USA! USA!

For two weeks I sat at home watching the world's top athletes compete in some pretty incredible feats of the human body, expelling immense amounts of energy, looking absolutely gorgeous while doing it. I was eating pizza. Then I felt lazy, so I brushed my cat. For like seven minutes. There was definitely a slight condensation on my upper lip after that one.

In 2008, Jon & I went on a trip (in a group with a ton of other awesome people) to China. That year, Beijing was the Olympic host city. While there, we got to see the now-famous stadiums like the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, and their giant countdown clock. We of course also bought tons of Olympic paraphernalia! Beijing 2008 t-shirts all around! It helped that even at a young age with like 100 dollars to spend, it was nearly impossible to spend it all! The money there isnt worth very much in USD, so everyone felt like the rich tourist for sure. That was such a fun trip, we all have very very fond memories of being together in China in 2008! King's Cup in the hotel rooms after the adults were asleep anyone?

So last year when I had a friend selling a couple extra London 2012 Olympic tickets, I called dibs as fast as I could! Being in the host country during the year of the Olympics is epic on its own, but this was an opportunity to actually SEE an Olympic event! In real life! Im not much of a sports person, and never watched a whole lot of the Games before. But Im a HUGE fan of historical events. This is how I try to approach opportunities: Will this make a cool photo album? Will this make a cool story? Will this opportunity come up again? If those boxes are appropriately ticked, I jump. I didnt even care how much the tickets were going to cost, since a flight to London from Dublin is always super cheap, generally well under 50 Euro a person.

London turned out to be much more expensive of a trip that Beijing. First of all, Mom & Dad didnt pay for this one. Second of all, Jon & I previously swore off going to any more UK countries, simply because unlike in China, in the UK we are poor tourists. Not rich ones. The Great Britain Pound is worth too much for our blood. BUT again, this trip ticked the right boxes, so we had to suck it up and go anyway. Yay for plastic money! Hey after awhile, you get so accustomed to that swiping motion, its like they're giving you stuff for free! I want this hot dog and all you want from me is a lift of the arm? Sure! Buy all the hot dogs!

But seriously. Being in that Olympic Park was such an emotional high. There was a LOT of red, white, and blue! But of the Union Jack variety. Very nearly every person was representing their country with face paint, silly hats, and colorful tights. Jon bought a US flag and wore it like a beautiful scarf. And sometimes like a cape. Best decision ever! It was so cool to represent our favorite country in the world! There was an overwhelming feeling of general excitement from everyone. No matter where you were in the Park, nobody was a stranger. The favored question was, "What are you seeing?" to start a conversation. Even the cops and army people guarding the place were extremely open & friendly to all the tourists!

Our generation hasnt experienced very many nation-wide outbreaks of pure Patriotism. I can think of one, born out of fire & rubble. Remember how literally every car had minimum one flag per window in that time? And how everyone walked around, super proud just to be living in the USA? Country music probably experienced an all-time listener high. Being in the Olympic Park this year made me feel like that again. Proud to be an American, wearing the TRUE Red, White & Blue! When we came across other people wearing our great nation's flag, we led them in a rousing chant of, "USA! USA!" Later in the day we all ran around in a pack, preying on the smaller countries with lesser flag-presence.

Joking, most of that didnt happen. What DID happen was a great photo album, an epic story, and a once in a lifetime experience. Just another weekend, really.

Spoonful Of Crazy

You know that kind of crazy weekend? The kind that when its finally over you sit there in the sudden silence, and it all comes back in flashes of color and snippets of sound? Like the lingering of a dream when you first wake up, your feet still hurt and you can remember exactly how someones voice was. But so much happened overall that now the four previous days seem mashed together into one continuous scene. The feeling of surveillance is slightly unsettling, and you find yourself wondering if youre still being listened to.

It all happened so quickly, and so without thought. Like a functional drunk, I think the body must get accustomed to a certain level of stress over time, until you barely notice the pain anymore as your stumble along. This past month has been such an endless barrage of self-inflicted unflagging busyness. But we signed up for this. I filled out our calendar days with trips and family and flights and tv shows (in pen no less) myself. But like any great fireworks show, this month was full of calculated random explosions, and our finale was really something to behold!

Or maybe it wasnt so great. We dont really know just yet. Filming for HGTV's House Hunters International only ended today, so when you see the final product on your telly youll have to be the one to tell me. I think Jon & I are exceptionally normal and mostly boring people, who spend a lot of time at the movies. Or watching our cat play with a paper bag. Riveting stuff. So the close-up of me shoving a forkful of lukewarm breakfast beans into my mouth, or the part where Jon coins the term "cottagey", will have to carry our 22 minutes of fame.

But seriously, we have never done anything like this before. So getting the opportunity to be on tv, on a show that basically creates a semi-realistic re-enactment of our journey across the world when we were young and in love, was something we could never pass up. It could happen that the re-run of our episode will still be around when our children are old enough to watch it, and laugh at us! We look at making this show like a cool way to preserve this insane adventure we've been on, in a way we will be able to keep & share with future generations. Of course Im worried Ill look stupid or mean or ugly or fat, or that my clothes look dated or my teeth look yellow. But who cares. Its the way I really do look & sound right now, this second, in this tiny breath of our human existence. 


Like I said, we are totally new to this sort of thing. Being on tv and all. So we were understandably nervous about not knowing the first thing of what was expected from us, or even how the weekend would play out logistically. So when we met the crew, Chris (the respectable expert director), Mike (the energetic, pun-loving cameraman), and Joe (the too-hipster-to-be-hipster sound guy), we were put immediately at ease by their exceptionally friendly ways, and gentle handling. They were so patient and helpful, and werent even bothered when Jon or I would mess something up along the way, or forget and look into the camera.


I was a little weirded out when Joe apologized for his cold hands much like a doctor would, and then stuck them up the back of my shirt to place a sound wire. Then he pinned the microphone right between my boobs, because thats the only place where theres apparently the least clothing rustle on the mic. Makes sense I guess. These guys are so professional though, that after the first couple takes, even that inconvenience lost its novel affect. Mike was very smitten with my cat while shooting scenes inside our apartment. I think he took more pictures of Smaug in one day than I have taken in a month of owning the kitten! Chris was such a polished pro, that I could see him in a tux thanking a clapping audience. When he was speaking to us about a documentary he'd done recently, you could see in his eyes how much he believed in it. And yet he treated a couple of small fries like me & Jon with total equanimity.


This experience has been one we will never ever forget! We seem able to say that a lot these days, and feel so blessed. When the actual show airs, maybe we will wish we really could forget it, and will be totally embarrassed. Feel free to make fun of us! But for now, we are indulging ourselves in the heat of the sun, enjoying our manic schedule, making memories at the speed of time. This has been our attempt to capture a shaft of light in a jar. Lets hope we catch more than dust!

Oh Oslo

Have you ever been so frustrated that you are reduced to a crazed laughing fit? Oslo ripped out our souls & trampled them to a standardized pulp. And since its a country and not an actual opposing force, we could do nothing but sit back and decide to simply get thru the day & survive the barrage of horrific bad luck.

But Im not going to expand on all the bad things that happened. In a nutshell: food is ridiculously expensive (imagine paying 15 euro for a cruddy hot dog from 7 Eleven, because thats what we had to do), we missed a once-an-hour train by 10 seconds (literally watched the doors shut in our faces), got locked out of our hotel for 6 hours (when theres a specified check-in time, dont ever get there early), and lost Jons camera (left it on the 12 tram and spent the next hour and a half tracking it down). These are some of the worst things. The lesser things were just bonuses that Oslo decided were totally necessary to our trip. Like the heavy rain the entire weekend, making us move hotel rooms half way thru the night, and to top it all off the sun doesnt even set this time of year! Hell is an eternal day!

But we all agreed that once we were back in Dublin, we started to forget the pain. Like childbirth. Looking back through our photos, we started to remember just the good things: the way fresh pine permeated the air, photo bombing other tourists' pictures in the statue garden, cooking ramen noodles in a hot water kettle in the hotel room to save money. And of course our invented games of rubber-sock-umbrella golf/baseball in the park at midnight, under the gorgeous ever-lit sky. Raw boredom fosters creativity like nothing else can!

The biggest highlight of the entire weekend for us (other than rubber-sock-umbrella golf/baseball of course) was the incredible Norwegian fjords, and the trains getting there. We took the historic Flam Railway, which is said to be the most scenic one in Europe. And we think it truly must be! It starts in the snowy mountains of Myrdal, and takes about an hour to travel slowly back downhill to the town called Flam. On the way down we got to see serene nature, roaring waterfalls, and picturesque valleys. The town Flam itself is graceful in its tourist-trap position in life. At the mouth of Flam is the fjord called Nærøyfjord, on which we took a ferry to the other side.

Being inside the majestic fjords on a slow ferry was heart-stirring. The weather wasnt great for photos, but it was entirely something else in person. The boat ride was a long one, and it took us by innumerable waterfalls along the way. It was freezing cold, and we were the only ones on the boat to stay outside the whole time! We didnt want to waste the once-in-a-lifetime view looking at it all through some foggy glass windowpane.

Every minute I kept expecting & hoping to see a narwhal, or even a mermaid. The bottomless water was a darkly luminous green and navy blue. The carved mountain peaks loomed over us like so many imposing sentinels guarding something precious. The air was cold and clear, and deeply refreshing. Other than our ferry, the only other human life we encountered was a group of (super lucky) people on kayaks. We went away from this place happy to be alive, thankful to be together experiencing what Norway had to offer.

Overall I definitely think this trip was a big helping of bad, with a side dish of good. But sometimes even that little bit of good can be great, and can carry over into the memories that will last forever. We will most likely never go back to Norway, but we are very glad we went at all.

People Smells & Memories

What does home smell like? It isnt something I can ever put my finger on exactly, and simply saying that home smells like hot weather and faded cigarette smoke doesnt really convey the feelings attached to these smells. Its like that friend whose house just smells that certain way, its just their "people smell", and when you walk in you know youre in the right place.

There are quite a few places on earth that when I park on the steep driveway of one, or pass the white fence on the way to another, I get that flutter of home inside. That indescribable gut instinct of wholeness and safety, and somehow it brings back that feeling of a carefree childhood. Sometimes certain sounds and smells can appear quite suddenly, and startle me into profound longing for a place called home. Ill get a heady whiff of cigarette smoke walking behind someone on the street, and I know its bad for my health, but I breathe in as deeply as I possibly can, and hang on to the scent for just a moment. And in that moment Im transported back in time.

When I was little, my family lived in Orange County, and we had relatives Up North in a place called Oakhurst. A few times a year Mom & Dad would wake everyone up before dawn, pile all four of us kids into our family van, and we'd spend the next 5 to 6 hours watching movies and driving up to the place that would eventually become home to us all. We all knew we were on the way to see Grandma, and Aunt Celia, and cousins, and everyone. The one landmark we always looked for was The White Fence. Once we saw The White Fence fly by the windows, we all started to yell and get really excited, because it meant we were almost there!

You already know that Oakhurst is a typical small country town. In the summertime its as commonplace to see rusty old pickups loaded with hay as it is to see colorful tour buses in the Raley's parking lot loaded with tourists. Its the kind of place where youll see sun-wrinkled old men wearing cowboy hats, because they are actually cowboys. If I myself had made one or two different choices at key points in my life, I too would have become a cowgirl competitively barrel-racing my Arabian/Thoroughbred cross named Freedom.

Home smells like memories I guess. And horseflies buzzing in hot summer air. And cigarette smoke from my Aunts kitchen. And sunburns. And Christmas turkey. And penny-poker nights in the living room with brownies. When we walked into our hostel room in Estonia, I was shocked by all these memories in my nose all at once. The cool, dark hallway had that lingering scent of someone trying to hide a habit. The room itself was overly, deliciously still and warm. The only sounds coming in from the window was a couple happy birds, a faraway hammer, and balmy wind through the trees.

Usually taking trips outside of Ireland invigorates us, and we come back to our apartment happy to be living here in Europe. But something about Estonia made us feel the opposite, as if we were flying back into the wrong airport. Like the right one is really thousands of miles away. Like we werent flying home.

Nice Knowin' Ya!

Hey California. I love you, you know that. But living in California can sometimes be like having a mean old dad who has no sense of humor, and doesnt like to see anyone having fun. Theres so many rules and laws about stuff, that its a small wonder we arent all locked up all the time. I feel like a lot of these crazy laws revolve around animals. You may not hunt moths under a street light, it is illegal to shoot jackrabbits from the back of a streetcar, and ducks have the right of way to cross Rancho California St. at all times. You also cant own ferrets or gerbils, because if they are let into the wild they'll turn rabid and start killing off the cattle or something. But they ARE legal in Montana. Isnt that where all the cows are? Y U SO CRAY, CALI?

Living in Europe however, is like having a sleep-over at your cool friend's house, and her mom lets you guys do anything you want. Sometimes we feel like this is what the 1940s or 50s must have felt like in the states. Its a simpler way of life here, slower paced and sleepy, where the children's toys might have lead in them, but they sure last a long time! Its like we have been transported back in time, and everyone trusts everyone, and nobody thinks the worst about the strangers around them. Even the Irish President Michael Higgins walks around town, WITHOUT a swat team or secret service or body double or anything! Just walks around!

I try to imagine Obama sauntering down any street in California, alone or maybe hand-in-hand with his daughters. Wearing a plaid shirt and high-water khakis, he stops in a store and buys a lollypop for one of them. He waves to the smiling barber shop owner, who's busy sweeping his front porch. I told you, its like being back in the 50s or something! Jon asked one of his co-workers if their President isnt worried about getting assassinated. With a confused look on his face, the co-worker asked Jon, "Why would someone want to hurt the President?" Isnt that sweet.

This general lackadaisical approach to life is great! Its freeing! Until you get home and open up that carton of eggs, and find a couple feathers and maybe even a little bit of poo on the shells. Or the milk you just bought yesterday has already gone bad, and leaves you wondering just how old it really was. Or youre eating at a nice restaurant, and a silky black cat walks by, apparently there to help keep down the rat population. Appetizing thoughts. I guess a lot of the time, that mean old Californian dad does what he does to keep you healthy and safe, as annoying as his stringent rules and laws are.

Far less important than thoughts of the President or national worries, theres this thing called a fish pedicure, where you stick your feet in warm water and all these little bitty fish suck the dead skin cells right off! It is (of course) illegal in California, due to health regulations that say for sanitation purposes, tools must be sanitized before and after each use by a patron. Well you cannot sanitize a living fish. Then it says you can use the fish, but the fish must be thrown out after every use. Well that would probably just open up a big ol' can of PETA whoop-ass, so they just made it illegal as a whole.

But yay for us, we are having a sleep-over in Ireland, and its totally ok here! Fish pedicures for everyone! The best part: its cheap at only 15euro for a half hour, plus you get a lovely foot gel to lash on afterwards! Whats that you say about infection? Mold? Cross-contamination and flesh-eating bacteria? Nah, we dont have to worry about that stuff here. Its Europe, darling!

Verdict: super terrifying!

We Dont Get That Channel Here

We have our blog listed on a website called expat-blog.com. Its basically an online community for people who have moved out of their native country to live in another. We are (of course) in the America-to-Ireland section, our blog listed right alongside a few others. Im never on that website, I just thought it would be cool to get my blog out there for other people who may be wrestling with the desire to move abroad. Hopefully my writing about our various trips and struggles encourages others to travel more, and have adventures that will create those forever-memories. It doesnt matter where you go or what you do, but every opportunity that arises to do something extraordinary should be leaped at and tackled immediately!

My whole life, Ive tried to live by the philosophy of "why not?" It applies to most situations. For example, we were in Brussels, and poking around cobblestone alleys trying to find this statue called Mannequin de Pis, which is a really funny statue of a little boy peeing into a fountain. On the way there, we saw a street vendor selling what looked like meatball soup. Upon closer inspection, I had to play my game: "Why not eat that? Because its snail soup, not meatball soup. Pass." Upon later reflection, Jon thinks we should have gone for it. Im ok with my decision to not contract salmonella, or whatever disease you get from eating boiled dirt and snail poop.

For a much larger and more personal example, a year ago we asked ourselves the very same "Why not" question when we were trying to decide what the next step in our lives would be. Should we have kids? Should we buy a house? At 23 and 25, we felt too young to be doing either, but didnt know where else to head. We were feeling a little stuck, a little suffocated, like our life together was so happy but so boring. And we both wanted more. After a going-away party for some friends, we started to ask ourselves why we werent the ones going away. And if we went away, how far would we go? Earlier, our friend Matt said he could see us living in Ireland. We laughed, but later that night we werent laughing anymore. Could we really move abroad? What about our families? What about kids, and that house we nearly bought? What about our dogs? What about our friends? What is Europe even like? What if we hate it? What if we get lost and scared? But then....Why not?

And so we did.

Now here we are, a couple months shy of a year living in Ireland, and we have no regrets. And we were recently given an opportunity to play my yet game again. She saw my blog listed on the expat-blog,com, and emailed me. Want to be on tv? she said. After searching her name on LinkedIn to be sure it wasnt a scam, I called her back. After all, why not?

Easter Bunnies in Holland

When we booked our hotel and flights to Holland, we were surprised at how expensive everything seemed compared to other weekend trips we've been on. Then we realized: it was going to be Easter weekend! The Netherlands are known for many things; Amsterdam specifically for it's seedy red light district, legal prostitution, and pot cafes. But when we thought of the Netherlands, we first thought Holland, windmills, tulips, and wooden shoes. We were not disappointed one bit! But we did stay away from the red light district. After all, if I want to look at boobs, all I have to do is look in the mirror.

To start our vacation right, and to see some quintessential Holland, we spent a day in Zaanse Schans, where there are real working windmills and old Dutch cottages! It was freezing cold out, with icy whipping wind chilling us to the core, but it was worth every second of nearly losing our extremities to frostbite. The sign inside the windmill said, "Enter entirely at your own risk!", at the base of the creaking staircase, but I guess you deserve to lose a finger or two if youre stupid enough to touch the machinery forcefully grinding away. So to the deafening sound of the wooden cranks & gear shaft, we carefully climbed our way to the top to see the view. The WOOSH-WOOSH-WOOSH of the windmill fans was powerful when standing right next to them. There are 8 mills there, and each one has its own name and function. The one we climbed to the top of was called, "De Kat" (The Cat), and was a working dye mill. Other mills made cheese, sawed timber, or refined oil.

We spent Easter Day differently. We woke up early, and had breakfast in Haarlem's sunny town square. The church bells rang every fifteen minutes into the warm blue sky, and we were serenaded table side by two older men: one with a trumpet and the other with an accordion. We then rode the a through Leiden to Keukenhof Gardens, which boasts that it is the "Largest Flower Garden on Earth". It is a lush, sprawling garden, covering nearly 80 acres of land! We spent hours there, looking at every shape and color of bulb flowers you could imagine! We were even able to take a narrated boat ride through the tulip & daffodil growing fields. We saw all sorts of native water fowl, and even a rabbit. It was a perfect way to spend Easter, celebrating new life and the Resurrection of Christ!

There's so much I could write about our trip to Holland, we loved the country so much! The architecture in Amterdam is surprisingly quaint, the narrow gables and roofs like so many gingerbread houses stacked crookedly together in long rows. The canals are used like extra streets, and bonus real estate. Lots of the floating houses roped to the stone bridges looked bigger and classier than our own apartment. Its an artistically leaning city, with pop-up art galleries, and really beautiful graffiti. I think the only other place Ive seen so many bikes and bicycle riders was in China. Public transport was a breeze, the pancakes were delicious, theres history down every canal. It was a great Easter weekend!