Real Housewife is Employed!

Well guys, it's been a long haul, but I'm happy to share that I'm an Accidental Housewife no longer. Of course, this doesn't mean that I'm changing the name of my blog! Plenty of housewives work too. Vicki from Real Housewives of the OC won't shut up about work (yes, I've actually watched many Housewives episodes -- guilty pleasure). 

I finally received my approved work permit and have officially started my job!!! Even though it was an extremely stressful process, replete with obstacles (I didn't get a good night's sleep for weeks), I guess the third time was the charm! I found out the previous day that it had been approved, but still couldn't believe my eyes when I received the long-awaited package in the mail. It may not have come for Christmas, but it sure felt like Christmas morning.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered :)

And it only took 9 months! Yep -- I could have had a full-term pregnancy and really solidified my housewife status. If the permit was my baby, I was definitely overdue and ready to have the damn thing already! However, instead of from a baby, the labor pains I dealt with came from the red tape (another whole post in itself), the waiting, the worrying, the lack of control over my situation... there have been quite a few Rainy Days in the last 9 months.

Then came Tuesday afternoon, exactly a week ago today. I harassed called my contact at the Permits Office (poor guy didn't know what he was getting himself into when he gave me his direct line and email) for the third time that day, desperately trying to get an answer so I wouldn't lose my job. It was music to my ears when he said it had been approved and was already on its way. 

Delirious, I babbled something like, "Are you serious?! You're serious! I'm so happy! And I bet you're happy I'll stop calling you now!" I hung up the phone, screamed, then called my husband at work and starting crying as I told him the news. It was an all-out flood of relief, happiness, anxiety -- every emotion that had been building up for months. I'm already an emotional person, but this was next level.

Received these at my office on my first day of work with a note: "9 months in the making, so proud of you!" I'm a lucky lady :)

After receiving my permit, I headed straight for the immigration office to change my status, and then started work the next day. I'm done with the red tape (for now, at least) and I'm ready to move on with my new life here. 

Thank you to everyone for all the overwhelming support through the highs and the lows so far! After the lows, I forced myself not to get my hopes up about working and truly enjoying life in Ireland, but I'm glad to say that I've allowed hope back in once again. I know that working is not the "end-all, be-all," but I'm looking forward to this next chapter in Dublin.

Belgium pt. 2: Ghent

The other city we visited during our Belgium adventure (Part 1: Bruges) was Ghent. We also passed briefly through Brussels, but Ghent and Bruges were, without a doubt, the stars of the trip. 

I don't think I mentioned in my previous post that we rented a car for a road trip instead of taking the train. I wouldn't recommend it! I especially wouldn't recommend getting a manual transmission (most rentals are manual, or it's much more expensive for automatic) if your husband just learned how to drive a stick and has an hour of experience... and that experience is on the other side of the road. Next time, we'll just take trains, but it made for some great stories!

Korenlei/Graslei, St. Michael's Bridge

We only had 24 hours in Ghent, but the city centre is compact, so you're able to see a lot in a little amount of time. As with Bruges, Ghent is in the Flemish Region of Belgium and Flemish (sometimes referred to as Belgian Dutch) is the most common language, but almost everyone speaks amazing English as well. Also, everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful, making it easy to navigate the city.

We stayed in the Hotel Gravensteen along the river, across from the Gravensteen Castle and minutes from the historic walking area of Korenlei and Graslei. After check in, we strolled these picturesque streets and were transported centuries back as we took in the Gothic architecture.

Next, we crossed St. Michael's Bridge and visited the 3 Towers: Sint-Baafs (St. Bavo's) Cathedral, Sint-Niklaaskerk (Saint Nicholas' Church), and The Belfry. Stunning.

St. Michael's Bridge and the 3 Towers

After sightseeing, we walked over to Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, an amazing beer house right on the river (a must go! and ended up staying here for the evening because it was Sunday and most restaurants were closed. I didn't mind, given that the beer list was gigantic and they had the Olympics on TV!

Canal at night - Bierhuis on the right

The next day, we had a late breakfast in Vrijdagmarkt square, then explored the lovely street of Kraanlei along the river and adjacent neighborhood of Patershol. Patershol is the old part of the city and has kept its medieval charm with narrow, cobblestone streets and various cafes and restaurants.

We also toured Gravensteen Castle (built in 1180!) and saw panoramic views of the city from the top....

Belgium made for the perfect weekend trip and I'd love to go back and spend more time, if only for the delicious beers! 

Notre Dame vs. Navy: The American Invasion

In preparation for the BCS National Championship game tonight between Notre Dame and Alabama, I thought it was a good time to rewind to Notre Dame's very first game of the season. This, of course, took place in none other than Dublin, Ireland! Perhaps it was the Luck of the Irish that led them to victory in that game and the title of the only undefeated football team this year (aside from the ineligible yet perfect Buckeyes... Urban Meyer, what!?).

Despite what tonight's championship brings, Notre Dame's first game brought our first visitors and made for a fun weekend. Fun, but also overwhelming! It was estimated that some 35,000 Americans descended upon Dublin for the Emerald Isle Classic, hence my referral to it as the "invasion." After living in Ireland for a bit, my senses went into overdrive from the ubiquitous sounds of boisterous American voices and sights of ball caps, tennis shoes, logoed polo shirts and lanyards. It was nuts having that many Americans here in Dublin!

We braved the tourist-ridden Temple Bar area, which we rarely visit as it is, 2 days in a row to meet friends for a night out and the pre-game Tailgate Party. As you see above, the streets were crowded as far as the eye could reach in every direction. Like I said, it was quite overwhelming, but we made it through the masses to a rooftop bar, where we planted ourselves to watch the game and enjoyed an uncharacteristically beautiful day.

Even though the city was packed and I was asked every day for weeks if I was visiting for the game, it was a blast. It's always great to show friends your city, and get a little reenergizing boost from home. It seemed like all the visitors had a great time in Ireland and it was a successful event for The Gathering, an Irish tourism initiative encouraging people with Irish ancestry to visit the country (the weekend was rumored to have brought in ~ €100 million!).

We won't be able to watch the game tonight since it starts at 1:00 AM for us, but best of luck to the Fighting Irish! We're rooting for you from across the pond!

2012 Recap

Happy New Year!! I hope you all had a fun and safe NYE, and I wish everyone a happy & healthy 2013! It's hard to believe that another year has gone by so quickly. 2012 was one hell of a year! As we begin another year, wipe the slate clean and make unrealistic resolutions, here's a recap of one of the most eventful years of my life...


January: 1 year ago we rang in the New Year in Breckenridge, CO, I made President's Club at my company for the previous year, and the ball started rolling for the rest of the action-packed year when I found out my boyfriend received and accepted his job offer in Dublin.

Breckenridge, CO

February: We decided to move and get married before our larger ceremony this summer, and I experienced sporadic panic attacks while holding in my giant secret until I finally put in my 1 month notice at work.

3.17.12 :)

March: This was arguably THE biggest month of my life to date, including a much needed girls trip to Scottsdale before the insanity to follow... engagement, marriage, resignation from work, goodbyes to friends and family, and a move to Dublin, Ireland! This was a month that will be hard, likely impossible, to top!

DUBLIN

April: After arriving in Dublin and briefly acquainting ourselves with the city, we took a mini honeymoon around Ireland, spent Easter in Barcelona, I started looking for a job, and we found and moved into our Dublin apartment.

Aran Islands - Ireland

May: As we started adjusting to life in Dublin and meeting new people, we took a lovely weekend trip to Paris, and I went through the interview circuit, culminating in my acceptance of a great job offer. 

Paris

June: After accepting the job offer, I began my now infamous work permit process, blissfully naive and unaware of what I was in for at the time. We also traveled to Italy twice, taking back-to-back weekend trips to Venice and Rome!

Rome

July: We traveled to Amsterdam, went home to the U.S. to be in a good friend's wedding, started planning our 2013 wedding, and I received the unfortunate news that my first work permit application had been denied.

Fellow Bridesmaid and Maid of Honor in our upcoming wedding!

August: We took a memorable road trip through Belgium, my previously anticipated employer reapplied for my second permit, and I decided to take advantage of my involuntary sabbatical and ventured out on my first solo trip to the gorgeous beach towns of San Sebastian, Spain and Biarritz, France.

San Sebastián

September: September was the month of visitors! Friends came for the American Invasion, otherwise known as the Notre Dame vs. Navy game in Dublin, and my parents came to visit for about 2 weeks. B and I traveled with them to Northern Ireland, and I took a trip with them back to the southwest of Ireland. At the same time, another Chicago friend visited. The month ended with my 2nd permit denial and my starting back at square one after 6 months here.

Malinhead - Northern most point in Ireland

October: After some soul-searching, I started my job search all over again, then achieved a personal milestone when I started this blog. My In-Laws came to visit us in Ireland, and the 4 of us traveled to Munich for Oktoberfest and Madrid in back-to-back weekends. AND... more Chicago friends came in to complete another month of visitors!

Madrid

November: The month started off well, as I accepted a new job and turned in my third permit application, hoping that the third time was the charm! We traveled to London for a weekend, and met friends in Lisbon for Thanksgiving.

Lisbon

December: We traveled to London again to see friends, took a short weekend trip to Belfast, and went home to the States (Chicago, Cleveland, and Cincinnati in 1 week!) for Christmas. We returned back just in time to spend our first New Year's in Ireland....

NYE 2012 - Dublin

Now, that may or may not sound like a lot, but it is the abridged version to me. I have experienced a roller coaster of emotions and experiences over the past year, so it feels like much longer than a year (or maybe a dog year!). In retrospect, I'd probably choose to delete the recurring theme of work permit trials & tribulations, but this seemingly never-ending saga has made me a much stronger person. I'm of course hoping that 2013 will bring a less bumpy road, but I'm grateful for what I have here and now and, whatever comes next, I'm ready for one unforgettable ride!

Home for Christmas

I'm dreaming tonight, of a place I love, even more than I usually do

And although I know it's a long road back, I promise you...

I'll be home for Christmas!

I kept listening to this song in the days before our trip home and the lyrics took on a new meaning for me this year. It's written from the perspective of an overseas WWII soldier, so our situation is clearly incomparable, but I can certainly relate to the feeling of longing to be with friends and family for the holidays now more than ever.

Our trip home was short-lived and logistically chaotic, but well worth it. In one week...

We landed in Chicago on the 22nd and spent the night with friends

Left the next morning to drive to Cincinnati and stay a few days

Drove to up to Cleveland on Christmas morning

Flew to Chicago on the 28th and stayed one more night

 (B drove back home to Cincy and drove back to Chi town with his family)

Flew back to Dublin on the 29th

Talk about a whirlwind!

Best airport greeting EVER! 2 of B's sisters, dressed up as Xmas trees (with working lights and all), surprising us at O'Hare Airport 

During our lightening-speed midwest tour, we saw lots of friends and family and even managed to squeeze in a little wedding planning. To anyone I didn't have a chance to see, I apologize and hope to do it next time (since next time will likely be our wedding!). Family always comes first, so I was extremely happy that I was able to see all of my family, even if it wasn't all at the same time!

Christmas Day 2011 when we were all together - missed you this year, Captain Billy!

As an added bonus, we got to see the first big snow of the year (without it affecting our travel!) and celebrate our first Christmas as a married couple :) It wasn't your typical relaxed time off, but it was a fantastic trip. Big thanks to everyone who made time for us and arranged their schedules around our limited time home... it means the world to us!

I miss everyone already, but I'm glad we had safe and smooth travels back to Dublin. We're excited to ring in the New Year with friends and welcome the start of what promises to be another crazy year!