Enchanting Ireland

The start of our day actually was not all that enchanting. We arrived at the Shannon International Airport after a 16 hour day of traveling. It was dark, so we couldn't see any of the beautiful surroundings. We were both pretty exhausted and showing it. It didn't help that the line to go through customs was long and our carryons were really heavy due to the crazy amount of things we couldn't fit in our checked bags (that we had to stuff in our carryons). My back was aching and I was so tired and I was just so ready to go to bed. The old man who stamped our passports put me in a little better spirit because his accent was just so adorable, and because he told us "You are most truly welcome in Ireland" and he said it with the most sincere tone.

We got our baggage, and then went out to the exit of the airport. We were expecting a man to be there waiting for us (our landlord) with a sign or something with Greer written on it, but there was no sign, and about 20 different random men standing around. We had no clue which one was Brian Fitzpatrick. We made the mistake of not sending a photo of ourselves or really even communicating about how we were going to identify each other. I started to blame Jared in my head for not communicating better with Brian. So, being my typical friendly self, I asked Jared "Should I just go around asking each man if his name is Brian Fitzpatrick?" Of course, Jared was like "Uh... no." So, we were awkwardly making eye contact with all of the different men trying to figure out which one looked like he was looking for someone... Eventually we had narrowed out most and the rest were gone and I started really getting terrible thoughts. "What if he doesn't come?" "What if he gave up because he didn't see a couple that looked old enough to be renting a house?" "WHAT IF we get stranded here and DIE?" ahaha. Not really that last one, but you get the point. Anyway, a few minutes later a young man walked in and walked right over to us and said "Are you Jared?"... then he said "Lucky guess. I didn't really want to go around asking everyone." I was doing all of that worrying for nothing. And of course, the whole time Jared was totally chill. Glad I have him to balance me out.

This Brian fellow was SO NICE. He loaded our luggage up in the back of his car, wouldn't let us pay for gas, and then he offered to come and get us from the house on weekends so that he could drive us around Ireland and show us the country. I was expecting a hello, a ride to the house, a key, and then a goodbye, but Brian drove us to his home (and the home of his parents) and invited us inside. Such a nice home. As soon as we walked in he offered us coffee and tea and breakfast. We declined because we had just had coffee and breakfast on the airplane, but he still offered about 5 more times. His mom came home and as soon as she walked in the door she was so welcoming and sweet. She didn't offer us coffee and tea, she just put it down in front of us with some toast and marmalade. As soon as we starting talking she was asking us about our needs, if there was anything she could get for us, giving us groceries from her own pantry to take to the home we were paying them to rent. She called some friends, arranged for us to have free bicycles during our time in Ireland because she didn't want us paying for them. She also took us around the city and then to the grocery store that her family owns so that we could meet her daughter and get some food for our first few days. She is the kindest person I have ever met. During the drive to the house (about 45 minutes) she filled us in on the different historical ruins that we saw. She told us which restaurants are good. Then, she took us to a lookout so that we could see the ocean from above. It was as if the most important thing to her was to make sure we had an enjoyable time. She went out of her way to be helpful and kind. I thank God for this woman.

We arrived at the house at 10:30 AM. Our plane landed at 6:30 AM, so we spent a good 3 hours with this wonderful family. She came in with us, showed us around, made a list of things we might need (then went to the grocery store and purchased them for us), turned on the heat and hot water, and then found a big puddle of water coming from the dishwasher. So, for the next hour or so we had plumbers in the house working on fixing the leak. She stayed for everything. Finally at about 1 PM we settled down and took a nap.

The house is big. Really old and historical. Fireplaces in the living room and in our bedroom. Really cool wooden doors and shutters on the inside of the windows. All of the floors are tile or marble and the house is stucco, so it is a pretty cold place. Other than the fireplaces there aren't many other forms of heat, so we are dressed warm. The showers are kind of cold. They don't have a coffee pot because everyone here uses instant coffee. That is going to be a hard adjustment for us. Our house is up on a hill, and we can see the ocean from the front door. We have about a 15 minute walk into town for groceries, church, pubs, etc. We are kind of in the boonies. I have a feeling it will be kind of lonely, but also peaceful and beautiful. I will post photos tomorrow.

The Fitzpatrick family is coming tomorrow to drop off the bicycles and a telephone (I fried mine when I plugged it into the wall because of the voltage difference). Hopefully they don't come too early... because right now it is only 4:30 in Danville and 10:30 PM here in Ireland. I won't be ready for bed for another 5 hours or so... Definitely won't be getting up early, but that is okay because the sun doesn't rise until after 9AM here.

Already Ireland speaks to my heart. It's beauty is truly enchanting. The beauty of the people we have met is inspiring, and our first impression of Ireland is: Exceeds all Expectations.