America Ain't So Beautiful

I am not a world traveler, nor do I claim to be. But just because I haven’t traveled the world does not mean that I am an idiot or any less "cultured" than someone who has. There are people out there who honestly believe that they are more intelligent or simply better than others because they have, indeed, traveled to many countries. In a lot of cases, they are correct.

However, the REAL difference between me and these people has less to do with being cultured or uncultured and more to do with wealth and/or the sheer luck of being born anywhere BUT the U.S. I can't control the fact that my grandfather was chased out of his hometown of Bantry, County Cork, Ireland and that somehow he selected Arlington, MA, to raise his family thus forcing me to be born in boring old America. I also can't control the fact that my mother, for her entire life, has despised flying or that we never really had the money to take a family of 6 on a vacation (flying with 4 kids doesn't sound like much of a vacation to me).

Now, I know what you're thinking. I SHOULD be grateful just to be alive, have freedom and a house. And I am. But, when it comes to being cultured, Europeans have a huge advantage over Americans; rather than drive to another state for a "holiday" Europeans can actually drive to a whole other country and experience a completely different language and culture. If they choose to, they can visit several different countries within one week. Unfortunately, an equivalent trip for us just means traveling ACROSS our country…big effing deal.

Before I go on, let me make one thing clear; I'm not blaming my parents, my grandparents or anyone else for my lack of worldly experience/knowledge, I'm just saying that it’s difficult for people in the U.S. to fully experience other cultures unless they can afford to travel quite a bit.

The very first time I got on a plane, I was 18 years old and a freshman in college. I went to Fort Lauderdale for spring break with my roommate and her family (so not much of “spring break” if you know what I mean). We stayed at her grandfather’s $7.5 million mansion on the intercoastal (yes you read that correctly…Demi Moore and Bruce Willis even rented the house for several months when they were still married and one of them was making a movie there). So, needless to say, even though I hadn’t left the U.S., this was a culture shock for me in a lot of ways: 1st time on a plane, 1st time visiting a state outside of New England, 1st time visiting “the south,” 1st time seeing palm trees, 1st time in a $7.5 million mansion, 1st time hanging out with extremely wealthy people. Yes, I was being exposed to a different culture, per se, but not a “worldly” culture.

When I arrived home from Florida, I realized that I had been bitten by the travel bug. Honestly, I don’t really mind the whole airport aggravation and, with the exception of a few rough, head-pain-inducing landings, I typically enjoy flying. And, call me crazy, but I STILL find myself amazed about the fact that one morning I can be walking the streets of Dublin and, that same afternoon, I find myself at Corner Cupboard in Billerica, MA, buying a 12-pack of Raspberry UFO. Talk about a change of venue.

Fortunately for me, I had a few college trips that led me out of the country and then I married someone who also likes to travel (he actually saves money for traveling). As a result, I've averaged about 1 trip per year for the past 12 years...not bad! However, most of these trips can't really be considered "cultural." I can’t count Jamaica because I spent the entire trip fearing for my life. And I’m not counting Montreal because I was only there for one night: New Year’s Eve, 1998 (my mother still thinks I spent the night in Haverhill at my friend Catherine’s house). I’m also not counting Bermuda or Aruba because we really just spent the entire time on the beach.

My recent trip to Ireland was my first, real, cultural trip.

And, once again, I’ve been bitten by the bug. Only this time, I’d like my next trip to be a little longer…

A few years ago, Matt and I casually discussed moving to a warmer climate and although the weather would be appealing, I immediately nixed the idea based on the fact that I couldn’t stand to be so far away from my family. I am also terrified by the idea of having to look for a new job. Fast forward to today and I’m suddenly plotting ways in which Matt and I can realistically drop everything here in MA and move to Dublin (not forever, just for a year or so). And, as Matt so profoundly stated, "it's easier to look for a new job when you already have one."

You’ll be happy to know that Matt did end up talking some sense into me, but I still can’t seem to shake the whole idea. I truly envy people who can and have dropped everything to begin a new life (maybe saying a “different life” would be more appropriate) in another location. I guess this is actually something that DOES impress me. At this point in my life, I feel like the only thing keeping me from not making such a drastic change is money; unfortunately I have a lot of debt at the moment and not much (nothing) saved.

And so, it’s back to reality.

Many people have been inquiring about our trip, so here’s a brief rundown…you know I love lists!

My top 5 favorite things about Ireland (in general):

1. The views.

Breathtaking mountains and patchwork farms go on for miles making it impossible to fully capture them in a photo.

2. People are EXTREMELY friendly.

Imagine THAT Massachusetts!

In Ireland, you always receive a friendly "finger point" (they opt for this over a wave of the hand) from the people driving past you. Pedestrians crossing the street ALWAYS give a thank you wave when you stop to let them walk by. Also, strangers in general often use the term "cheers" as a catchall phrase that can mean "thanks," "your welcome" or simply "cheers."

3. The pubs.

First, I'd like to debunk the rumor that Guinness is served warm and "tastes better in Ireland." It is quite cold and tastes exactly the same. On another note, many of you will appreciate this - tipping a bartender is actually frowned upon! Also, for some reason, bars in the U.S. have not yet caught on to possibly the best invention ever: hooks on that little 1/2 wall in front of each of barstool. These were probably invented for the jackets of the men who spent an entire day in a pub, but this is truly every girl’s dream. I never had to worry about where to hang my purse or the fact that it was on the floor or that someone might spill on it or, worse, steal it.

*Update: I have recently been to 2 bars in the Somerville/Cambridge area that have the wall hooks that I mentioned above. Maybe I just never noticed them before or maybe American bars are starting to catch on...I'm not really sure, but you can imagine my excitement when I discovered them at Bukowski's Tavern in Cambridge and Old Magoon's Saloon in Somerville.

4. There's no sweating the small stuff.

A few examples: Swears are not edited on TV or radio. Freshly baked goods aren't wrapped up in anything, they just sit there on the shelf in all their carbohydrate glory. There are very few, if any, irrational SUVs. Clothes are hung out to dry. IDs aren't checked. There are no waiting lists or beepers to be seated at a restaurant.

5. It’s not America.

My top 5 favorite things about Dublin:

1. Diversity. (Stuff White People Like!)

Walking down the streets and into shops you hear languages from all over the world and no one flinches or makes comments about “foreigners.”

2. Style.

The clothing trends are way ahead of the U.S. and you can pretty much wear whatever you want without being labeled “weird.” The majority of guys are hipsters and the girls actually wear dresses when they go out to bars/clubs on the weekends, choosing to look classy (I cringe whenever I use that word but it’s appropriate here) rather than skanky.

3. It's easy to feel like you fit in.

I never felt like I was being judged because of my clothes/appearance or my American accent (or, as I like to call it, my recovering Boston accent).

4. There are “food halls” on every corner.

Sort of the equivalent of a mini Whole Foods, a food hall sells fresh produce, bread, fish and meat. They usually have racks and racks of gourmet sauces, oils and herbs and – the best part – they usually have a café where you can sit and eat a fresh, warm scone and sip a cup of coffee so good you can drink it black…imagine THAT America!

5. The restaurants/pubs.

The food in Ireland is far better today than it was 10-20 years ago (from what I've been told). You don’t have to go very far to find a gastropub or Belgian beer ON TAP! Leave it to me to find a Belgian Beer Festival in the land of Guinness! In addition, several pubs have "beer gardens" (slightly different from "al fresco" it's an open air seating area WITHIN the restaurant itself) and/or "beer halls" (think of a German Oktoberfest atmosphere with long community tables). Also, you can order Indian until 5 am and it’s way spicier than U.S. Indian restaurants.

So what’s next? Well, Prague is at the top of my list but London, Milan, Venice, Athens and Munich aren’t far behind!