Enjoyment!

It's funny to think we have been in Ireland for 6 months now. We look back on our adventure getting here and can't thank everyone who has helped us through the good times and bad times. To our friends all over the world, old and new, we appreciate your support.

Now that we've settled in, both have full time jobs and are slowly getting used to the weather (even though it's still unpredictable) we have so many plans to travel and explore. First stop, Lyon France to see the Willefert family. So excited to enjoy a great weekend! Next Jeff heads back to Lisbon Portugal for a retreat and then to Barcelona for his monthly meetings. I've also scheduled a half marathon in Galway so we are spending the weekend enjoying the west coast, and then this weekend in Belfast to be north-siders for the weekend! We just had Jeff's parents visit for a great week in Munich Germany and at our home in Dublin. In addition, we have visitors Maggie and Elisabeth in October, the Wright parents in November and the Abrahams in December! We can't wait to show them life in Dublin, or at least parts of it.

We are also planning our first trip back to the states in May to celebrate with Lisa and Patrick as they unite in marriage! Look out Phoenix, here we come. In addition, we are heading to Frewsburg/Jamestown, NY in August to congratulate Leasen and Matt as they get married also! It will be fun to see the family and also enjoy a little Wright Christmas at the same time.

Again thank you everyone for your love, support and prayers as we've gone through this journey the first 6 months. We are happy and look forward to more visitors in the future!

Our FIRST Visitor to Ireland

Jeff and I had the privilege of hosting our first visitor to Ireland....my seester Cassie! She arrived with Wrigs in hand (although he's still in quarentine until July 4th) and immediately started taking the city in. All in all we visited the city centre, Croke Park, Temple Bar, Guinness Factory, Howth, Blarney Stone, Kinsale, Cobh, Street Performers World Champions, Dublin Zoo, Stephen's Green, Grafton St, Irish Dancing and Music, some local pubs, and lastly Castleknock our home!

Even after being here for only 4 months now we were able to show her the best of Dublin, and possibly more. Anymore visitors coming, please let us know what you would like to see and we'll do our best to give you the greatest tour known to the Schmalbachs!

Cassie, we will miss you, but are excited to see you again soon.

Wish I was back in 1st Grade

Did you ever wonder why it was so easy to make friends when you were younger? Jeff and I have been pondering that thought quite a bit lately while creating a new identity in Dublin. When you are an adult, where do you find friends, how do you put yourself out there, and will these friends think you are good enough to hang in there crowd?

To help answer these questions, we've started to enlist ourselves in many activities to find our identity and share our love for certain things with new friends. Thanks to those at Dublin Vineyard, Castleknock softball team, wine tastings, Eric Clapton concerts, and neighbors!

Think about the next time you are just sitting and waiting, would you talk to the person sitting next to you and make a new friend or will you let that moment pass you by? It could change your life, but if you don't try you will never know!

To friends past, present and future!!!! Love you all!

Wish it didn't end!

Thank you to everyone who made our Phoenix reception so wonderful! To the ladies (and Patrick) that rushed to just say hi to then rush back for another reception in Scottsdale, that meant the world to me so thank you so much for even thinking of doing such a crazy thing. And to my friends and family that I rarely see throughout the year I'm so thankful we could spend such quality time together throughout the weekend, it truly was amazing. And for the record I was 2 for 5 in putting when I wasn't even looking.....very impressive for a nongolfer I must say!

"If only it could have lasted a lot longer" is what Jeff and I have been saying now that we are back in Ireland. We are blessed to have such great friends, and looking forward to sharing new adventures with everyone that decides to venture to the European side!

Thank you again for such a wonderful memory that we will remember for a lifetime!

First official trip in Europe - Lisbon, Portugal

Jeff and I were able to see the beautiful city of Lisbon (Lisboa), Portugal for 3 days. The busy streets, detailed statues, and great site seeing made it a wonderful weekend. We had the great pleasure of meeting all the CEO's and Top Executives of Sogeti Europe and their partners. Everyone was so welcoming, considering it was our first initiation into the company from the other side!

In addition to the beautiful accomodations at the Ritz Four Seasons, we drove GoCars, ate lunch on a sail boat, had a true Portugese dinner started by trolley, drove by convertable accross the coast, and finished off with an amazing dinner in a lion's den with entertainment to die for.

Jeff and I are excited about new adventures in our future while traveling in Europe.

First St Patty's Day in Ireland

Jeff and I have had many firsts since we've arrived in Ireland, but the most inspiring one of them all was being here on St Patrick's Day! Although, I will mention I was here in Dublin, but Jeff was in Amsterdam at an important work meeting, so I won't hold it against him.

Before I begin to talk about the parade I witnessed, I will let you know there is an entire website dedicated to the festivities that occur all weekend and you guessed it, I was browsing it on a daily basis to make sure I didn't miss anything during the 5 days of celebration. In addition, Jeff and I did some research on the origin of why we celebrate St Patrick's Day. I won't bore you with the details, only because it's not as significant as you think, but because it's a long story!

So, I've included a picture what I saw in the parade and I was a little nervous throughout the entire 2 1/2 hours of what I was going to see next. Check out my facebook page for all of the pictures and you will be very alarmed. I learned after watching the parade that it was based off an Irish tale called "Brilliant". I am looking out for this at all of the bookstores now! In addition to the bizarre figures in the parade, I also waited for 2 hours to make sure I was in the front to see everything. I was freezing and hurting by the end, so I know if I've seen it once, I've seen it enough.

Next year I will be sure not to watch the parade, make sure Jeff is in town, wear something green (I didn't pack anything green!), and run the 5k race that I wasn't aware of until it was the day of.

Running Adventures in Rathmines, Ireland

I've been finding myself lost many times while I run in Ireland. The roads are not like grids similar to Phoenix, they just wrap around everywhere! But in the process I get to find these golden little gems to enjoy my run just a little bit more. It doesn't hurt that you find some great mansions to stare at and wonder how old they truly are and how many stories are involved in each home! Palmerston Park in Rathmines is gorgeous for running, playing with your dog or even enjoying the park with kids.

I will have to say I was interrupted by helicopters and police officers in the midst of my enjoyment of finding the park, so I had to get away so I wasn't the one they were after! For a moment I thought Jeff might have called them to find me since I was so off track for my run!!!

Here we come Dublin, Ireland!

Welcome to Ireland Jeff & Melissa! We arrived on March 3rd and have been on the move since. Within 3 days of arriving, Jeff bought his first European car, and we signed a house lease in Castleknock. Jeff loves his job working for Sogeti, and Melissa has found new ways to network in the sports world. Taking public transportation and walking everywhere is not their strengths, but a nice warm jacket and excercise never hurt anyone! First stop, Guiness Factory and then comes Croke Park (82,000 capacity, and you thought Chase Field was big). Learning how to play rugby and gaelic are next on the list, but getting involved in a gym is much more important seeing how running outside is much colder than it was in Phoenix. New posts on outdoor laundry and bus rides coming soon...

Maui Honeymoon

Jeff and I spend 9 days in paradise, living on the beach, soaking up the sun and relaxing!

For more pictures and updates please see melissajeff.snapfish.com/snapfish, password: costarica

Costa Rica Wedding!

Here are a few photos that others have taken of our wonderful wedding in Costa Rica. Enjoy!
melissajeff.snapfish.com/snapfish, password: costarica