Lists

As my solo adventure comes to a screeching halt, my head is filling with two lists...one of all of the things I miss about home and the second is a list of all of the things I'll miss about Ireland. Reconciling the two seems nearly impossible from my current position, but I'll get it sorted one of these days.

What I miss about home:
My family - including Mr. Bear and Boozy
A glass filled with ice and then Diet Coke (I haven't seen ice cubes since leaving home)
Pizza
Pasta
Cooking for my family
Properly cooked beef
Hot sauce
Salt, pepper, and other seasonings
Dolphins and manatees
Sleeping in the same place each night
Food Network, The Cooking Channel, and Netflix
Clean clothes
Always having a car at my disposal

What I'll miss about Ireland:
Lush, green countryside
Donkeys, cows, horses, sheep, and goats
Farmland and barns
The musical sound of the Kerry brogue
Gaelic football
The homey atmosphere of a proper pub
The ability to trust complete strangers without a care
Delicious beer
Irish brown bread
Kerry butter
A slow, deliberate breakfast on old china
Newspapers that print "fuck" and "shit" and "dick" as if they were everyday words (oh wait, they are!)
Stores (including groceries) close early and open late to allow for family time
Having to slow down to allow sheep and goats to cross the road
Hearing the sound of livestock coming through my window at night
Chilly Irish rain
Windy, one-lane roads
Traditional Irish music sessions
Castles, ruins, churches, and abbeys
Ancient cemeteries full of Celtic crosses
Having to burrow under heavy covers at night to stay warm while the wind whips in thru the window
The Irish people's view of the human body (women don't have to be a size two to be beautiful)
Rugged, isolated coastlines awash in crashing waves
The unpredictable and ever-changing weather
A culture that embraces exercise (cycling, walking, running, football) as much as beer drinking
Irish humor
Irish manners
...but most importantly, I'll miss my heart because I left it back in Kerry.