Meet the 21-year-old living on a tiny island so remote she has to take a plane to return her ASOS parcels.<br /><br />Lydia Eakin moved to 2,342-acre island Inis Meain off the west coast of Ireland - for her university placement year.<br /><br />The fashion and textile student can walk the entire length of the island in just 40 minutes.<br /><br />But it's so remote she has to take a short seven-minute plane ride over the Galway, Ireland, if she wants to return an ASOS parcel.<br /><br />The island - which has a population of around 200 people - is in the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay.<br /><br />It does have post office in the village shop but Lydia was unable to get the free return unless she took it to the mainland.<br /><br />She took the 25-mile journey in a seven-minute flight costing her €15 to drop the parcel at the post office in Galway before taking the 40-minute journey back by ferry.<br /><br />The island has just one pub, a village shop, medical centre, small airport and church.<br /><br />But despite this, Lydia loves the new relaxed pace of life and now takes more time to read, walk and wild swim.<br /><br />Lydia, a fashion and textiles student at Ulster University, Belfast, said: “It’s my childhood dream to live on an island.<br /><br />“But it does take a long while to get deliveries.<br /><br />“It took 12 days for the ASOS parcel to even get to me in the first place.<br /><br />“I couldn’t return it at the village shop if I wanted to get the free postage, so I decided to fly to the mainland.<br /><br />“It’s a really quick flight and then I took the ferry back.<br /><br />“It’s a very different lifestyle.<br /><br />“We don’t get any wi-fi but I pay for unlimited data that I can get all over the island.”<br /><br />Lydia moved to the island in June 2022 and has been lapping up the alternative lifestyle.<br /><br />She said: “I go open water swimming after work at the knitwear company on the island - and sit on the beach and read a book.<br /><br />“There is one pub, and they sing traditional music on a Friday.<br /><br />“The shop and pub are on a road called Main Road.”<br /><br />The village shop has essential provisions, but locals have to place a delivery to get other food shipped over by boat.<br /><br />Lydia said: “You just put in an order, and it will get delivered to your house.<br /><br />“There is a medical centre, but the doctor comes once a week.<br /><br />“I miss going for a coffee, but it feels very relaxed here.<br /><br />“No one is in any rush.<br /><br />“It’s like getting a break from life.<br /><br />“I love having a weekend for myself.<br /><br />“University life was exhausting.<br /><br />“I would spend all week studying and go back for the weekend for my Saturday job and see my family before starting it all over again on a Monday.”<br /><br />But Lydia now loves spending time enjoying the scenic views and taking the time to go on walks, swims and reading a book.<br /><br />She said: “I love being by the sea.<br /><br />“The bird song is so loud.<br /><br />“I had never seen the milky way before, but the stars are amazing.<br /><br />“It’s like something out of a novel.”
