My Once-Upon-A-Time Home, The Emerald Isle

Six and a half years ago, I stepped off a plane with no suitcase from the Emerald City and into the Emerald Isle. My suitcase would arrive a few days later but at that point in time I felt a bit like it: lost. Over the next four months that I would spend in Cork, I would write a blog, make great new friends, get to know the city, travel Europe and find myself feeling a little more confident and independent. Sound familiar? : )

One of my first pictures in downtown Cork - Fall 2007

My dad, Aaron and I arrived in Cork on Saturday morning. We were greeted by my dad's friend, John Dooley, who had been incredibly kind to me during my study abroad experience.

We first headed to the Jameson Factory where we toured the old distillery and tasted true Irish whiskey. My dad and Aaron volunteered to do a whiskey taste test between Jack Daniels, Jameson and Johnnie Walker (Jameson won!).

Next, we went back to Cork city to watch the Ireland vs England rugby match. I still don't quite understand Rugby, but it was entertaining with a pint of Guinness. We finished the night with dinner at the same restaurant I went to for my 21st birthday, which was a trip down memory lane!

On Sunday, Aaron and I went for a run through my old college, University of Cork College, and down to the building that I used to live in, Victoria Lodge. Nothing had changed since I'd last been there. The college still looked like an old Irish castle, and as we ran I pointed out, the buildings I had classes in, where I got my groceries, telling him stories of all my memories and usual places.

Titanic Memorial

Afterwards, we piled in the car and did a walking tour of the city, Cobh (pronounced Cove), which was the last port that the Titanic left out of. That is, perhaps, what most people know the city for, but there is a lot more history than just that. Annie Moore, who was the first immigrant in the US to pass through Ellis Island in 1892, was from Cork County and has a statue commemorating her in Cobh. During WWI, the RMS Lusitania was hit with a torpedo by a German U-boat while enroute from the US to Liverpool in 1915. The ship sank in 20 minutes and 1,195 people lost their lives. It is mostly due to Irish rescuers and the city of Cobh that 764 people did survive. Fishermen jumped in their boats and paddled out to the wreckage to bring the wounded and drowning to shore. There is a huge memorial in the city of Cobh for the ship, lives lost and Irish fisherman that risked their lives.

The dock where passengers stood waiting to board the Titanic

There is also a Titanic memorial and museum on the dock where the people who were boarding the ship stood. 113 people came aboard the Titanic from Cobh that day, and seven lucky passengers got off, among them a man from Cork who was an avid photographer and took the last known photographs of the crew and people aboard the ship. It was a very neat, small Irish town; full of history.

Next we headed to Kinsale, a small fishing port, where we had an amazing seafood lunch and then walked around Charles Fort. We capped off the night with live music and Guinness at my favorite Irish pub, Reardons. Sunday morning we walked around the Cork Market (similar to Pike Place but more meat and less Seafood) and then we said goodbye.

Fort Charles

I recently re-read some of the posts from the blog I wrote during my study abroad time. My blog was named "Go n'éirí an t-ádh leat" which is Irish for "may luck be and go with you." I'm so glad that I have an account of all the things that I experienced and saw. Reading it is a little bizarre; it's definitely still my writing but different, and I can't really explain how.

On February 21, Aaron and I had officially been in London for four months. It only seems fitting that the next day, I arrived back in Cork the place where I had spent four months of my life a long time ago.

A lot has changed since those six and a half years, but really nothing has changed about Cork. It is me who has changed, and it was nice to come back to the city and feel that same, familiar feeling after all.

It also makes me think that maybe with a little Irish luck we will have that same, familiar feeling when we return back to Seattle after our adventures as Newlyweds Abroad... just a little older, more confident and well-traveled : )

A Welcomed Surprise

Have you ever looked back at a situation and thought, how did I not see that coming? I saw all of the signs, but just didn’t connect the dots.

Aaron and I decided to take this Monday off and head to Cork, Ireland for the weekend! I studied abroad there and haven’t been back since, so I am really excited to show him where I spent four months of college. We started the planning (my area of expertise, right?) and selected flights and hotel. We both had input, but he was insistent on booking the hotel and flights on his own. Strange, but okay.

Flash forward to one morning this week. As we are leaving for work, I walk by our second bedroom and notice the piece of paper that has our wireless name and password sitting on the dresser. Everything has a place in our house, and this was not in it's place. “Umm, Aaron, did you move the wireless info? Because I didn’t touch it and if you didn’t, then someone has been in our house!” He said that he had been fiddling with something the previous night and had left it there by accident. Strange, but okay.

That same morning, we headed out the door on our way to catch the bus. As we got to the end of our street, Aaron said he had to run back to the flat because he forgot his laptop. He never brings his laptop to work. I asked why he needed it and he said the IT guys had to work on it. Aaron said I should keep walking, but I ended up waiting as he ran back to get it. He returned with his laptop in hand. Strange, but okay.

I was also pretty sick that day, and as I was coming home on the tube, Aaron was texting me: “Are you okay? How do you feel? Should I come home right now? Where are you?” He was acting very weird and wanting to know how far away from our flat I was, but I just assumed it was because I was sick. Strange, but okay.

Aaron called right before I walked inside. He said to stay on the phone with him as I went in. I thought that was really weird until I walked in and saw that all of the lights were off and the door to our second bedroom was shut. At that point, I was extremely creeped out. As I walked up the stairs, Aaron kept saying, it's fine, don't worry, it's nothing bad. And then I walked into the living room and saw... my dad.

My dad in London surprising me and Aaron in on the plan. It all pieced together: my dad coming with us to Cork leading to Aaron booking the logistics; the wireless info on the dresser so that my dad would see it when he arrived; Aaron running back to our flat to place the key under our mat.

I should have seen the signs and connected the dots, but I'm really glad that I didn't : )

Sunday Roast with all the Trimmings

The Brits have figured out how to have a "Thanksgiving meal" over and over and over again. Sound delicious, right? Two words: Sunday Roast.

A few weeks back, Aaron and I had our first experience with this British tradition. Sunday Roast is incredibly popular on... you guessed it, Sundays! At places where you can find a good roast, you need a reservation to get in, and it's definitely more common in pubs than everyday restaurants. At most places a roast is very reasonable, and wow is it delicious. Here's a sampling of what you'll find on your plate:

Meat - Beef, Chicken, Pork, Lamb are the most common... I've found that turkey is much less common in London in general. Good news for these gobblers!

Roasted Vegetables - Broccoli, carrots, string beans, oh my!

Potatoes - Mashed, roasted, baked... a Sunday Roast is not complete without potatoe, potatos

Yorkshire Pudding - I had no idea what this was and it does not look like any pudding that I know! It looks more like a muffin/souffle. A light airy crust, hollow in the center

Gravy - "Pour some Gravy on me!" sings the plate

Luke Warm Pint - Wash down the deliciousness like a true Brit

So, are you hungry yet?

Sometimes All You Need is Love... and Pigs and Wine

Today, as I ate lunch with my coworkers, one of them pointed out that everyone at our table was from a different country. We had someone from America (me!), the UK, France, Russia, Finland, Japan, China, Brazil, but no two people from the same country. This just does not happen in the states!

Through talking with people from different countries, I've learned that Valentine's day is not celebrated the same way in every place. In the US and UK, it is a Hallmark celebration of love, hearts, chocolates, flowers... but there are many other cultural celebrations of the day:

Bulgaria - Aaron's coworker told us that instead of being a romantic holiday, February 14 is filled with wine and parties to celebrate Dionysus, the god of wine. Sounds like my kind of holiday!

Saudi Arabia - Valentine's Day is banned :'( Where is the love?

Finland - Instead of celebrating with sweethearts, the day is spent with friends! It's more of a friendship day and way to say, 'I love you guys/girls!'

Germany - The Germans celebrate this day similar to the UK and US, except they throw in a nice twist into the tail: pigs! A pig represents luck and lust so often times this adorable animal is on the cards and gifts that are given and received... note to self: must celebrate Valentine's day 2015 in Germany so Aaron will be forced to buy me a pig : )

Tonight Aaron and I are going to one of our favorite restaurants in London called Picture (we've been here long enough that I can say that now, right?) and we will be celebrating our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife!

The newlyweds abroad wish you a jolly good Valentine's day, filled with lots of love, pigs and wine!

Expert Expat

It seems that on this side of the pond, I am an expert on something I never expected to be:

AMERICA.

Not the history, but the culture. And geez, it's a lot of pressure. I am the only American in my department, so naturally when people are curious about the states, they field the questions to me. In the beginning, I'd start out unsure because I didn't really want to speak for all Americans:

"Ashley, do American's go clubbing a lot?": Ummm, I guess in cities like New York, LA, Miami, and especially in Vegas it's really popular. But I don't think it's as popular in Seattle.

"How often do people drive in the states?": Well, it really depends. There are a lot of factors like commute, how good is the public transportation system, where you live, etc. I feel like I can't really answer this question...

"What are the popular TV shows in the US?": Hmmm, I like New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Modern Family... but I did hear that the most popular shows were NCIS and The Big Bang Theory which is really weird because I never watch them.

But then, I got tired of being vague. Now, I am just selfish and bold:

"What do you eat a lot of in the US?": Way more Mexican food and Burgers. Next question, go!

"Where do American's shop?": Nordstroms and Amazon, the only two stores you will ever need. Continue!

"What kind of music do American's listen to?": Good ole fashioned country : ) it's the only way to go.

Okay maybe not to that extreme... but I've realized that I am representing and speaking for America over here. I never thought of myself as an expert expat for the US, but Aaron and I definitely are. And although it's a lot of pressure, I like it. It makes me feel proud to tell other people about where I'm from.

So the next time someone from Europe thinks your a clubbing, burger-eating, NCIS-watching, country-music-listening American... you know who to blame!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Whoever said that it rains all the time in Seattle clearly has never been to London. Our friends and family always ask what the weather is like, so here it goes: Since we've stepped off the plane, the weather for the majority of the time has been rainy and windy. The temperature has been mild, but the wind can be a bitter ice slap in the face - sounds fun, doesn't it?

Aaron and I are both shocked by how quickly the weather changes. One minute it will look like the sun is starting to peak through and the next a rain storm will roll in. I've heard way more thunder here than I ever did in Seattle or San Diego, and while the rain in Seattle is often a steady misting, the rain here pours.

It also hasn't snowed since we've been here which some people might say is a good thing, but I really love the snow! It's funny to me that even with all this rain, we didn't experience snow in London, Iceland, Brussels... no, our snow experience was in New York!

Basically, the only thing that is predictable about London weather is it's unpredictability. Umbrella, jacket, sunglasses, mittens - my motto here has become just grab everything before you leave the house : )

Fancy a Pint? ...or a Cocktail

Aaron and I love a good British pub, and lucky us, there are plenty of them here. There's one on every corner just like Starbucks in Seattle : )

Familiar, dark, and homey, each pub has a selection of cask ales and classic British grub like fish and chips, bangers and mash or shepard's pie. We went into one the other day that had a sign saying this exact pub was opened in 1886 but a pub had been at this location since 1744 - that is older than the US has been a country!

Our friend, Becs, refers to them as 'old man pubs'. You can always count on finding at least one particular person inside: the same old man that goes to that same pub at the same time everyday for the same cask ale pint - talk about routine! And you can always tell if it's an old man pub by it's name. The name will usually include an animal (The Duck and The Dog, Lamb and Flag, The Red Cow) or a British military/story/royalty word (The King's Head, Durrell Arms, Prince of Wales). Sometimes they even include both! (George and the Dragon). Also, don't expect to order a fancy, schmancy cocktail - only order pints or one liquor drinks like a gin and tonic unless you want to stand out.

But there's a new trend in Londontown where ordering a cocktail isn't shunned, it's encouraged. The age of the Speakeasy. Secretive, dark and exclusive, we decided to check this trend out and the biggest challenge was finding the door.

Our first stop was the Experimental Cocktail Club, also known as the ECC in hushed whispers to the doorman ("Hey, is this the door to the ECC?"). It's completely non-descript from the outside with no sign or door number tucked away between two restaurants in Chinatown, but inside the atmosphere brings you back to a Gastby-like era. And the cocktails were amazing. Aaron ordered a cigar-infused whiskey cocktail while I selected a frothy lemon gin one that had a spicy kick to it.

Afterwards we met up with friends and headed to The Blind Pig because with a name like that I wasn't going to not go : ) We came upon the "Opticians" neon sign hanging above a dark door and knew we were at the right place. From looking at the outside, you would never guess what was inside - a dark hideout of people in plush booths sipping cocktails in the candlelight. Our cocktails were over the top creative; the Thermo Nuclear Daquiri came with a bio-hazard sticker and glowing green ice cube, Aaron's Buck Stops Here had little 100 dollar bills clothes-pinned to the glass and my Picnoteque had a glow stick. And yes, you read that right; they were dollars not pounds.

But as we headed out the door we felt like we need to go to one more place for a nightcap. While the speakeasies were fun and a nice change of routine, an old man pub is where we ended the night at. And I think the old men have it right: there's nothing better than ending a day with a pint of beer in a British pub... "Except maybe if the pint was a bit colder," said every American in London : )

Our Little Secret

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret: my husband and I had a fight on Tuesday. "What? They fight? I thought all they did was travel!" I know, I know - Let's get all the gasps and shocks out now before I continue.

A lot of times social media doesn't actually show this piece of your life. Instagram, Facebook and blogs all show the good not the bad, the laughs not the tears, the love not the fights. People don't want to talk about it because it's perceived as bad or that a relationship is in trouble. Plus, it's very personal and sort of depressing. But all of these things are life and what make us human.

It really was a stupid fight (aren't they all most of the time?), just pure frustration and exhaustion. We went to catch a tube after taking our red eye in from New York, and I made the decision to go to a different tube stop than normal because I thought it would be quicker. We arrived, and the line was delayed and the station was packed. There was no way to know it would turn out that way but it spiraled from there: blame, frustration, anger, all human emotions to feel. We angrily walked 15 minutes to another tube stop, I was late for work, we said a rushed goodbye... but I still had a sick feeling in my stomach. So I ran down to Aaron's tube line where he was waiting, and we both apologized and carried on our way. All was forgotten in an hour.

It's an interesting experience being abroad for your first year of marriage. We are facing a lot of frustrating and tough situations where often times the only people we have to take it out on is each other. But then we are also going on these amazing adventures, seeing once-in-a-lifetime things and experiencing it together. I like to think of it as extreme highs and lows on the expat rollercoaster : )

I can't speak for everyone's first year but I think that this year I'm really learning more about the roles that Aaron and I play in our relationship. I am the emotional one who relies on my feelings and impulses. Aaron is the calculated, rational one who uses his reasoning and senses. We both balance each other out but we also share a lot of things in common - one of those is not being able to leave a situation angry.

The next day was the first day of the London tube strike. When the tube shuts down, it is pure chaos and disruption. I left work yesterday 45 mins earlier than I normally do to account for this, only to ride the bus for an hour and find that a tube line that said it would be open was closed. The taxi line was wrapped around the station. People were everywhere, all on their phones trying to look up how to get to work. Naturally, I did the same thing only to find a message on my phone: "No Internet Connection". I was lost and had no idea how to get to work. So who did I call? Not ghost busters, but my husband. And he helped me figure out a way out of the situation.

It took me another hour and a half to finally get to work (yes, my one hour commute turned into 2.5 hours) but it definitely made me realize how much Aaron and I rely on each other here especially during all these highs and lows... and how truly thankful I am that he is my someone to rely on.

Because my husband is very reliable : )

Seahawk State of Mind

Wow. That word sums up every emotion and feeling about this past weekend.

We flew to New York.
For only one weekend.
To last-minute, impulsively buy.
Tickets to America's biggest sporting event.
And watched our team win.
No dominate.
Their first ever title.

It was pretty dang cool. And the next day when we had to say goodbye to the 7 friends/family that met us in New York, the snow started pouring down threatening to cancel our flight and we were exhausted having to board our red eye knowing that we'd land at 6am and have to head straight into work - but it was totally worth it. It is an experience shared that none of us will ever forget.

It was great to be back in America but it was even better to show my Seattle pride and be with people and fans who feel like home.

Most people will never go to a Superbowl. Fewer will go and watch their team play in one. Even fewer will actually see their team win. And the rarest among rare will see their team win their first ever, but not the last Lombardi trophy : )

So yes, wow pretty much sums it all up!