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