Hello, Gorgeous!

Ha'Penny Bridge in Dublin

Ah, it's good to be back! Jetlag notwithstanding, it feels like coming home. Familiar streets, signs, bridges, restaurants, sounds, and smiles all contribute to this warm embrace of returning to a beloved place.

The plane ride was not nearly as bad as I'd built it up to be, and I think I'm finally beginning to figure out a way to handle the inevitable turbulence. It requires a huge amount of letting go for me, and I was able to achieve it as we bumped along every once in a while. It's so much less stressful when you decide to accept the inevitable, rather than worry about it. And hey, I'm still alive.

After getting lost trying to find my hotel, I finally did, and they were kind enough to let me into my room early. After crashing for a few hours, I ventured out a bit to the Temple Bar area where the music festival begins on Wednesday, and where some of my favorite restaurants are.

Even in Ireland, American fast food abounds, and I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I broke down and bought a bit of McDonald's as my first meal here. I was just so hungry when I woke up from my first nap, and it was the first thing I saw. At least their meats are locally sourced. I took some comfort in that, as I chowed down on chicken nuggets and fries and a Coke. How feckin' American am I?

[Geek alert] I also tried to get a SIM chip for my MiFi so that I would be able to have internet access while away from my room, but unfortunately the MiFi unit I bought on Ebay is not compatible with European frequencies. Who knew you had to have a GSM network and an 800 mHz frequency? I do. Now. Too late. I think the guy behind the counter felt a little sorry for me, because he gave me a free gigabyte of data on my mobile phone, so at least I can get email while I'm out and about. Sweet!

Another tech issue solved: I was able to turn my MacBook laptop into a wifi broadcaster in my room. I do love technology!

At some point I need to try to catch up on sleep, so I'll sign off with a bit of music from one of the pubs last night, the original Temple Bar: