Ireland, friend or or foe?

Motivation. Many people have asked me throughout my preparation what my fascination is with Ireland.  Most think “it must be a man”. I think..NOT!

I’ve been to Ireland 6 times in all weather and I’m not quite sure yet if Irish people even really like Americans. But, I really like Irish people. I like the culture, the vibe, the music, the sport, the fact that it is it’s own island, detached from the rest of the world in many respects beside the geographical aspect.

I have some Irish friends, an even they facetiously make sport of mocking the American way.

So what’s the big deal?

Its true, we do things in a big way here. Walmart for instance. I took an Irish person to Walmart and they nearly Sh&% themselves. ALL THIS in one place? Yes it true. You can get ice cream AND underwear. You live in America, you get what you want when you want it… NOW.  And if you don’t get it, you complain to management and get your way like a spoiled bratty child that has never grown up. In a way, that’s what we are here in America, self absorbed children who only see ourselves, our lives, our job, our money, our house, and walk right over the man using the street as his bed and complain that he nearly tripped us up as we walk to the store, which is also a rarity. Walk? We walk for exercise but would not think to walk to the store or the pub or anywhere else. However, public transpo is for the less fortunate. Its not mainstream. “You don’t have a car??? How do you get anywhere?”  We have households of 5 people each with a car or two, mixing taps are common place, not luxury along with central heating and air, houses that ARE NOT hooked together unless its a condominium which comes with its own inbred luxuries of game houses and pools.

We have a lot of room here and we utilize it to the fullest, unless you are in Manhatten where we try to utilize even the sky space.  WIDE ROADS… HUGE FANCY GAS GUZZLING CARS, double bagging plastic bags at the grocery market, Big houses, big rooms and tall ceilings.

I must say, that even my home is quite large for 1 person. It’s a 3 bedroom 2.5 bathroom with 2 living rooms and a separate large nicely tiled laundry room because we wouldn’t dare think of putting a clothes washing machine in the kitchen…  But WHY NOT?? It makes perfect sense!! I love that about Ireland. In fact, I want to move there JUST to do my laundry in the kitchen.  Yet, we don’t do it, nor would we ever consider it.  We also don’t make condenser dryers common place, yet they are commonplace in Ireland. Another luxury I fancy in Ireland is how the dryer works. When using the dryer it stops and alternates rotating directions (like a front loading washer) so that your clothes don’t get all tangled up in one big wad that you spend 10 minutes un-spinning by hand, especially when there's sheets involved.  So, who’s the more primitive society now HMM??? Once Ireland makes mixing taps common place and get rid of ALDI markets, they will be pretty caught up to us over here. They even construct their house to last centuries. As they say across the pond, their homes are not made of sticks like they are here in America.

Conservation: another place where they are light years ahead of we wasteful pathetic Americans.

All the things people do in Ireland to conserve makes perfect sense: recycle grocery bags, public transport, ride bikes, WALK, conserve energy by not having the main electric switch on at all times.

But being born and raised the American way I cant seem to condense down enough in my move to Ireland. I don’t yet have the European way, the lifestyle, the simplicity.  I mean I’ve narrowed down quite a bit! But I would appall anyone in Ireland at this point with my lack of resourcefulness in packing.  I’m having an estate sale of sorts,  to see what I can sell and keep, but some unique items I would like to have just in case. All I know is when I get to Ireland, I can’t go to Walmart and save the extra money to buy it, whatever IT is , when I get there. It either comes or it goes, as do I.

Fine print:

This was meant to be a post regarding my motivation for moving to Ireland.

I believe in America we call this a tangent. Perhaps a motivational moment turned A.D.D. which we all seem to have over here as well. Batteries not included.