"I Think We're Okay" - En Route to Ireland

The flight to Ireland was interesting. I'm kind of suprised I made it! First of all, I barely got through security with all my carry on items (you're only allowed two: a bag and a personal item), but fortunately the man at the checkpoint was feeling cheerful and let me through with my 2 bags, travel pouch, and reading material. Then, once I got past security my gate kept changing, sending me and all my fellow passengers scurrying through the airport, like gypsies, belongings in toe.

After the 2nd gate change I was finally checking in. While standing on line I heard a young man behind me ask where I was off to. At this point I was in survival mode and not in the mood for idle chatter, but my defenses quickly melted when I discovered he was also traveling to Ireland for the first time by himself. A travel buddy! He told me he was a junior at Boston College and was going to Ireland to launch a new iPhone app called Ulysses, which guides the user through Dublin, using the same course depicted in James Joyce's novel. Apparently, Louie helped his professor do the research for the app and was a part of its creation. He said the process isn't that difficult- you come up with an idea for an app, get the necessary information and then present it to a company who handles the technological aspects. Of course, you also need about $10,000 and 2 years worth of preparation for it to materialize. I'm brainstorming nonetheless.

 We caught up with eachother after the first flight landed in Toronto. Because the flight to Canada was delayed we had just minutes to catch the one to Ireland. Panick set in after hearing the final boarding call while we were still online waiting to get through Canadian customs. Neither of us had a clue about what to do if we missed it. After finally getting past customs... I bolted! ("sorry Louie, I can't afford a new plane ticket!") A man on a tram car passed by and whisked me away towards the gate. Luckily, Louie was speed walking not to far behind. "I think we're okay," I called out from the back of the car, pretending not to be caught red handed saving my own ass. Anyway, we both made it onto the plane! I scrambled to shove my massive carry on into an overhead bin with the help of a kind man (yes, I was that person), I took my seat next to a young red headed woman and spent the entire 6 hour flight watching romantic comedies (karma).

When I arrived in Dublin, I had no clue where to meet my host Vere who was kind enough to pick me up at the airport. Fortunately, the girl sitting next to me on the plane offered to guide me out to the exit where her friend was waiting.

After spotting a man who resembled the Facebook photo, I approached him with a smile and sense of relief. He looked a little confused and unsure if I was his girl. "Are you...Lizzie?" he asked. My jet lagged appearance probably looked nothing like the glamorous girl on my website. I scanned him up and down, determined he wasn't a creep, nodded and proceeded to his car.

The car ride was about 40 minutes. I was waiting to get that feeling of wonder at how beautiful and different Ireland is, but alas, a highway is a highway. It was just as bland as NJ- only there was less trash and the cars were cuter.

Things started looking up once we entered the town of Ravensdale ("raven" pronounced like the bird). The streets were lined with stone walls, and some of the houses had the iconic red doors.

We pulled into a long winding dirt driveway which lead up to the lovely Anavera estate, consisting of one main house, a gate house, a converted old school building, a veggie garden , and a cobblestone stableyard, all sitting on a few acres surrounded by forest.




After getting a quick tour, Vere brought me right to my room in the main house with powder blue walls, crown molding, high ceilings, and the most gorgeous window overlooking the property. I unpacked my clothing into an antique vanity and then snuggled up in my twin size bed for some much needed sleep.



While lying in bed I began to worry about the logistics of preparing a one woman show in the next 2 weeks. I've never had so little time to rehearse. In fact, I've never even done a one woman show. Just as my heart started racing it suddenly dawned on me that I'm in Ireland and have no responsibility but to create art. "What a lovely predicament to find yourself in," I thought. "Let the challenge begin."