is that I hardly ever go on a run without seeing a rainbow. It’s so nice seeing that beautiful ribbon in the sky after jogging for a few miles in the cold rain. No pot of gold yet, but I am keeping my hopes up. Another plus is that my hair has finally adapted to the rainwater. If my hair gets wet enough, it dries so nicely – very curly and minimal frizz! A light, light mist is not good enough for this. It must be definitely damp. One last plus is the fact that I’m now comfortable with the cool humid air and now for some reason I find it easier to breathe here. It is just so cool and crisp. Dear Ireland, thanks for helping me breathe!

 Though I do often wish that I could see the sun a bit more, I know that the spring will bring at least a few more sunny days. Until then, it’s nice tousled hair and daily rainbow sightings for the time being.