Things I Miss About Ireland

Four months in Ireland can seem like an eternity. I had an amazing time there, don't get me wrong. I just understand now why there are more Irish living outside of the country rather than in it. This is partly my own fault. Instead of getting a job to fill my time I partied in every village/town I could get to and spent the rest of my time shopping, cooking, and staying in out of the cold. The following is a list Becca and I have composed of what we miss and don't miss about living on the Emerald Isle.

     I do NOT miss the weather. When it's sunny it's gorgeous but those days are few and far between. I do however miss always having a conversation topic. Especially after this past winter. Every conversation started with "It's never been this cold, we just aren't prepared." or "Enjoying the sun today are we? Soak it up, it won't last forever.".

     I do miss Irish butts. I don't know what it is but Irish men have the most perfect butt's. They fit those ridiculous jeans with the weird pockets so well. I do not miss however, the smell that comes out of them. It's gotta be all the Guinness and meat consumption, but that smell is fowl.

     I do miss Irish Mothers. They let you sleep in, don't mind if you were out drinking all night, and have a warmed plate of food just out of the oven and a cup of tea when you wake up. A few of them even folded and laid out our clothes to dry while we were out. There is nothing here I will not miss. Those women are lovely!

     I will miss being "the Yank". To be honest I find my accent to be lazy and boring, but the lads love it. It gets me everywhere. I will not miss having to use the line "Hi, I'm American" in order to start up a conversation with a lad. Someone please explain to me why Irish men will sit, stare, and wink from across the bar but not make a move until they are stumbling drunk?

     I do not miss the effort it takes to get ready at night. I'm from California. I've literally worn my pajamas into a bar before. I wear flip flops and sun dresses. On the occasion I do get all dolled up it's on a Saturday night and that's it. It took two weeks after I left the country to get back to normal and not feel like I needed to have full make up, big curly hair, and six inch heels on a Tuesday night just to keep up with the girls.

     I will miss rashers, dairy milk bars, and breakfast rolls. I will not miss black pudding. That shit is gross.

     I WILL miss my housemates and all the friends I've made there. You were all lovely and I felt more comfortable in your country than my own home town.

Luckily, though we will miss more things than not, whenever we go back to San Francisco we will have our perfect little blend of Irish, California. Until then we will do our best to make our own craic and keep ourselves entertained.

Love, Paige