DAY 1

11:20 am – Waiting at airport. Worst feeling. With my severe propensity to forget everything, I am very concerned I am forgetting an essential item. This worry is about uncalled for, since the only essential items are the big 3 – ID, passport and ticket vouchers. I have checked that I have all of those 7 times. I now know what it is like to have terrets. Also, I am standby for this whole trip and this Tampa to NYC flight is a pretty full. Kelly said to bring candy to the gate agents, but there wasn’t any at the casa. Was going to offer a fresh cucumber from the Haggerty garden, but was overruled that this was both sketchy and ridiculous.


1:05 pm – Made it on the flight. This blog is sponsored by Jet Blue, so here is my quick testimonial. You get 40 TV channels, the greatest snack ever (Doritos Munchy Mix) and amazingly nice and competent flight attendants, including one Kelly Haggerty. Just watched terrible movie about a reporter named Veronica Gueran. Based on a true story, she was a reporter in Dublin murdered by Irish gang lords for uncovering a bunch of Irish drug dealers. All the Irish girls in the movie were pretty, so that means all the girls in Ireland are pretty, right? For the record, Las Vegas is a great show. According to Jason, I watched the last episode of season 5, which is a movie unto itself, absolutely phenomanal.

2:15 pm Bags start to come down carousel

2:30 pm All bags are gone from carousel.

2:35 pm In a near panic, I even leave airport to investigate bags of fellow passengers waiting at curb.

2:40 pm Still no bag at carousel

2:42 pm BAG ARRIVES – Its absence would have put a huge damper on my ability to then catch a flight to Ireland.

3:00 pm Conduct phone interview with Gulf High School in New Port Richey, FL. They have a boy’s varsity coaching position, but not a teaching position. Probably a big waste of time. I am fairly certain they will hire an unqualified woman for the job.

4:00 pm Rookie International Traveler Mistake #1 – Did not sign passport.

4:30 pm Eating PBJ for dinner – Total cost of trip so far – ZERO EUROS.

5:40 pm First interaction with a new culture on the trip. Some Arabian family (not ashamed to admit I prayed they were not on my flight) was of course flagged for a security check. After her full cavity search I saw her sign her passport (ROOKIE!!!) and she signed it RIGHT TO LEFT! What the heck. You hear that’s how they do things, but it’s still weird to see. Also, giant pooh bear would not fit through x-ray machine until it was vicously stuffed through.



6:00 pm Boarding flight for Shannon. The flight attendants outfits are awesome. They are bright green and made of the material your grandma always wears. Seats in plane are all bright green.



8:00 pm E.S.T / 1 am Irish time Set clock ahead to trick myself into being tired. Not effective, but did finally sleep for last three or four hours of flight. The airplane has XM stations and I fall asleep listening to a station called High Kings. I learn later this is the name of a famous group of trobeduers. The song that I especially remember and heard five times before, during and after nodding off is called “Galway to Graceland.” It is about a woman who leaves her husband to go meet Elvis. She even is removed from the cemetery and arrested when her now deceased “King” is dead. The line that sticks in my head the whole trip is: “She went from Galway to Graceland to be with the king.” The song is so awesome it please listen to it on the below link. A great pub song is first and the Galway song is at the three minute mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuaf6vMhGbo