Rediscovering the Emerald Isle

Hello All!!

It has come to my attention of late that apparently I'm not posting as often as I should be (erm, Bridger, among others).  I'm sorry! I've been out frolicking in Ireland!  Who has time to sit down at a computer and blog when there are thousands upon thousands of fall leaves to run through?  Yes, Fall is in full swing here in Ireland, and I have never seen anything quite like it.  Don't get me wrong, there are some pretty fantastic Falls in Washington, on the East Coast, and even in Wyoming when the wind doesn't blow everything away.  But Ireland is something else.  I didn't even know some of these colors existed!!!  Truly a gorgeous place to be....

Now that "International October" is over and done with, "National November" is in full swing.  Don't ask me how the scheduling worked out, but I'm spending all of my November travelling Ireland and "rediscovering" this beautiful country.  Ok Allie, enough with the " "'s....

Even though my travels had me falling in love with Italy, and Belgium, and England, my heart belongs to Ireland.  In these past ten days, I have had the most amazing Irish moments.  Let me take you back...

Extra-ordinary Moment #1: Visiting Guerin's Pub in Castleconnell.
   Can I just say, that in all my time here in Ireland, there was always a part of me who felt like I was still waiting for my real Irish moment?  This was it.  No tourists, no bells and whistles... just rich, genuine Ireland.  My Canadian friend (yes, I have one) invited me to join her one evening, since she was headed out to a pub with a local she'd met on a plane to Paris.  Ok, side-note: who meets a local Limerick guy in Paris?!  Anyways, of course I wanted to go, because it meant putting off my folklore essay even more.  So off we went to a little town just outside of Limerick City.  Cian (pronounced Key-In for all you Americans out there), led us in the back door of this tiny little pub, where a group of his friends had gotten together for a pint.  My jaw literally dropped.  I had walked into what I would compare to the Lander Bar in the middle of January: the locals' spot.  There was trad music in one corner, and the rest of the pub was packed with people laughing and storytelling and having a grand ol' time... and of course all with a pint of Guinness in their hands.  At one point, the little old lady behind the bar shouted over to Cian to grab her something in the back, like it was no big deal to be ordering around her customers.  I turned to him and asked if he knew everyone in the pub.  He laughed and told me "yeah, pretty much.  I mean, Mary owns this place, and that's my dad over there."  I couldn't believe what I had walked into.  This was the true rural Ireland that I had been searching for.  It was one of those moments where you go "I am going to remember this forever". 

Extra-ordinary Moment #2: Limerick Milk Market.
   I just love this place.  It is bubbling with activity... even on a cold Saturday morning.  I've been to some pretty amazing farmer's markets back in the States, but nothing quite like this.  It feels soooooooo local. Like those people woke up that morning, dug up some potatoes, and brought them in fresh for me to snatch up!  Contents of Allie's bag after the market?  Farm fresh eggs (the most ginormous ones you will EVER see... poor chicken), broccoli, eggplant (that's right, eggplant.  See: extra-ordinary moment #3), Italian flatbread, goat cheese, and scones.  Success?  I think so.

courtesy: Google Images. Note to self: take my own stinkin' pictures next time!

Extra-ordinary Moment #3: Allie learns to broaden her cooking repitoire.
  Cooking in Ireland is very tricky.  Especially in a kitchen shared by five other individuals, one mini fridge to store everything, one frying pan that's slightly dented (ok, really dented... drunk roommates destroy the most random things), on a stove that only knows "off" and "burnt".  Let's just say it's been an adventure.  I'm definitely not cooking any pizza casserole or baking any crock pot cake these days... so you don't even have to worry about missing out, Matthew.  BUT!  I did tackle eggplant parmesan and egg fried rice!  Gordon Ramsay would be proud :)

Extra-ordinary Moment #4: Kissing the Blarney Stone.
  Ok, maybe the actual kissing of the stone wasn't extraordinary... actually, it was kinda tacky and not very exciting at all.  And as for "the gift of gab" it's supposed to bestow?  If you've read ANY of my lengthy blogs before this, you'd know I've never needed some stone to give me that.  But I kissed it anyways, paid an arm and a leg for a picture, and moved on.  The Blarney Gardens surrounding the Castle were the really amazing part of this trip.  I know, you're probably thinking "enough with the Irish Fall already!"  But I'm not kidding when I say it's different from any other Fall.  Come, and you'll see.

Blarney Castle in the distance

Well this is special...

Extra-EXTRA-ordinary Moment #5: Making a Wish
   Legend has it that if you walk up and down the wishing stairs in the Blarney Gardens with your eyes closed, thinking of nothing else but your most sacred wish, that wish will come true.  This is serious stuff, guys.  So myself being the one who wishes on every birthday candle ever blown out, on every shooting star, and on every eyelash on the cheek, of course I had to wish on the wishing stairs.  I don't think my wish would be ruined if I shared it here (trust me, I've had plenty of wishes ruined by telling them to other people, so consider yourselves lucky to hear this one!).

 As I was fumbling up those stairs, all I could think about was how badly I wished and hoped that I could come back home in January, and find happiness in Bellingham.  Don't get me wrong, I am very happy and very lucky to be going to school where I do, but sometimes I find myself feeling lost and alone and insecure both in Washington and in Wyoming.  And to be truthfully honest, I often let those feelings get the best of me.  So, as you can imagine, I was concentrating sooooooooo hard on my wish.  Guess what happened?  No, I didn't fall... thanks for your concern.  No, I was distracted by my group of friends at the bottom of the stairs cracking jokes as I was trying to focus.  At first I was mad that they were butting in to my wish, but then I caught myself laughing at their jokes.  It became virtually impossible to focus on my thoughts because I was so caught up in what my friends were talking about.  And then it hit me like a freight train: I was happier in that moment than I have felt in years.  I was surrounded by some of the most amazing individuals I have ever met in my life, in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life, having ten times the adventure I thought I would be having.  Why should I be wishing for something in the future when what I have in the present is so perfect?  Yes, the time will come for me to close this chapter in my life and return to the States, but not right now.  Right now I am living in the moment, and it is amazing.  So no more wishing in Ireland for me.  I am happy. Just. Like. This.