A very Californian meal: Brown Rice & Veggie Wrap

Yesterday the movers came and wrapped up all of my furniture, along with a good number of boxes, and took them away to a storage facility. Standing there in my empty apartment, it hit me: I’m really doing this.

It amazes me that just four months ago, the idea of moving to Ireland was a tiny lightbulb flickering weakly in the back of my mind. I let the idea sit for about a week before nonchalantly browsing a few websites on how Americans can legally live in Ireland. Yesterday, my dad and I took nine boxes – all filled with my clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils and various personal effects – to the post office. Those boxes will arrive just a few days after I do, in Ireland.

A very Irish dish: Steak and Guinness Pie

Since things have progressed so quickly, I haven’t had much time to research the town where I’ll be living or brush up on the local slang or investigate the dating rituals of the Irish. I think that’s a good thing; I’d rather go into this without any pre-concieved notions or expectations. Anything and everything is possible right now, and for that I feel incredibly lucky.

There will be many people and things to miss about Los Angeles, and perhaps once I land in Ireland I will understand just how special of a place LA is. Food-wise, we can get everything from a Macrobiotic sandwich to an authentic, greasy street taco and pretty much everything in between. I can get Sriracha and Yakisoba and dried ancho chiles at my local grocery store. It’s not just the food: Every country in the world is represented in the faces of Los Angelinos. And where else can you go to the beach, mountains and desert all within a single day? Where else is it 78 degrees and sunny in the middle of winter?

But for now, my focus is going to be embracing all the newness of Ireland and the Irish. I’m ready to be cold, excited about trying traditional foods and thrilled at the prospect of making new friends. I won’t post again until I arrive, so please forgive the week-long break here. But next time you hear from me, I will be there.

Ireland, here I come!