Fáilte chuig ár mblag!

Fourteen years ago my boyfriend (turned husband) and I skipped out on our university convocation and decided to celebrate abroad. Not ones for tedious ceremonies, traveling seemed like a much better alternative, not to mention a better way to reward ourselves after several years of study while working multiple jobs. A chance encounter with a poster at the local mall featuring discount flights to Ireland sealed our fate. 

The aptly-monikered "Emerald Isle" had always been on my bucket list (if twenty-four-year-olds even have such things). Having grown up as a O'Brien, my parents may have played up the name a wee bit even though the family has been in Canada since time immemorial. Regardless, I've always had a strong fascination with the culture and language - cue the Irish dancing lessons, and Gaelic books/courses.

Hubby's fascination was less strong, although his maternal side (Beamish) had more direct ties to Ireland only a few generations back. Mostly, he was just happy to go along with whatever I planned, especially if it involved a country synonymous with good pubs and a decent pint.

I'm not sure anything could have prepared us for just how much we would enjoy our trip, nor for how beautiful the scenery was. I'm glad we took the time to steer off the beaten path and really get to experience its charms - enough to keep us yearning to go back.

Fourteen years is a long time, with a lot of life lived in between, but I'm happy to report that we are making the return trip this August. I'm not sure that either of us imagined that our next time "over the pond" would involve two kids (ages 5 and 9), but I'm thrilled that we will be able to share this new experience with them.

We created this blog as a space to record our memories and share our Irish adventure with curious friends and family and so...

Fáilte chuig ár mblag! Welcome to our blog.