Mon 4 Mar 2013
Three Years Later
Posted by Clare under American in Ireland, Expats in Ireland, Marrying an Irishman
[5] Comments
Exactly three years ago today, I landed in Ireland as a wide-eyed and optimistic American in search of a new adventure. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I’ve found far more than adventure; in Ireland, I’ve found a new life.
It’s fun to look back on old blog posts to see what I went through in the early days. I can recall my surprise when I saw how dressy girls would get for a night out. I was from Los Angeles, where a typical Saturday night out meant a nice pair of jeans and a dressy top, and here girls were putting in hair extensions, spraying on the fake tan and slipping into their best dress for a night out. There were many lessons to be learned in those days…remember how I struggled with understanding the accent (in my case, the not-so-listener-friendly dialect of Drogheda, where I first settled) and how much fun I had upon discovering the charm of the good, old-fashioned country pub?
Like anyone adjusting to living in a new country, I had major moments of frustration; what with the weather, the summer greenfly infestations and major lack of good customer service some days were trying to say the least. And I had some really low points too. I missed my family and friends, felt hopeless about dating here and at times wondered if moving to Ireland was the right decision.
But the good outweighed the bad by overwhelming numbers and that’s what kept me going. Ireland, with all of its quirks and oddities, is an endless source of inspiration and I am always discovering something new and unique. I even learned to cope with the weather, though I will admit I still struggle with it at times. And while many Irish questioned why on earth anyone would want to move to their crippled country, I found many reasons why I wanted to stay and met many locals who felt the same.
In the last 36 months I’ve met so many incredible people, developed some amazing friendships and met & married the love of my life, Mountaineering Man. It’s wild to think that so much can happen in such a short time, but I suppose that’s the magic of Ireland.
******************************************
Smoked Mackerel Pizza
This dish is a little Los Angeles and a little Ireland all in one. I discovered it when my sister made it for me on our recent trip to LA, but found it works great with the local smoked mackerel (she used trout in hers). It’s super easy and quick to throw together for a dinner party appetizer and you can find all the ingredients at your local market.
1 large pizza crust, baked & cooled. I found mine at Fresh market in the deli section; there is two per pack and bakes up in about 8 minutes.
5 tablespoons crème fraiche or plain yogurt
3 tablespoons horseradish cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 fillet smoked mackerel
3 tablespoons chopped chives
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the crème fraiche (or yogurt), horseradish cream, lemon juice and salt. Using a spoon or spatula, spread evenly over the baked and cooled pizza crust. Using your fingers, take small pieces of mackerel fillet and place the pieces evenly over the crème fraiche on the pizza. Sprinkle on the chives, slice and serve. Goes great with champagne!
Champagne and smoked mackerel – such a classy chick!
Love the blog. As another American shortly to move to your neck of the woods, I appreciate the insight. As such, I’ve nominated you for a Liebster award! See my most recent post: http://www.cheerfulstoic.com/2013/03/award-winning.html
I would love your advice on where to stay in Ireland. I have never been but have felt drawn there for many years and don’t even know why. I don’t want to do the typical tourist thing and stay in a different place every night. I’m planning on coming in October when tourist season is down. Since you are now a “local”, I would love for you to recommend some areas. Thanks and congratulations on your marriage and life in Ireland.
I, for one, am pretty happy you moved! 🙂
That pizza was incredible, as was the cavier and chips on the side.
Where did you take the picture of the frozen trees?
Congratulations on the start of year four! And this year won’t have to include any GNIB funtimes! I wish I’d had the foresight (and work ethic) to have documented all the sublime and ridiculous since my move as well. Such a fun record you’ve left yourself (well, and everyone).
As I gear up for applying for naturalisation in August, I’m getting a lot more conscious of these little ‘it’s been x-years since…’ anniversaries. Taking stock can be a little mind-blowing, especially as I didn’t come with a game-plan, expectations, er, leprechaun-based fantasies. In light of our respective Irish spouses, I’d say we both made a success of things! It’s surreal sometimes.