27 – See ya!

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27 year old me wore yellow pants, owned fake glasses and took way too many selfies.
Ah screw it… 28 year old me will too 🙂
 
I have to admit, 27 has been one of the best years of my life.  As a kid, 27 was the age I thought everything would happen. Marriage…Kids…white picket fence…the whole shebang. But life hasn’t quite turned out as Iplanned…and boy am I thankful for that!
So why was this year so great? Because I allowed myself to indulge in the fruits of my labor.  I decided to fulfill the goals for myself over the last 27 years. And it has been awesome!
Goal #1:  Buy a home.
Perhaps being raised by Realtor parents influenced this desire, but being a homeowner has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I always imagined it to be an actual house with a huge yard for the multiple dogs and kids I’d have – but for this time around that wasn’t the case.  I was however blessed with a lovely, cozy, quaint home. I was able to buy myself a fixer-upper condo which turned out quite darling!  Goal complete.
Goal #2:  Go to Ireland.
This is been on my bucket list for maybe 5 years or so and I decided to finally do it. I can’t actually pinpoint how I thought this trip would be, but somehow it was different than I expected.  I think I imagined it as a place I could see myself living – which turns out, I can’t.  I did however fall in the love with the tiny towns, colorful doors, lush landscape and neat castles.  The downfall of this trip was learning the hard way that I’m allergic to sheep. I knew I was allergic to wool but this blonde didn’t put 2 and 2 together. Either way, Ireland is a must see.  Goal mostly complete.  I need to go back…
Goal #3:  Be genuinely happy.
I decided to choose joy is this year. I gotta tell ya – it makes a difference when you decideto be happy. For the first time in my life I can honestly say that I feel the most sincere, genuine, through to the core joy. And it is a great feeling.  Growing up I was never genuinely happy.  I would smile, but my soul hurt.  There was a lot of contributing factors that kept me down, but thank the sweet, good Lord, those are gone.  I feel joy, even in the sorrow, and it’s a joy I strive for daily.  Hallelujah!
I’m very grateful for having such an incredible year and I can only hope each year gets better and better. I thank God for being such an awesome awesome God and for blessing me beyond imagine. I am thankful for my friends, family, my sweetheart and for the little black dog.  I’m grateful for God’s perfect timing, for His will in my life, and for giving me the courage to choose joy.
Thank you 27.  It was a blast. 

God is good friends.  God is good.

Me, the introvert

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I don’t believe in coincidence – I believe in God’s perfect timing.  So when the talk happened today, it couldn’t have been at a more “this has got to be God”  time.

I was taking a brief break from work, and was writing in my journal.  I don’t know what made me want to write, at this particular moment, about this particular subject – but hey, that’s God J
Here’s an excerpt on what I wrote:
I’ve had to grasp the truth that I am in introvert.  It’s odd to say because I use to be so outgoing in my younger years.  Now, I find that I have zero interest in small talk, and honestly, I’m not very good at it.
As I am writing, a coworker comes up to my desk and says something along the lines of “I’m sorry, I know this is weird but can we talk?”  **On a side note – this is a coworker whose name I can’t remember for the life of me (still), and someone who I’ve shared a “ good mornin’” with at most.  I really don’t know this person.**  I have to admit – I hadn’t  clue what this relatively perfect stranger wanted to talk about, so when they escorted me to a private area I was a little confused.  Ok, I was really weirded out.   
The conversation went as follows:
Coworker – I’m sorry, I know this is odd.  But I notice you never engage in conversation with me.  I know we say hello, but you never make the effort to talk to me or engage in anything more than that.  I’m getting the vibe I’ve done something wrong or offended you so I wanted to clear the air.
Me – [oh God you’re a funny one] I have to say your timing is quite funny.  That book I was writing in when you walked up – I was writing about being an introvert and how I genuinely am terrible at small talk.  You’ve done nothing wrong, I’m just not good at small talk.  It’s something I have recognized and am working on it – it’s just hard for me.
Coworker – Ok that makes me feel a lot better.  Maybe we could grab lunch and talk sometime.
So why do I share this?  Because I had no idea that my introverted tendencies were having an impact on someone I barely know.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there is anything wrong with being an introvert.  It just didn’t occur to me that maybe this person wants to get to know me, was offended at my lack of [unintentional] engagement but cared enough to say something.  That speaks volumes to me and really opened my eyes on how I carry myself – in a professional or nonprofessional setting.
I’m planning another post that focuses on being an introvert – and some of the struggles I face, but this was a good eye opener for me.
Thanks God, as always, your timing is perfect.
Has anything like this happened to you?

Being consumed.

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To be consumed with joy, peace, happiness, bliss… Good.

To be consumed with envy, fear, hate or anxiety….Not so good.
What about being consumed with…somebody?  An example of this would be I’m so in love, my mind is consumed with thoughts of McDreamy but what about the negative side of this?
Let’s break it down.  Consumed literally means to be ingested, to be engrossed, or to destroy totally.  For the sake of this blog, I am referring to #2 – engrossed.
This topic has been on my heart for a while.  For personal reasons, and for things I’ve seen among my friends.  I received permission to talk about one situation in particular – but the others, I think are common enough that I will speak in generalities.  By no means am I giving the only examples of how people can be consumed – just the scenarios I see most often.
Have you ever been consumed with someone?  Just heart and mind constantly, and I mean constantly, focused on this person?  Whether in love, hate, envy or whatever else – it doesn’t ever seem healthy to be totally consumed with someone else.  I’m sure those in love may be thinking otherwise, but here’s my point.  This life is your life.  Shouldn’t YOU be the focal point of YOUR life?  Now I’m not talking about being egotistical or selfish, I very much believe in being selfless, so try to not take this out of context.
Let’s go with some examples, shall we?
Some of us my have the joy of having an ex that we’re not on the best terms with.  Or just an ex in general.  Maybe an ex with a new beau/girlfriend?  Most of us could relate to one of these.
Ever look at their social media pages?  How often?  No really… how often?  Ever find yourself looking into them anyway you can?  Googling their name?  Anonymously checking on them in LinkedIn?  You’re “over them“, just “curious” to see what they’re up to.  At what point does mere curiosity turn into….obsession?  Time consuming, thought consuming…
I have a good friend who’s on the other side of this scenario.  The person who has taken an extreme interest in my friend, and their family, has taken it too far.  What’s too far?  How about creating faux personalities to stalk, keep up to date, track what they do and harass them?  Calling from blocked numbers, following their friends, creating a whole other persona JUST to know what they’re doing. Now for my friend – that’s scary, creepy and just generally unsettling.  But I’d like to look at it from this insecure person’s angle.  At what point will this person realize that their interest in my friend has completely consumed them?  That tracking my friend has become a major effort and takes significant time and thought.  Perhaps this person should realize the type of power she’s given my friend.  Yes, power.

Perhaps it’s not one person – but multiple people, or a certain type of person.  Maybe you’re consumed with constantly comparing your life to those around you.  This one hits home for me.  While I am genuinely happy for those friends of mine who are happily married and starting families… I find myself getting jealous, wondering why isn’t that me…and before I know it, I’m consumed by bitterness that my life hasn’t turned out the way I thought it would…

I think it’s easy to be consumed by things/people/emotions but I’d like to encourage you to do a self check.  Did any of this hit home for you?  Have you put more effort into checking on someone else, comparing your life to someone else, having overwhelming unhealthy feelings?  What about other scenarios that weren’t discussed?

This is your life – make it about you.  It’s all relative friends.  I believe, with all my heart, in God’s perfect timing.  For me to fully embrace this, I can’t focus on the lives of others, be consumed by thoughts of “what if” or spend more time on someone else instead of caring physically/mentally for myself.

Friends, I want you to feel joy, peace, release, trust, faith in God’s timing and make this day, this life, about you!  My prayer for you is that whatever may be negatively consuming you – LET IT GO!  Enjoy this beautiful life that God created FOR YOU!

Picture from http://floricultures.tumblr.com
God is good friends.  God is good.

10.2.14 I Will Remember You

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 Horrible, Horrible Day. Read the story here.
Every morning, right when I get in my car and start my drive to work, I start my day with a prayer of thanksgiving.  I spend anywhere from a minute, to the whole 25 minute drive just being with God.  It’s become a habit, and I cherish my moments with God each day.
As I was driving to work today, I was thanking God for such a beautiful morning, for my new bible study group, for just another day.  In the middle of my prayer, as I am sitting in the turning lane on Bailey and Clayton Rd, stopped at the red turning light, two car rush through the intersection, just making the yellow light before it turns red.
It happened so fast, I’m still in shock.  I see him running, missing the first car, and then I heard the hit.  He flew up into the air, slammed on the ground, his body cut, torn and broken.
I remember the drivers face in front of me.  We were stopped.  He ran out of the car, but we made eye contact.  That oh God what did I just see feeling sunk in.  He ran to the man, I called the police.  It was just a few hours ago now, but I still can’t believe what I saw.
I parked right there, in the turning lane and mindfully ran across the road.  There he was.  This man I see almost every day on my morning drive.  He’s either riding a bike or walking somewhere, but he’s always up early.  And now he’s here, lifeless in front of me.  The 2 people who had just made the yellow light, one of them being the car that hit this man, stood back, dumbfounded.  There’s no pulse, no breath.  No life.  He was on his side, so they turned him on his back, his eyes were open.  The guy who was in front of me desperately started CPR.  Nothing.
I feel like I’m writing a story.  I just can’t believe this happened.  How, in a matter of seconds, did I go from joyful prayer, to sitting over a lifeless man, praying God please, please help him please God please help him.
Fire, Police and Ambulance arrive…at an uncomfortably leisurely pace.  A firefighter is the first there – and he literally walked over to the scene.  I wanted to scream DO SOMETHING NOW but I didn’t.  He finally started CPR, and you could see the man’s abdomen inflating, but still, nothing.  This went on for a while, they got him into the ambulance, and as they drove off, I could see the fireman still doing CPR.
Because I witnessed the scene, I had to stay to give my statement.  Honestly, how did this just happen?  HOW??  Even though I knew the answer, I asked every cop how will I know what happens to him??  It doesn’t look good they say. I sat there for a bit, and realized what a blur it was.  They were asking me questions about things I just saw, but somehow nothing was clear.
I don’t know anything about this man that lost his life today.  They said he might have been living in a halfway house down the street, and that he’s frequently seen running through traffic.  One cop even said “I hate to say it but it was almost bound to happen.”  I didn’t like that.  All I know is that in a moment, one tiny, minuscule moment, everything changed.  What if this man had a family, kids, parents, friends?  What if he didn’t?  What if there’s no one to remember him?  No one to miss him.  It’s all too sad to digest.  I will remember you.

2 October 2014, 6:35am.  RIP dear sir.

I used to be fearless

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I used to be fearless.

I used to run up to the edge of the cliff, then take one step further.  Just to feel the rush.
I used to walk into a crowded room and make friends with anyone and everyone.
I used to take risks, knowing I could handle whatever the outcome.

I used to.

This is me at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.  It looks like  I am close to the edge here – but I’m not.  The angst I felt really hindered this experience for me and I am truly bummed I let my fear take control.

What changed?  At what point did I stop running up to the edge?  What happened that I no longer seek a crowd, but seek solitude instead? At what point did I let the fear sink in?

I’ve always heard people say “I slowed down a lot when I got older.  I realized how fragile life was.” I get that– but here’s the beautiful thing… you’re here aren’t you?  You made it this far?  I get having “near death” experiences that introduce this fear and reevaluation of life choices – but I haven’t had that.  There was no flip of switch moment for me.  So where did my fear come from?

I’m not ashamed to admit I have anxiety.  I’ve had it for years, and no doubt some younger life experiences aided in this nuisance I deal with daily.  I’ve tolerated and controlled it well enough, and have gotten by just fine.  What I don’t get is – my life has calmed down drastically in the last year.  I’m in a rhythm, I’m secure and I’m happy. But this fear…this anxiety…it’s growing.  And I need it to stop.

As I type this, I feel my sweet sweet savior telling me “I bring you peace”.  This my friends – is what I call divine intervention.  This isn’t the direction I had this post going in…  Funny how God works.

I was going to propose a challenge… a physical, “face my fear” kind of challenge.  But that’s not what I feel God speaking to me.  This is:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

So today, I face my fear by choosing to not acknowledge it.  To not give it control, or not let it sway me.  I choose to immerse in God’s peace.  A peace than transcends understanding.  A joyful, beautiful, honest peace.  Hallelujah!

God is good friends.  God is good.

The Truth About Lying. But You Already Know All This.

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Warning.  This is meant to be a slap in the face for everyone, because we all lie and all need to read this.  Yes, even me, the goody goody.
May the truth set you free
Lying is something we all experience, on a daily basis.  Whether we’re being the victim of deceit, or we ourselves may be the liar.   It’s something that happens constantly – and truthfully, I hate it more than most.   
Being called a liardoesn’t bode well with most, so we make up excuses to justify our lies to avoid this title.  Or, we lie to cover up our lie.  Crap, we have to lie again to cover that lie.  It’s a vicious cycle and a slippery slope.  And in the end, you’ve not only lied to the poor fool or multiple fools, but you’ve lied to yourself.  Think about that.  You are lying to yourself by trying to justify your lies.
So what?  Why lie?  Here’s what I’ve deduced:
I think if you’ve decided to lie, because it is a choice, especially to someone’s face, it’s because you’re scared.  You’ve made the decision that covering your butt is more important than showing this person respect by being honest.  You’ve chosen the cowardly route because you’d rather take the easy way out, than face it head on.  Yes, it sucks to read, but am I right?   One thing I have always said is “I’d rather have you willing to fight with me, then able to look me in the eyes and lie to my face.”  But people tend to lie anyway.  For me, it’s very black and white when it comes to lying.  For many of us liars, there are probably a million reasons why we decided to lie.
 “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”  Why not? Because we don’t have a strong enough relationship to withstand the truth?  #justbehonest
“I didn’t know how to tell you.”  You just say it.  #justdoit 
“I told you about that.”  Yes, you mentioned it, but you omitted a crucial part.  Omitting the whole truth is lying. #wholestory
You can put a lipstick on a pig my friend.  But in the end…. It’s still a pig.
Here’s a few of my favoritelies told to my face:
“That text message is from a gay guy I met last night…I think he liked me”
This brilliant ex of mine had met a girl – cheated on me with her and stored her name in his phone under a guy’s name.  When I saw the message “I had a great night with you last night sweets” he claimed it was a gay guy he had met.  Funny…when I called her to discuss the message, she didn’t sound like a man.  #over
“I swear I didn’t take your pants.”
Sorry to call this one out – if any of you remember this scenario.  My best friend – actually, my first friend ever, decided to steal a brand new pair of pants from me in high school.  She lied to my face about it for 6 months until finally giving me the pants back.  Our friendship was destroyed.  And for what?  A PAIR OF PANTS.  #nopoint
And a classic “I’m not married.”
That sure didn’t seem true as his WIFE AND CHILD storm into my restaurant, haul me outside and confront me about my relationship with HER HUSBAND.  I was completely, and I mean completely, blindsided.  #myfirstandlastmarine
A lie is a lie is a lie.  And friends, that just skims the surface of the things I’ve heard.
I think one of the worst things about lying is we all lie so regularly, it has become a habit.  Even with the little things.  If you’ll lie about the small things, chances are you’ll lie about the big things too.
I’m sure we’ve all had plans with friends but really would rather stay home, so we say something like “ah sorry man something came up.” Why not just say “I’m not in the mood.”  We’ve all been there.  We get it.  Doing something that doesn’t honor your relationship?  Suck up your pride and admit it.  Got caught?  Lay it all out.  Didn’t get caught, but do things to cover it up just in case?  Stop it.  Even better yet…don’t do it in the first place. 
If you’re doing something you have to lie about WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?!?  STOP IT.  RIGHT NOW. STOP THAT!

Here’s my challenge.  Be honest about everything.  Even if it’s painful to admit, puts you in a bad situation or just sucks to actually have to say out loud.  Just be honest about EVERYTHING.  I’m intentionally trying to carve this thought into your head – because I don’t think we realize how much we actually lie about.  Even the little things – where there’s no reason to lie, but we do anyway.  Just think about it.  Digest it a bit.  Catch yourself.  Be honest with yourself about what you’re not being honest about. 

Just be real friends.  Be good.  Be humble.  Be someone you can be proud of.  Be honest.

God is good friends.  God is good.

 

Home Sweet Home

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As many of you know, I made a gigantic leap and purchased my first home.  When I was a teen, I set a goal to buy my first place by 22 years old.  While most people my age were buying designer purses and expensive makeup, I was saving.  Though I am a few years behind – I was finally in the position to be able to accomplish this goal…and learn a few things in the process.
So friends, here is the big reveal.  It has been a long, trying process to say the least. One month and 2 days behind schedule, but it’s DONE.  Yippee. 
Panoramic shot from the front door

The condo I bought is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath – around 940 sq. feet.  There’s a kitchen, wood burning fireplace and a decent size patio with great views!  I did about a 90% remodel, and will get to the bathrooms once I win the lotto. 

Here’s what I did:

©      Dark hardwood floors throughout common area
©      Speckled/tan carpet in both bedrooms
©      Greystone (by Kelly Moore) paint on all walls, with white ceilings
©      Simple white baseboards throughout
©      White cabinets with brushed nickel hardware
©      Cement colored quartz countertops
©      All new stainless steel appliances (I got a fridge, stove, microwave and dishwasher for under $1,700!) and a huge stainless steel single bowl sink
©      Stained wood shelves in the kitchen

©      Tan, white & stainless steel tiles around the fireplace with a white hearth & mantel

God is good friends.  God is good.

Family Room
Eating area
Master Bedroom
The Wall of “Us”
Wooden Shelves in Kitchen
Fireplace.  Need to get a decorative screen
TV & Fireplace

Know your spot

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For me, life is all about relationships.  With God, friends, family, pets, etc.  Every relationship is challenging, to say the least, but worth the work.  Now I say that, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve come to realize not all relationships are worth the work.   I’ve had the…opportunity I’ll say, to have had an abundance of relationships.  (For those of you thinking “yea you have” shut it lol!)  I’m talking about all sorts of relationships – and since I’ve had quite a few – I feel somewhat justified to speak (type) about this. 

SO what am I getting at? 

The point of this rant, is to identify your spot in the relationship.  Where do you fit in in this person’s life?  Are you front and center – a vital presence in their life, are they dragging the relationship on – making every effort and you go along with it if you don’t have anything better to do, are you in a one sided relationship with multiple people, or have you found a healthy balance? What’s your status in the relationship?  How does that relationship hinder/grow you as a person, and your life in general?  I realize these are odd questions to ask – but since I hit my wise age of 27, I’ve been asking myself this a lot.  Why?  Because I’ve reached the point in life where I only want relationships that are going to last, and have a meaningful impact on my life. 

Ever hear the saying “I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies”?  Amen to that. 

Even though these are odd questions, they’re pretty simple to answer.  How? you ask.  “Actions speaker louder than words” will answer these for you.  An example.  My dog, Lynard.  I know he loves me endlessly by how excited he gets when he sees me.  He showers me with stinky kisses, and cuddles up next to me any chance he can.  His actions demonstrate his love for me,  Another?  Sarah – my person.  Time isn’t an issue for us. We’re lucky if we see each other twice a year, but that doesn’t matter.  She’s constantly doing things to assure me of my importance to her, and we both make a genuine effort to make our long distance best friendship work.  We’ve had ups and downs, but we, together, worked through them.  Here’s another one for you.  I’ll call him… Rico  – because he was so suave.  Rico was charming.  We would go on great dates, and Rico talked to me in such a way that made me think he wanted something real.  Uh…Rico?  Where are you?  Oh there you are days/weeks later.  He’d disappear, reappear and somehow turn the disappearing act on me.  Repeat date.  Repeat disappearing act.  The sad part was, I held onto the dreamy things he said during our dates, and didn’t realize his lack of actions showed he genuinely didn’t care about me.  This was a hard realization – but I finally understood I was a toy in his game and the only person getting hurt was me.  One last relationship.  My God.  God loves me (and you) so, so much deeper than imaginable.  He longs for relationship with me, and if I have time, I’ll give Him a few minutes.  Boo on me.  Why would I not invest in this relationship?  I need to get my act together. 

I could go on and on with scenarios, but you get the point.

The people in my life have made it easy for me to identify my spot in their lives.  If they make an effort to spend time with me, know me, care for me – I can assume I’m an important part of their life.  If I haven’t heard from you in months, and when we do talk, I’m the one that’s done all the initiating, well, I’ll give it one last go, but after that, I’m going to have to let it go.  This is especially difficult with people I’ve known for some time.  I justify the unhealthy/one sided relationship because they’ve been in my life for so long and I feel somewhat of an obligation.  But…Who cares?  Obviously not them.  Some of the most genuine friendships I have are with people I’ve recently met. 

I realize this is somewhat of a downer post – but I think the words need to be ingested.  Life is too short to not feel joy, love, have genuine relationships and recognize your worth.  You, my friend, deserve the best.  You deserve to be treated respectfully, thoughtfully, joyfully… Don’t ever settle for less than you deserve.  It may be lonely at times.. but I believe God has something, someone, multiple someones, stored for you, even bigger and better than you could dream up.  Please note – I do recognize some people/relationships are perfectly fine with only talking when they need something or are bored and I think if both sides are OK with it – then that’s a balanced relationship.  This post is meant for more intimate (close friends, spouses etc) relationships.

A final word…
Thank you to those who have shown me how important I am to you.  I value your friendship, love and support more than you know.  A sincere apology to those who have wanted my time, and for some reason or another I haven’t invested time with you.  Maybe give me one last go – and something beautiful will be formed.  For those of you who wish to merely be an acquaintance, I look forward to sharing a high 5 with you. Finally, for those of you who randomly appear in my life when something has happened and you want juicy details.  Don’t.

God is good friends.  God is good.

Mangia! Mangia!

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Eat Eat!

I am constantly, and I mean constantly, thinking about food.  As I’m eating breakfast, I’m planning lunch.  As I’m eating lunch, I’m figuring out what’s for dinner.

Mi piace il cibo.  I love food.

I was blessed to be raised with parents who cook extremely well.  My mom made all sorts of random delicious dishes, and the most heavenly chocolate mousse cake…  My dad, being 100% Italian, somehow perfected every Italian dish he made.  Pasta, sauces – or as we Italians call it, gravy, and baked goodies that would make you cry.  I learned to appreciate food at a very young age, and my love for food grows daily.

Yesterday I made the rookie mistake of going to the grocery store hungry.  I went for 1/2 and 1/2 and salads, and $50 later I had a basket full of meats, cheeses, veggies, you name it.  I went home, and got to work.  There’s something so invigorating about having a pile of random ingredients, and turning it into something beautiful.

Here’s what I had:

Sliced Meats:  Salami, Prosciutto, Capicola
Cheese (not pictured):  Parmesan, Mozzarella, Brie
Pesto:  Blend a big handful of basil, lots of olive oil, Parmesan, salt & pepper, walnuts and garlic.  Takes no time at all and is so delicious!
Tomato & Onion Salad: Sliced a variety of small heirloom tomatoes, half a red onion, a dash of salt and pepper, dried oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and red wine vinegar.  The longer it sits, the more the flavors merry.  So, so good.
Orzo:  Mixed with sauteed mushrooms, salt & pepper and lots of Parmesan cheese.  I did this as a base so I can add various ingredients through the week.

Ireland

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Sheep’s Head Peninsula
Oh Ireland, you are so, so lovely.  I had been dreaming about you for the last few years – and literally couldn’t wait to meet you.  The first night, minus getting oh so incredibly lost, was pretty nice.  I was treated to an extremely fancy dinner – a rarity for me, and got to experience my first 5 star hotel.  The next morning we had plans of sipping delicious Guinness while touring the Storehouse – which was “right down the road you can’t miss it”…but gave that thought up after driving around in circles for over an hour.  The next few days included visiting quant villages along the southwestern route, eating delicious food, drinking a handful of beers, and enjoying the lovely man that accompanied me.  I got to see beautiful countryside, ancient castles and ruins, gorgeous farmhouses, dazzling coastlines and all the sheep in the entire world.   Oh the sheep.  I suppose I should have figured since I can’t wear wool – I might have mild allergy.  I, however, hadn’t anticipated the full-blown, 100+ sneezes a day, snotty, eye scratching, head pounding sheep allergy I apparently have.  Sheep.  Who knew?  Even though this allergy attack was pretty exasperating, it was really nice to just be in Ireland.  My fondest memories are nothing extravagant: merely strolling the towns, listening to the guy on the street sing “The Port of Amsterdam” and indulging in each mornings breakfast and delicious Irish tea.  Standing on the edge of the Sheep’s Head peninsula, looking out into the vast, clear blue ocean was pretty neat.  We wrapped up our journey at The Cliffs of Moher…this is the type of spot that mentally forces you to regain perspective, realize life is but mist, and give God glory for His absolutely breathtaking creation. 
From left to right:  Muckross House, Cliffs of Moher, Kilkenny Castle, Me & Guinness, Sheep, Coast on the Slea Head Drive, Lamb Stew, from a Market in Bantry, Killarney National Forest

Thought I’d throw in a few traveling tips:

  • If you’re going to travel with someone – make it someone you can tolerate for hours on end.   For those who don’t live with their travel partner – this can be a whole new experience – and can be delightful, or dreadful.  I was very fortunate to have wonderful, wonderful company.
  • American curling irons do NOT convert, even with the nicest converters.  Trust me.
  • Don’t be so frantic about not bringing a lot.  On my first Europe trip I was really frugal with my packing – and honestly, really didn’t like how I looked in any of the pictures. This time, I gave myself a little slack, and brought some fun attire – and am very glad I did.
  • Take a moment, or five, to just be.  Take a deep breath, make a big smile, and enjoy your every moment.  Enjoy!