What a weekend! All my great plans for getting a lot accomplished here at home didn't quite come to fruition but have to say it's been an eventful one! Visits with best friends (Avery, your hamburgers were wonderful as always), picking out a new camera (and hoping it's not too much smarter than me; thanks for the advice, Cameron), changing the itinerary yet again for new adventures (Wexford has now been added) and best of all, my nephew and his wife with two of their friends are in Ireland as I speak having arrived this morning!! Actually as I write this they are probably getting ready to start their second day. From Sue's email it seems they have already been bitten by the Irish bug. She's saying they are loving it (was there ever any doubt?) and that I will as well. So anxious to hear every detail. It's hard to believe it was last Christmas that we all started the discussions and now here we are.
My organization is not what I'd like it to be at this point but at least I really do have everything I need so no more shopping. Just a few things to fine tune...stretching a pair of shoes in one spot just to keep them comfortable, learning how to use the camera, making final decisions regarding what to wear (and choosing what weighs the least) and alterations on a couple of pairs of pants. Having to take an extra pair of boots so we can go riding in Donegal was something I hadn't planned on but no boots/no ride are their rules and I'm not going to miss out on that part of the dream because of a pair of shoes. My goal is still to be packed by the week before we leave. Finished giving the airlines the passport information they require and made my reservations for the SuperShuttle pickup (do I really need to be up at 2:30 a.m.? Oh well, it's not like I'll be sleeping anyway!).
Lots of emotional times these three days as well. Just thinking of those who so long ago boarded ships for the treacherous journey here, family members who were able to make the trip back to "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" and those who wanted to so much but weren't able. And now Mike and Sue returning to where their ancestors came from and myself not too far behind. It still seems very dreamlike. Yes, I'm very excited but at the same time it seems unreal. I wonder how I will really react when we finally set down in Dublin. No matter what, it's going to be an adventure and one that I hope to fully appreciate.
As I finish we are now at 20 days!
oh, goody! thanks for letting us go along vicariously! can't wait to hear all your amazing adventures in ireland, rita!i'll be refreshing the page constantly to see when you've posted! xoxox
ReplyDeleteAs always, nicely put. The days are quickly getting closer to departure. :)
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