Staff Profile - Kristina Ferry

We have the chats with Kristina Ferry who is one of the staff in Errigal Youth Hostel in Dunlewey Co. Donegal

1.What three traits define you? Patient, funny and outspoken.

2. What is your personal philosophy? “You don’t kick me off” was an advice I got once a long time ago from a coach when I was sitting on a particular lively horse. I kinda took it to heart for all of life’s situations.

3. What’s one thing you couldn’t live without? My mushroom guide book. Quite literally. I always have one close by.

4. What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome in your life thus far? Breastfeeding my son despite Rheumatoid Arthritis. I’m so proud of that.

5. What is the one thing you cannot resist? The obvious one, chocolate..and tagging my workmates Sinead and Edward in Daniel O’Donnell memes.

6. What is your greatest fear? Probably spiders, my sister loved throwing them after me.

7. Where is your favourite place to be? Dunlewey. Every time I drive towards it I think it’s heaven on earth. It’s just magical.

8. What is your favourite thing to do? Foraging for mushrooms closely followed by beach combing.

9. Where is the best place you’ve travelled to and why? Well, Dunlewey again! I landed here 18 years ago and could not bring myself to leave again.

10. What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had? Digging trenches through a graveyard way back in my school holidays.

11. What does true leadership mean to you? True leadership means walking in the front row and not commanding from behind.

12. Which one would you want most and why – flying cars, robot housekeepers, or moon cities? Well, we have flying cars in Donegal already so I would love a robot housekeeper. That would be great.

13. What has been the most important innovation/change you have witnessed in your lifetime? The most important change I have witnessed was the fall of the Iron Curtain. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. As innovations go it’s gotta be TNF inhibitors for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

14. What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this? My dream was always to become a jockey but I think my mum is kinda relieved that I didn’t.

Kristina in her trademark mushroom jockey cap

15. If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be? Being a chef for one day would be nice.

16. What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13? Something horse related.

17. What are your three most overused words/phrases? Give me two minutes! (My little boy kept repeating it.) Leave the cat alone! (To my boy) and Leave that bird alone! (To my cat).

18. How do you define success? When you visit your friends once a year and it’s like no time has passed. That is success.

19. What is your favourite book, film or song and why? Das Boot, the movie and the book. Best anti-war movie/book out there.

20. Tell us something that might surprise us about you? I have both hips and knees replacements and always get searched at the airport because of it.

21. What is the one part of your job that most people do not realize you do? That sometimes too you have to cater for rather unusual guests like this racing pigeon that once stranded on the window sill. I found it’s owner and we tried to get her back home again.