Moral of the weekend: be careful what (movie plot) you wish for (to follow your life).
Ever since seeing Leap Year, I’ve had this weird obsession with going to Ireland and somehow experiencing everything that the main character, Anna, did. Well, I basically got my wish this weekend. The good, the bad, and the demented high schooler who hit on me.
If you haven’t seen the movie, Anna’s boyfriend hasn’t proposed to her yet, so she decides to go meet him in Dublin to propose to him on Feb. 29th (it’s an Irish tradition for the woman to propose to the man on Leap day). So basically because I have run out of ideas on how to keep you interested, I will be mirroring Anna’s experience with ours.
Amber and I both flew into Dublin, but my flight arrived 4 hours earlier than hers, so I decided to tour Dublin before meeting up with her. It has been a running joke with my friends that I will marry an Irish man. My first 5 minutes in Dublin, walking down a street, I joking “ask” (in my head) all the Irish men out there, “so who is lucky enough to put a ring on this finger?” Literally 30 seconds after I proposed this question, I watch as this chubby highschooler walks by, full on giving me the up-down. As soon as we make eye contact (my faced in a twisted, repulsed manner), he smiles and says “eey booful”. {Finding an Irish man like Anna? Check.}
Next I link up with Amber, and we take our 3 hour bus ride to Limerick, which felt like 20 minutes because we had so much catching up to do. In Limerick, we checked into our adorable bed and breakfast {like in Leap Year…}, then headed out the a restaurant to grab a bite. The whole time, this table of Irish women beside us were hysterical, cracking up and obviously having a grand ol time together. {Traditional with meal boisterous natives like Anna, check.}
The next day, we sleep in and eat a beautiful, heavy Irish breakfast downstairs. When we finally arrive at the bus station, ready to head to the Cliffs of Moher, which was basically THE REASON WHY we went to Ireland, we found out that it was off season and the only bus left 2 hours earlier… {important dreams crushed by transportation issues like Anna, check}
So we decided to go to this cute little town called Adare.
As I cracked jokes about “adaring” to go to Adare, we got to see a gorgeous green country with sheep galore from our bus window. We went to a pub where wedding guests were all hanging out. {like when Anna crashed that Irish wedding…} and eventually made our way to where we THOUGHT was the bus stop. Suddenly, our bus rushes by us, and we sprint down the street in hopes to catch it. After a block, I look back at a defeated Amber walking… and look back to see the bus pull out of the bus stop. Obviously, we decided to eat in Adare that night. We ate at a restaurant where once Bill Clinton had eaten.
Around 6:33pm, Amber asks me what time it is, and we realize that we only have 7 minutes to get to the bus stop. Right when we jump up, we see a bus pass by our window.
Amber: “Omg, that’s our bus.”
Audrey: “Nope, no no, that’s not our bus. It’s not. It can’t be.”
*Awkward silence where we both fully understand that it was our bus*
Which mean that it was time to sit back down and order dessert.
{Missing the “train”(bus) just like Anna…}
FINALLY we make it back, and end up watching “I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here: Australia” for the rest of the night. It was actually very entertaining. The Irish are much more hilarious than we are.
The next day we had yet another wonderful breakfast, and some young guy from the kitchen dropped a bunch of plates.
We checked out and walked to King John’s Castle. {…just like Anna and Declan saw a castle…}
aaand Amber slipped and fell in this slimy mud/algae crud. {Anna? Yes? Slipping and falling down that muddy hill?}
Finally, we headed to the bus where we started our adventures home. 3 hours to the airport and then waiting in the terminal together, eating Burger King. Yes, Burger King.
Tomorrow I see Amber once again, this time in Venice. And I will be spending the next 9 days in Venice, Florence, and Rome with various friends. I cannot believe this is real life.
Audrey Wells 