Operation Perscription

Hello! So here I am doing what I should have done months, of not years ago, starting a blog about my experiences here in Chicago! Teen me had a blog once before, A General Guide to Winning at Life..... Which is of course embarrassing and trite now in my 30's but I REFUSE TO TAKE IT DOWN and I am confident in myself now as a person (kinda) that I actually included the link above should you be so curious.

Anyway, let's continue with my experience today: Operation Prescription! Picking up a prescription may be a simple task for some, but when you have my mind it opens up a whirlwind of adventure, especially in a new foreign country. I say new, even though I moved from Dublin, Ireland, to Chicago almost three years ago, still, I am only know really acknowledging how different the world is over here, especially what I'm used to.

It took great effort to pull myself out of my nap and walk to the Jewel Osco to pick up, not only mine, but my partners prescription. This was an important job, I had the time and it needed to be done. Enroute I decided to stop into a fancy cafe to treat myself to a nice coffee. I ordered a dirty hojicha latte, which my dyslexic ass read as a horchata latte (I know, how embarrassing). I did NOT know hojicha was more of a green tea, which mixed with coffee, in my mind, is not the ideal combination. ANYWAY this is besides the point, the point is I was handed an iced latte. Now, this is the middle of January and I am Irish, when I order a latte, hot is the default. However I am not in Ireland anymore (Toto) so the default is iced. WHAT A WORLD.

Now normally my Irish ass would just accept what I got and not raised a fuss. However, I was an American now, and I wanted a hot coffee! And I was thinking about standing up for myself more, about being vulnerable and after awkwardly staring back at the baristas, I awkwardly said "um.. sorry, I actually wanted this hot, I'm so sorry I should have said". To my surprise they did not give out to me like a belligerent child, or grunt aggressively towards me, but rather made me ANOTHER one so now I had two coffees and quadruple the caffeine i needed (it was almost 4 pm). I was in the american world now of overpriced coffees, BUT, the customer is always right. Honestly I just wanted them to put my coffee in a microwave, and they looked at my like I was crazy. This might sound insignificant, but for me it was huge.

Two drinks in hand, my right side cold with my left side warm, I continued on my journey to Jewel Osco, thinking about my life- All I had in store. Tomorrow I was getting paid to do improv with puppets at a three year olds birthday party. That's cool isn't it? This is my life. My producer just backed out for Grizel: Ireland's pig-faced lady, a show I wrote and am directing to be put on in March 2026. Naturally I was stressed, with rehearsals due to start in a week but no rehearsal spaced secured. But I could do it. Right? This is why I'm here? If any castmates are reading this now, don't worry I have a plan and you will hear from me shortly!

Walking up I saw someone salting the side walk, this brought me joy. Growing up in Ireland I had never actually saw someone salting the roads, but it was sweet for me to witness and felt distinctly Chicagoan in how I was watching it. I finally reach Jewel Osco. Operation Prescription, this was not about coffee or salt but maintaining a stable mental health in my home! I was waiting in line for the pharmacy thinking about my whole ordeal in the cafe, while also eyeing up some Creatine, I'd done some nootropics research and thought if I'm a true american now maybe I should get some creatine? Its a common know fact that often times the human mind finds comfort in familiarity which can sometimes be extreme depression or anxiety. I realised this is what I had been doing- the difference being, I was being. comfortable in this negative headspace, but in a world I didn't recognise, in a world where coffee is default iced instead of hot, and that that had been getting to me... more than I realised. Because I don't know if you realised this.... But Ireland is a very different culture to Chicago, and I needed to be aware of that and adapt, and realise it's not embarrassing to assume coffee would be hot- not iced.

The prescriptions were not ready, 10 more minutes they said, I used this as an excuse to go to Burlingtons and look at shoes (I needed shampoo and conditioner that I planned to get there too! But if I'm real with myself... it was for the shoes). I was thinking recently of healing my inner child, a young girl who just wanted to play video games and whose heaven was TK Max (TJ max for some reason in America). Anyway, I felt at home in Burlington, a sense of retail therapy. I felt like my mother, my mother who I banned from going to Aldi alone because of the nonsense she would buy from the middle Aisle. There is a lot of things my mother didn't teach me, but one thing she did teach me, which I'm grateful for, is how to love. I felt If I was buying shoes for myself (despite having WAAAAAY too many shoes) than it would be ok if I bought shoes for someone else? I got two shoes for myself and some steel toe boots for my partner, because I'm a maximalist like my mother, and like being surrounded by things. This is consumerist America. Thought one pair of shoes was roughly the same price as the creatine so by girl logic getting the shoes instead of that was actually more logical.

Back to Jewel, prescription complete, no creatine bought. I realised I had forgot to buy the one thing I had actually planned on getting in Burlington- Shampoo and Conditioned! I had to go back in the store- If I had a tail it would be tucked behind my legs as a sheepishly re-entered. But all complete! shoes and meds and super caffeinated- I walked back home. My boyfriend did not like the fit of the shoes, oh well- at least I tried to buy his love.

All that in in chaotic 15 minute walk and back to get some medication, anxious as hell but trying to validate myself into the fact that this is a new culture... and I'm doing ok.

Thank you for reading this opening blog most, I hope to keep this a regular thing every few days. The photo included is one of the few recent ones in my library- a picture of me and my partner on New Years Eve, my favourite holiday, the start of 2026, where my boobs look fantastic! I was a late developer so the fact that I'm a D-Cup is INSANE to me right now, and that night I was wearing a very special padded, push up bra that I only pull out for special occasions. Anyway, for the sake of my father reading this right now I'll stop talking about my boobs.

I miss my friends and family back home in Ireland dearly, I hope this blog is a way for to connect with them, as well as explain myself to my new American friends. Happy 2026, the world is on fire, let's be nice to eachother.

Peace and love,

Saoirse Siné, or, Freedom That's it.