A full Irish Breakfast is my first meal in Ireland. It is about 8am, I have been off the plane for about 45min and have already been through a blizzard and been blinded by the sun reflecting off of a gigantic spire in the middle of Dublin.
Breakfast in Ireland is one of the most aggressive meals you could have at any point of the day. Take 12 pounds of pig fat in various forms and top that with some eggs and bread and throw some internal organs on a plate with some motor oil disguised as coffee and you have breakfast. Needless to say this smorgasbord of fat is incredibly tasty and the company makes it even better.
My travel companion and I are sitting adjacent to 3 older men probably in their 80's talking in an Gaelic and drinking straight warm whiskey. One of the men pick up my New York accent and begin to ask some questions about our trip. The gentlemen insist that we have a drink with them. I have never been one to turn down a beverage and have always been told to respect my elders so here we are at around 8:30am sipping Jameson in a cafe in Dublin.
It is before 9am, I am noticeably drunk and now it is time to begin my first day in the Irish Capital.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Why Not Ireland?
So as I booked my first all expenses paid (by severence) trip. I am super excited. I will finally get back to my dream of traveling that my former employee cut short many months earlier.
I have always had this idea in my head that I would love Ireland. However, I never had any actual idea why. Perhaps it was because of my affinity for Guinness or maybe it is because I find the accent incredibly entertaining, but I knew before I landed in Dublin that this location was one that I was destined to fall in love with.
Sidenote...
I travel in a strange way... When I am somewhere new I like to completely amerce myself in the culture. I wont eat anywhere that the locals wont eat and I wont do anything the locals wont do. It's almost like the second I go somewhere new I become a new person and typically I like that person more than I like the New York City version of me. (the real version of me is kind of a dick) No matter which way you slice it though my traveling habits are atypical. Every time I go to a new country I get so into the culture and language that I have an overwhelming desire more there permanently. So far due to monetary restrictions I haven't been able to do this, but I have a few family members that already think of me as an expat.
~~~
Back to my story....
So on a Sunday in January I take off from JFK International and land in Dublin where it is snowing...
My first of many Irish surprises was that the weather would actually be as bad as people told me it would be. I am not talking about funny bad weather where it rains one day and then the next is sunny. I am talking about Crazy 4 seasons in one afternoon weather (sun, rain, hail, and snow all before breakfast) The Irish have a reputation for being drinkers and not only is the accurate it may be a complete necessity. I am pretty certain that if there wasn't alcohol in Ireland, the weather would caused people to go crazy and die out centuries before. At least being drunk creates the ability to laugh about the fact that you cant feel your toes.
I have always had this idea in my head that I would love Ireland. However, I never had any actual idea why. Perhaps it was because of my affinity for Guinness or maybe it is because I find the accent incredibly entertaining, but I knew before I landed in Dublin that this location was one that I was destined to fall in love with.
Sidenote...
I travel in a strange way... When I am somewhere new I like to completely amerce myself in the culture. I wont eat anywhere that the locals wont eat and I wont do anything the locals wont do. It's almost like the second I go somewhere new I become a new person and typically I like that person more than I like the New York City version of me. (the real version of me is kind of a dick) No matter which way you slice it though my traveling habits are atypical. Every time I go to a new country I get so into the culture and language that I have an overwhelming desire more there permanently. So far due to monetary restrictions I haven't been able to do this, but I have a few family members that already think of me as an expat.
~~~
Back to my story....
So on a Sunday in January I take off from JFK International and land in Dublin where it is snowing...
My first of many Irish surprises was that the weather would actually be as bad as people told me it would be. I am not talking about funny bad weather where it rains one day and then the next is sunny. I am talking about Crazy 4 seasons in one afternoon weather (sun, rain, hail, and snow all before breakfast) The Irish have a reputation for being drinkers and not only is the accurate it may be a complete necessity. I am pretty certain that if there wasn't alcohol in Ireland, the weather would caused people to go crazy and die out centuries before. At least being drunk creates the ability to laugh about the fact that you cant feel your toes.
I Guess I Will Go Somewhere
I have always loved to travel. In fact, the first bit of animosity that I felt towards my job occured even before I signed my employment paperwork. My former job threatened to take my offer away from me if I didn't agree to make my start date 2 months earlier than I wanted it to be. That meant cutting my Tour de Europe and Asia way short. for this reason I have always felt that there was something missing from my life.
Due to this void, I booked a ticket from my home in New York City to Europe no less than 24 hours after winning the lottery. I am lucky to know some pretty impulsive people so I actually convinced one of them to come with me.
Due to this void, I booked a ticket from my home in New York City to Europe no less than 24 hours after winning the lottery. I am lucky to know some pretty impulsive people so I actually convinced one of them to come with me.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Preface
Have you ever found yourself lying in bed on a Sunday night and thought to yourself all of the things that you would rather be doing the next day instead of going to that hell-hole that you refer to as work? Sure you have.. who hasn't. For months I considered the upside of the avian flu or some rare African disease that would just allow me to watch The Price Is Right at my leisure.
Amazingly after only working at my first job for 18 months and hating my life for 12 of them, I was given the rare African disease of my dreams without all of the sickly side effects. On inauguration day 2009, I was handed the best news of my life. I was being laid off and given 6 months of severance for the trouble. I will repeat that number again my former company is going to pay me for doing whatever I want for half of a year!
This rare situation is something that I like to refer to as The Unemployment Lottery. This blog will chronicle some of my experiences as I live the proverbial dream. I hope to hear stories of people in similar situations or suggestions of what people would be doing if they were given my opportunity.
Amazingly after only working at my first job for 18 months and hating my life for 12 of them, I was given the rare African disease of my dreams without all of the sickly side effects. On inauguration day 2009, I was handed the best news of my life. I was being laid off and given 6 months of severance for the trouble. I will repeat that number again my former company is going to pay me for doing whatever I want for half of a year!
This rare situation is something that I like to refer to as The Unemployment Lottery. This blog will chronicle some of my experiences as I live the proverbial dream. I hope to hear stories of people in similar situations or suggestions of what people would be doing if they were given my opportunity.
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