Chaotic, Crazy, Crowded

 At least that's what it felt like. We went to Letterkenny the other day. We needed to have a key made. When we moved in here, the local co-op could cut the keys for the downstairs doors, but not the mortise key to our apartment. We hoped to have better luck with the elderly gent who has a little shop in the Letterkenny shopping centre, so off we went. The bus ride is just under an hour and goes through some very scenic areas. It's all very rural until you get to the outskirts of town. 

When we got off the bus, a small older lady with a shopping cart on wheels came up to me and commented on the nice ride. I agreed with her--it's a very pleasant ride. Then she asked me how to get to Primark. I told her that it's called Penney's here and told her how to get there--basically, cross at the crosswalk, go to the right, and keep following the sidewalk to the shopping centre. Go through the doors straight ahead and keep going straight and until you're in Penney's. She kind of vaguely repeated what I'd said, but she still seemed anxious and a little confused, telling me it was her first time 'doing this.' Bill and I had planned to go to the charity shop right by the bus station before going to key man, but I wanted to put her at ease, so I said, 'Why don't we walk you over there?' She protested a little bit, but not too much, and she seemed visibly relieved when I assured her that we were going that way anyway. We got her to where she wanted to go, we got our key, did a bit of grocery shopping, and sat and had some yogurt, since it was lunch time. We were lucky to find a bench because it was crowded. I felt like I was ready for a nap.

 Back at the bus stop, things were a bit chaotic because it was 1 o'clock and there are a lot of buses coming and going at that time. Our little 19-seat bus didn't leave until 1:15, but the driver arrived early and was unable to pull in right away because there were a few large buses parked there. The lady with the cart--now full and she also had a shopping bag--looked at me and kind of nodded in the direction of our bus as it pulled up, so I nodded back. But she then tried to board one of the big buses, so Bill and I hastened over to direct her to the right bus, just as a space opened up for it. She looked at me with wide eyes and said, 'There are just so many buses and people. It's a lot.' We all got settled in for the pleasant ride home (we got off in the village before hers). Soon we were away from the crowded town and back in the countryside, once having to stop on a dime to let three sheep cross the road. It was a relief.

I was thinking about this lady as we were on our way home and I realized that I always find Letterkenny somewhat stressful. Once we're done there, I always feel drained. It's the largest town in Donegal, but it only has a population of around 19,000. In the past, I have lived in larger towns that were considered quite small and rural, but I am apparently no longer used to dodging people as I go and having so much going on at once. I don't actually dislike Letterkenny. There are things worth going there for--the museum, art exhibitions, and of course, the library. It's just that the sensory overload really takes a lot out of me somehow. Now that I have paid attention and am aware of this, perhaps I can prepare better in the future. Or I will just know that when I get home, I will be tired and ready for a nice cup of tea and I'll look forward to that!

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