When we were kids, we somehow managed to erupt into full-out brawls during the ten minute drive to the grocery store, ripping one other’s hair out in chunks, and maybe even throwing the occasional punch. By the time high school rolled around, we had moved past the hair pulling, but getting ready and in the car on time every morning was a constant battle that resulted in many car rides with one or both of us silently fuming.
Judging by the fact that we recently survived enjoyed 10 days together in the Land of Liquid Sunshine ML and I sure have come a long way since our days in the fam mini van or as teenage drama queens. These days we are feeling that sisterly love!
Obviously, I’m exaggerating a bit (creative license, yo), but I would now consider my kid sister one of my best friends.
As evidenced by a previous post, even this self-proclaimed independent woman gets homesick sometimes. Really, I’m ok – moving away from home, whether it’s 10 or 3000 miles away, for a couple years or FOREVER, is a part of life, and it’s been teaching me a lot. One of the most valuable realizations I’ve had is how important it is to me to have my family and friends be a part of my life, in whatever way possible. While modern technology makes this easier, it’s still not the same.
That being said, a visit from ML was much needed and appreciated, and I feel incredibly lucky that we were able to spend some time together in Ireland.
While I wouldn’t recommend planning a trip to the Emerald Isle in January to those who are not of hearty New England stock, we enjoyed our time to the fullest – soaking wet jeans, record setting floods, and all.
Having gone to school together for all but 4 years of our lives, this year has been a bit weird for both us. There’s no meeting a few times each week for some grab n go, getting lost on the country roads of Western Mass trying to find the Peace Pagoda or some hiking trail, or being mistaken for each other while walking across campus.
The trip started off with a reunion, but not before ML delayed arrival time by one hour after taking the wrong bus from the airport and circling around Dublin a couple times. Later on, I’d realize that was why her sense of direction seemed quite sharp for someone who’d never before stepped foot in the city.
Some other highlights of the trip (some of which are also illustrated in her hilarious comic spurred by a delay at the airport):
- Experiencing one of the biggest floods in years in Galway City
- Guinness galore (more of a highlight for me than the sister…thanks for all the extra half pints though!)
- Not getting blown off the Cliffs of Moher
- Best Fish and Chips ever in Howth (ML says they were good, but still second best to the ones at Ebanezar’s in Maine)
- Having a travel partner who walks even faster than me
- Being told that I have “adapted quite well to the European lifestyle” (untrue, but thanks for the validation sis)
- Having to translate from Irish English to American English (can I put that one on my resume?)
- Stumbling upon cozy tea shops and sitting there for hours
- Realizing that no matter how old we get or where we are living, some things will never change
Thanks for the visit, sis!
Now, the next project is to get the littlest one (Sa) over to this side of the Atlantic.
POCO A POCO 
Awwwww!
LikeLike