Back From: IRELAND!

Hello!

We have returned from Ireland! We had a weeklong vacation there and it was JUST what the doctor ordered! I had been under a ton of stress - and to be able to turn off the phone, the computer, the TV was HEAVEN. Those Europeans know how to live! They eat better, they walk everywhere, they have crappy television ... it was awesome. I have had extreme tummy trouble since my gallbladder surgery but in Europe, I had NO problems. They eat very differently than we do. I wasn't ever hungry, never craved junk food and had two of the BEST bowls of soup I ever had in my LIFE.

I intend to post some pics and tell you all about it coming up. Today and MAYBE tomorrow is going to be used to just sleep and try to get back on schedule. We took very little in terms of clothing, really ... but we had to take layers as it was very very cold there - and it rained. So you wear a shirt and sweater, and jacket and scarf - so we didn't take a ton, but we wore what we took multiple times! So the next day or so is laundry, laundry!

We enjoyed really great food and met some NICE people. I think we got the true Irish experience and thanks to some informative tour guides, we got a LOT of information such as did you know, red haired people aren't REALLY Irish?! No - Irish are dark haired people, which now makes since to me. My mom has told me my whole life that her dad's side of the family, the Doran's were Irish. My granddad had a head full of black hair - and my mom's, my aunts and mine are all very very dark as well. I never could understand how we were Irish, if we had such dark hair. Turns out, we are! I also found our family history in this old celtic shop - turns out the Dorans were some of the first families documented in Ireland. We go back a long, long way ... and it was CRAZY to get information on that. I have never been able to go into a shop like that and see the Doran family history. You see every one else, you know like: Reilys, O'Connells,Fitzpatricks, Flannigans, etc ... you NEVER see Doran. Not here. But in Ireland, it's everywhere. VERY interesting and of course I'll share it all with you and my family as well. Coming up!

We had an amazing time! We were sad to leave, cause it DID feel very much like home for me (maybe that's built into the genes?), but also it was good to get back here too. Adjusting TO the time change was hard, but getting home and readjusting is easier!

I am so grateful we had the opportunity to go - and we had a really wondeful time. We're lucky people that Conrad has a chance to earn these trips. I have thanked him several times for the hard work that sent us there. Pics to follow as soon as I recover!

Kah