(November 15th - 16th) And now the language barrier truly begins. We got by plenty fine in Ireland even with the fast-tongued drunken Irish men we kept encountering. We did ok in Paris with the few French phrases we studied and practiced over and over. And Spain was a chance to renew our Spanish skills and see if what we learned in high school actually stuck. Another quick side note: I’ve always wanted my super power to be the ability to speak every language in the world. No one seems to think its cool, but I’ve always wanted it since I [View Full Entry]

---

---

(November 13th - 14th) Madrid! Well, the last time I was here I had the misfortune of being pick-pocketed and losing a chunk of cash as well as Caleb’s passport (I’m still sorry about that one). We spent a good portion of our trip explaining to the police, in Spanish, what had happened (thank you Brendan for translating). Then we spent another substantial amount of time at the US embassy getting a new passport. So needless to say I was a little wary arriving in Madrid again since we had left on bad terms. But this time Madrid renewed itself above [View Full Entry]

---

---

(November 9th - 12th) Leaving Dublin, Brian kissed the ground right before we got on the plane. I thought it was sweet since Ireland had been such a wonderful home for us and we certainly were going to miss it. Then he kissed me and declared, “Now we’ve both kissed it!” A little gross but still a sweet thought. It was a short flight to Paris and a quick metro ride into the heart of the city. If you’ve never been to Paris, go. Find time. Find a way. The moment we stepped out of the metro I fell in love! [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our last week in Ireland (October 31st - November 9th, I’m almost caught up!) was spent packing, saying goodbye, and enjoying the last little bits of the home we’d made over the past two months. Halloween in Ireland kicked off our last little bit of time. Halloween here is huge! The kids go all out dressing up with full body makeup and elaborate costumes. Originally I imagined spending Halloween in Ireland by sitting around a pub fire listening to old Irish guys tell spooky stories. Unfortunately, Brian got sick, so we dressed up in the apartment and watched scary movies for [View Full Entry]

---

---

So with Cheryl here and all, we decided we would do the fastest tour of Ireland ever. To any travelers thinking of seeing as much as Ireland as possible in a short amount of time, this would be the way to go. Day 1: We started out the morning in Galway, exploring a bit of town and being extremely frustrated that our favorite bagel and coffee shop was not open (Cher became instantly obsessed with the 2nd best Chai Lattes in the world). Our first stop was the Blarney Castle, so with all three of us piled into our beast of [View Full Entry]

---

---

This is a side story from “4 Days and 3 Nights around Ireland” which will be published shortly. For those of you who know me, which again is most of you, I do not do well with fear. I have always had an incredibly vivid imagination so when I’m put into a situation that looks remotely spooky or even worse I’m shown something horrifying, I will be in nightmare land for days. Well, on the car ride from our B&B at the Brown’s to finding a wee bit of nourishment we spooked ourselves silly. First of all, Brian and I had [View Full Entry]

---

---

Its 5:25AM here in Ireland. Brian has been watching the election coverage on the laptop since midnight our time while my mom sent texts with every update as each state’s decision was made. Her texts came in seconds before Brian told me similar information, and with each state deciding on change, our anticipation grew more and more. And when the text came through that Obama was our president, and tears came to my eyes as Brian showed me coverage of people cheering, uniting, and embracing around the world, one particular thought came to my mind that drove me to grab my [View Full Entry]

---

---

Two weeks ago, my mom and my sister came to join Brian and myself in Ireland after their first stops in New York and Florence and Chrissy’s continuation of her trip to Cape Town and Lasutu, Africa. A few days after they arrived, my best friend and roommate/common law roommate :) of seven years, also made her way into Galway to visit. Being away from people I love so dearly for almost two months has definitely been taxing. But to see them in the new place I call home brought a joy I have never experienced. I felt proud of where [View Full Entry]

---

---

This one needed its own entry as I go into "tale" mode . . . so after Cheryl, Brian, and I left the horse races, cold, tired, and no richer than when we arrived, I realized something terrible. I took off my gloves at the grocery store while Brian ran in to pick up house supplies and realized that one of my rings was gone. Now, most of you know I wear a ring on almost every finger. But this ring had particular significance as it was one that my father gave to my mother when they were first dating. It [View Full Entry]

---

---

I know I’ve been behind in my writing once again, and I do apologize. Its funny when life gets in the way and all the little things you want to do to remember what you’ve done have to be put on the wayside until you stop enjoying the moment you’re in. Ya know? :) I’m currently sitting in the Barr an Chaladh (pronounced “bar nah holla”) enjoying my Sunday evening by listening to some local folks play Irish music while Brian bartends. Its quite lovely. So since my last blog, Brian and I have both started working at our local pub, [View Full Entry]

---

---