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!