Don't Forget the Country Code...

I stepped off the plane in Dublin and it all became real once I saw my very first stamp staring back at me from my passport.  Suddenly my life changed.  I was actually here.  I was on foreign soil.  I made it.  I did it.  I was proud, excited, relieved and just had a beaming smile on my face even though I was completely alone.  And it was weird…I was completely alone and yet I couldn’t have been happier.  I didn’t feel lonely, scared, nervous or anxious.  Well, perhaps I was a little anxious but not in that stressed out from anxiety kind of way but in that I cannot wait to start walking the streets of Dublin kind of way. 

Traveling to Europe was something I’ve wanted to do my whole life and I never took the opportunity…at first it was because I didn’t have the money…then when I finally did I was dating Shithead and it was like moving a glacier just to get him to take a day trip to Philly so leaving the country was out of the question.  And while he wouldn’t have stopped me from going without him, I never wanted to have huge experiences  like this without him.  I felt we were in a relationship and should do stuff like this together.  Idiot.  I’ll be honest that I spent a bit of time on the plane reflecting about everything that happened with Shithead.  A part of me still longing for the missed opportunities to share something like this with him.  I started to fear I was going to spend this entire trip reflecting on him and imaging what it would be like if he were there.  Then I quickly prayed to God my mind wouldn’t be such a fucking devil and torture me like that on such an expensive excursion.  Wouldn’t that be a complete goddamn shame? 

Anyway, I digress, here I was!!!  I was in Europe!!!  I hopped on the bus to head towards my friend’s apartment and about a million things were running through my head.  I wanted to video everything, photograph everything, see, taste and feel everything!  Sensory fucking overload I tell you.  It’s like a child who just got to Disney for the first time…their eyes are wide, their smiles huge and their excitement so great they can barely sit still.

After I met my friend, who I’d like to introduce you to…he name is Smitch and I’ve known her since high school.  We were part of a group of best friends who all happened to have a different variation of the same name, I kid you not, we all played sports and we were all inseparable.  Smitch moved to Dublin after college for post-grad and then got a job with an incredible company over there and has been living there ever since. 

So Smitch and I got back to her apartment and while I think she expected me to want to just pass out from the long trip over all I wanted to do was freshen up and get out in the city.  Smitch had to give a presentation at some conference so she walked me to the center of the city and left me to explore.  I’m not going to go into detail of my travels because after all this is a dating blog but I will tell you…given the opportunity go to Ireland.  My god, beautiful, friendly, fun…it’s an incredible place.  The more I walked the more I just felt like I completely belonged.  The men were adorable, hot, handsome…sigh, I miss them already.  And really…the accents just make it that much better (when you can actually understand them).

That we headed to a Halloween party…let me tell you Halloween in Ireland is so much more genuine then here in NYC.  People frown upon you if you go out and get a store bought costume.  Also, most girls do not dress like skanky sluts.  People get ridiculously creative and make, yes MAKE, their own costumes…from the obvious to the thought provoking I was extremely impressed.  So as I was making my way through the crowd a seriously sexy guy caught eyes with me.  He and a few of his friends were there dressed as Chilean miners…fucking awesome.

At this point I hadn’t given much if any thought to meeting a guy.  I was so caught up in making friends, taking in the atmosphere and still on my Holy Shit I’m in Ireland high that the idea of meeting someone just didn’t even occur to me.  “When you least expect it” as some would say.  From the second we caught eyes you could feel the attraction.  He made his way through the crowd over to me and we started talking.  I remember just swooning over his gorgeous eyes, great smile and praying to god I could understand his accent.  All was going well.  We were making our way around the party hand in hand as he introduced me to everyone he knew.  I broke away at one point to find Smitch and refill my glass…she and I were on our way to finishing our 4^th bottle of Rosé champagne at this point…like I really needed more??  Fuck it, I’m on vacation! 

She started questioning me about my Chilean miner find and when she asked what he did all I could remember was “he said he goes to the gym…” Whether or not that meant he was a personal trainer I could not tell you.  Frankly, I didn’t really give a shit either…I was all sorts of bubbly from being champagne drunk and lusting after my first Irish boy crush.

All of a sudden it was 3am and time for Smitch and I to head home which also meant saying good bye to my miner.  I was sad to go but I knew I still had 9 days left so this was only the beginning!!

The Juicy Details:   Through all the talking and flirting and drinking I hadn’t even though much about actually physically connecting with the miner.  What, how is that even possible?!?!  Well, once I realized the Cinderella hour was quickly approaching my instinct kicked in and I quickly locked eyes with the miner, grabbed his hands, slowly propped myself up on my toes as he wraps his hands around my face and we have the most delicious kiss.  Inside I felt a million butterflies…here I am, my first night in Ireland and I’m having the most amazing kiss…I couldn’t have ever planned something this awesome.  And from that point it was on…we just couldn’t stop kissing each other.  Each chance we had until the moment I had to leave we took full advantage.  I began to truly see the power of a kiss when with each one I felt a little more of the thoughts, the stress, the bullshit and whatever from home break away…it wasn’t complete but it was a damn good start. 

When I finally had to pull myself away the miner pulled out his phone…at this time I was patting myself on the back for putting a global plan on my blackberry before I left…and he asked me for my number.  Who would have guessed my very first night in Ireland a hot guy would be asking for my American number???  He hands me his phone and says “Why don’t you give me your number and maybe I can show you the city…oh and Don’t forget the country code”  At that, I practically cracked up...I can honestly say I’ve never heard that before and I absolutely loved it.  I knew from that moment this trip was going to be epic.