Looks Like We Made It. Look How Far We've Come...
If I may quote Shania Twain. Or not.
Well, we did make it. The lovely Agent From Brooklyn did get us on flights, though each of us had two hours by him or herself to meditate quietly since the seats were all over the plane.
We made it through O'Hare, which was not quite the adventure I had hoped to be encouraging. Through security again, because Chicago TSA hates us. (And believes that my 80 year old mother is dangerous enough to have to search her person and all her luggage.) But we got on our plane. And everyone seemed to think that the five kids - walking "duckling style" were the cutest things. Which did make things easier. And allowed for amused lenciency rather than annoyance when Karina kicked the gentleman in front of her in the head. (During the gymnastic feat of getting out of a row during the flight) And the dull flight was just the kind I like with some people sleeping and some other unnamed-short-people-who-were-later-inexplicably-exhausted-and-cranky watching Rio 2 half a dozen times. And the sunrise over Dublin as the plane descended was heavenly.
Because of the previously mentioned duckling-style children, we got through customs with less headache than expected, picked up the (infuriatingly forcibly checked because of the overbooked previous flight) luggage and picked up the rental cars. We even figured out this "wrong side of the road driving" thing without too much difficulty. Unfortunately, all the ease was karmically made up in our attempt to exit Dublin. Ten people require two cars and it
is HARD not losing someone while driving through small downtown streets (and remember that wrong side of the road challenge?) So two hours later.....
We're staying in a pretty house just off the sea in the Gaeltacht, which is the area where they still primarily speak Gaelic - including Mass. The view here is lovely, there's a park right across the street and a 9 year old little girl who collects cats next door, so the kids are thrilled. And the people are so sweet. Our heat wouldn't turn on and we had three sets of neighbors coming over to help fix it. And everyone but me got a nice long nap which was then followed by pizza and chili for dinner. Thus continues our trend of eating Italian food as the first meal in non-Italian foreign countries. (Adding to Mexico, Canada, Germany, and Ukraine.) So aside from being cold in the house, we're loving this first day.
Well, we did make it. The lovely Agent From Brooklyn did get us on flights, though each of us had two hours by him or herself to meditate quietly since the seats were all over the plane.
We made it through O'Hare, which was not quite the adventure I had hoped to be encouraging. Through security again, because Chicago TSA hates us. (And believes that my 80 year old mother is dangerous enough to have to search her person and all her luggage.) But we got on our plane. And everyone seemed to think that the five kids - walking "duckling style" were the cutest things. Which did make things easier. And allowed for amused lenciency rather than annoyance when Karina kicked the gentleman in front of her in the head. (During the gymnastic feat of getting out of a row during the flight) And the dull flight was just the kind I like with some people sleeping and some other unnamed-short-people-who-were-later-inexplicably-exhausted-and-cranky watching Rio 2 half a dozen times. And the sunrise over Dublin as the plane descended was heavenly.
Because of the previously mentioned duckling-style children, we got through customs with less headache than expected, picked up the (infuriatingly forcibly checked because of the overbooked previous flight) luggage and picked up the rental cars. We even figured out this "wrong side of the road driving" thing without too much difficulty. Unfortunately, all the ease was karmically made up in our attempt to exit Dublin. Ten people require two cars and it
is HARD not losing someone while driving through small downtown streets (and remember that wrong side of the road challenge?) So two hours later.....
We're staying in a pretty house just off the sea in the Gaeltacht, which is the area where they still primarily speak Gaelic - including Mass. The view here is lovely, there's a park right across the street and a 9 year old little girl who collects cats next door, so the kids are thrilled. And the people are so sweet. Our heat wouldn't turn on and we had three sets of neighbors coming over to help fix it. And everyone but me got a nice long nap which was then followed by pizza and chili for dinner. Thus continues our trend of eating Italian food as the first meal in non-Italian foreign countries. (Adding to Mexico, Canada, Germany, and Ukraine.) So aside from being cold in the house, we're loving this first day.
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