Belfast and tired!

Well, we made it. Not without a little delay in Newark while mechanics went onboard to troubleshoot "a mechanical issue" (something you want to hear on your way across an ocean!), decided it couldn't be fixed in a timely fashion, waited for a plane to get there from Heathrow, and got into Belfast about 90 minutes later than scheduled. But we made it.

Anyone who knows me at all will appreciate this. On the trip between Newark and Belfast, Zach elbowed me and motioned to the book the lady next to him was reading... Surprised By Joy. Yup... by C.S. Lewis. It took no time at all before we were yacking away about our favorite books and why. Very nice lady by the name of Mari Anne. Gave us a couple of ideas on what to see once we'd landed, too.

Belfast is beautiful. Old, pastoral, and eminently walkable: something I really enjoy, coming from Phoenix where everything is a minimum of 15 miles from my house. Zach and I went with Matt to get a prepaid phone, and walked the two miles back to the house we're staying at. Loved it!

For those wondering, yes... stuff is pretty expensive. The pound has fallen against the dollar ($1.45 to the pound as of this writing), but that only means that it's now slightly less pricey than it was before. But I think as long as we're careful with our food budget and where we stay and whatnot, we'll do okay.

If you're interested in pictures... check here. The photos are uploading right now so depending on when you check, they may or may not all be there yet.

For now, though, I think I'm going to leave this at "We're safe, we're here"... I'm too tired to think. Here's hoping I can get some SLEEP tonight!

Ireland or Bust

I got a degree in Communications. I think I'm a reasonably good listener. But I am apparently not always as effective a communicator as I could wish! I'm at Sky Harbor Airport with my buddy Zach, headed for Belfast, Ireland. Been planning for months. Thought I mentioned it to my folks. Turns out I mentioned the possibility of going, never told 'em that I was. Sorry, Mom & Dad!

So: official notification to loved ones one and all: I'm headed to Ireland for a couple of weeks of much-needed vacation. A good friend from church is getting married in Belfast (or in Ballyclare, to be specific) on the 3rd, and then Zach and I are going to see as much as time and funds allow. If that Icelandic volcano decides to blow again, I just hope it does so after we get there.

Went to bed at 3 this morning. Not really awake enough to wax poetic or profound, I'm mostly just kicking off this journal of sorts in hopes that I will have time, opportunity, and inclination to continue it while I'm gone.