things i've learned in ireland - by chad

- Lunch is called dinner and dinner is supper. - It threw me off the first day of wwoofing when John, our first host, called us in for dinner and it was still the middle of the day. I was a bit worried that that would be our only meal.

- Do not describe small Irish towns as "cute." It is an insult.

- Dogs chase sheep. Don't take them out without a leash because they will find sheep to chase. Especially in Ireland.

- As a Nation, the United States is very young; I know it's cliche to say. But when you make it to a country in which old castles dot the landscape, you begin to understand.

- The association between Ireland and rainbows is not an over-dramatized publicity stunt. In just a month and a half I have seen more rainbows here than I would see in a year's time back home.
- Over here, almost all weeds come in the form of devilish plants known as nettles. DO NOT take them lightly. Nettles refuse to recognize the rules of warfare and will torture any captives that they happen to brush up against; leaving them with large white and red welts that last for about half an hour.

- When being offered real Irish coffee, be sure that that's the only alcohol-based drink you have for the evening.

- Ireland is green....enough said.

- Sorry Mom and Dad, but this is hilarious. (Especially when you're laying awake in your hostel bunk and one of the two drunken Australians that came stumbling into the room says it to the other)
"You could walk into a brothel with a handful of fifties and still not find a whore!"

- If you're leaving home for three months, bring someone you love. It helps.

- Nothing beats an Irish penny whistler on a street corner.

- While abroad, one can look back at their home country from the outside. Here, they are able get full view of all the happenings that, had they been back home, surround them. The ability to weigh and judge your country with a clear head allows you to see where you stand as a citizen. This trip has brought to life an admiration for America that, although I feel has always been there, has been laying dormant.

- Cows suck.