Top 19 Moments of 2019
2019. What a year it has been. We touched down in a new continent, wrapped up our time in Dublin with a ton of visitors, and moved back across the pond to Minnesota. I’ll be honest that the last six months have been a bit brutal on my psyche, but that aside, there has been loads to be grateful for this year. As Christmas wraps up and we start looking forward to the new year, here is a reflection on our Top 19 Moments of 2019. Enjoy!
19. Celebrating My Birthday in Northern Ireland
Having a birthday in the winter can be tough, but lucky for me, the weather in Ireland / Northern Ireland is mild compared to what I am used to in Minnesota. Because of that, Chris, the pups, and I were able to road trip north to the Antrim coastline to enjoy a weekend getaway. We walked The Dark Hedges road, explored Giant’s Causeway, crossed the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, and walked the white sand beaches. The Portrush area is gorgeous and very dog friendly, so it was the perfect place to celebrate. You can read more about that trip here.
Giant’s Causeway
18. Our House Hunters International Episode Aired on TV
Last year, Chris and I had so much fun filming an episode for the American television show House Hunters International. It took several months in post-production for it to be TV ready and finally aired in January. We thought the episode was super funny and a great memento to have for our time in Dublin. For the record, we were acting and hamming it up. I got an interesting edit and for those of you who know me well, know that I am not exactly like the person I came across as on the show. So there are two takeaways here: 1) be kind to people on TV — you don’t know them, their story, or what they are really like; and 2) please do not write nasty things on social media about me — it’s mean.
“The Liffey Runs Through It”
17. Last Minute Trip to London for Dinner & a Show
You know how Chris and I explain our relationship in terms of I’m a balloon and he’s the string? Well this trip was a perfect example of Chris going along with my grand ideas. We made a whirlwind trip to London for one night, and one night only to indulge in Benihana hibachi and have a lot of laughs at a comedy show featuring Mae Martin. If you have Netflix, definitely find her stand-up special — you will lol. Also, if you’re in London, skip their Benihana. Their yummy sauce is made with mustard instead of sugar and IT IS NOT THE SAME. Bonus on this trip is we got to see our friend Jamie, who happened to be in town for work. I absolutely love moments like that!
We stayed at the very fancy Royal Horseguards Hotel — thanks travel points!
16. Getting Featured On @mydublinday
On Instagram, there is an account called @mydublinday where they ask certain Dubliners to take over their account and show what a day in the life in Dublin entails for that particular person. It’s not the biggest deal in the world, but I was honoured that they reached out to me to be featured on their account. I had such a fun day on the town and had a blast putting together the Instagram story!
15. Attended Jameson’s “3 Things” Event Featuring Street Artist Maser
One of the coolest events Chris and I have ever attended has to be Jameson’s “3 Things” with local street artist Maser. It was one of those parties where we definitely did not feel hip enough to be there, but sure tried to act the part. :) The event was held in a warehouse and there were different areas set up where you could screen print your own sweatshirt / jumper and get your photograph taken in this sweet dark room with a long exposure light. He had a gallery of his work and we got to hear him talk about his three favourite things as he was interviewed on stage. The tickets, cocktails, food, etc. were all free and it was a pretty amazing night to celebrate an incredibly talented artist. 10/10 — if you live in Dublin, get on this mailing list.
The man himself, Maser.
14. Paddy’s Weekend in County Donegal
Since we whooped it up in Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day in 2018, we thought we’d give it a go in the countryside this year. We took the pups and road tripped northwest to County Donegal. To this day, it is one of my favourite trips we took throughout Ireland. It is still relatively remote compared to other counties and boasts unbelievable natural landscapes. There are mountains, some of the most beautiful beaches, and the tallest seaside cliffs in Europe. Not to mention all the sheep. And the best mussels I’ve ever eaten. You can read more about that trip here.
Malin Beg
13. Hosting Our Friends & Family
2019 was the year of the visitors! From April to August, we were the hosts with the most! We had so much fun hosting friends and family from the United States in our home in Dublin. We showed them all our favourite places around Dublin and also got to travel to several different countries with some of them. It was so special to share in those experiences with our closest and we feel lucky to this day that we had people come visit us!
12. Visiting Morocco
In early May, Chris and I boarded our Ryanair flight to touch down in a new continent — Africa! Morocco was high on my bucket list to visit and it did not disappoint. We spent three days in Marrakech winding through the souks and surviving a hailstorm, and then trekked nine hours West to the Sahara, where we rode camels and gazed at the stars. The people, architecture, and culture were out of this world and we can’t wait to go back again some day to explore more of the country.
11. Visiting Norway, Spain, Scotland, & Northern Ireland With My Family
Last year when my parents and Aunt Diane visited us, we toured around Ireland for eight days. This time around, they were ready to explore other parts of Europe. We went to my favourite country of Norway where we spent a few days in Oslo and then trained to Bergen; soaked up the sun and sangria in Barcelona, Spain; walked the enchanted streets of Edinburgh; and took in the beauty of Northern Ireland’s coast. I feel pretty darn lucky that I had the opportunity to travel to such incredible places with my family.
Blog posts coming 2020!
10. VisitIng Israel / Palestine & Jordan
At the top of Chris’ travel bucketlist was visiting Israel / Palestine. I co-signed this trip immediately for the history, food, and weather. Right next to Israel / Palestine is Jordan, which has two major attractions that were on my bucketlist: Petra and Wadi Rum. Our trip to these three countries was eye-opening, culturally-rich, and filled with some of the coolest landscape we have ever seen.
Blog post coming 2020!
9. VisitIng Berlin
While Chris’ parents were visiting us in Ireland, we knocked off my mother-in-law’s bucketlist item to travel to Germany. We had yet been to the capital city of Berlin, so the four of us spent a long weekend at the end of July soaking up WWII and Cold War history, scootering around the city, and partaking in one of the best Pride celebrations in the world. We fell in love with Berlin and reveled in being in the Vaterland.
Blog post coming 2020!
Standing in front of the Oberbaumbrücke. The Berlin Wall starts just a few metres down.
8. Hugo & Victor Landed Safely in the USA
One of the biggest stressors moving internationally was making sure our Frenchies had the safest and quickest travels from Ireland to Minnesota. Because their squished noses, they can have difficulty flying, which means a lot of airlines don’t want to take the risk of transporting them. The boys had a 5-day itinerary that consisted of the following: Drive to Wexford > Ferry across the Irish Sea to England > 2 Days at a farm outside of London, which included their final vet check > Flight from London to Copenhagen > Flight from Copenhagen to Chicago > 1 overnight stay with handler in Chicago > Drive to Minnesota. Planes, ferries, and automobiles, amirite? We are so thankful to World Care Pets for their hard work, picture updates, and for getting our boys safely to the United States!
7. Dublin Wins the All-Ireland Final in Gaelic Football
One of our favourite Irish things to do while we lived in Dublin was to support County Dublin’s gaelic football and hurling teams. These two sports are native to Ireland and are fast-paced, the athletes are extremely tough, and the teams have the best fans in the world. The best part of it all is that even though the sports are played at a professional calibur, they are amateur sports with amateur athletes. The athletes are not paid, they work normal 9-5 jobs and practice every night with games on the weekends, and play only for their home county. Dublin’s gaelic football team has been very good, so we had a lot of fun attending matches at Croke Park Stadium and watching them win the All-Ireland Final for their 5th year in a row! Up The Dubs!
6. Celebrating Chris’ Grandma’s 90th Birthday
Two weeks after landing back in the US, we were on a plane again, this time heading to North Dakota to celebrate the 90th birthday of Chris’ Grandma Lou. The entire family flew in to honour her 90th trip around the sun and it was so fun to see so many people we hadn’t seen in a few years since being away. It was great to hear all of Grandma Lou’s stories, laugh and cry about the memories, and party in the pool with all the cousins.
5. Sara Went Back To Work & Chris Got A New Role
One of the hardest parts of living in Dublin was not being able to work. I eventually got into a daily rhythm, but I always missed having a sense of purpose and earning my own money. In August, I got very lucky and found out that a position was open on my old team, so I went through the interview process, and landed the job! I started back with Thomson Reuters as a Sales and Client Management Trainer in September and it has been going great! Chris also had to leave his job behind in Dublin, but he landed a spot on an excellent team. He’s still with Optum and has been kicking some major butt.
First Day of Work!
4. VisitIng Austin, Texas
Chris and I have been exploring the idea of moving to a different state. Not imminently, but at some point in the future. We loved having a new experience in Dublin and it would be great to continue that adventure. The first place that we wanted to check out was Austin, Texas. It’s the blueberry in the tomato sauce, has great music, even better food, and some great people. We went down in October to catch some live music at Austin City Limits, visit with some friends, and check out the city to see if it could be our home someday. We had so much fun!
3. Being Home for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving doesn’t have the best origin-story, but what it means for us is getting to be with family and eating some of the best food in the world. I mean honestly… homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie. YUM! We didn’t make it home the last two years for Thanksgiving, so it was super special to be home for Turkey Day and eat our faces off this year. The day took a bit of a left turn in the morning when I slipped on some ice and sprained my ankle severely during a Turkey Trot 5k, but it’s not every day you get a free ambulance ride!
2. Chris & His Team Won Their Men’s Hockey League Championship
Chris’ favourite, favourite, favourite thing in the entire world is playing hockey. When we lived in Minnesota previously, he was part of an adult men’s hockey league and not getting to play hockey with his team was the biggest thing he missed while we lived in Dublin. As soon as we moved back, his team welcomed him back with open arms and he has been so happy to be back on the ice. Their team not only has a ton of fun, but they are pretty good too and even won the league’s championship! Look at that cup!
Go Gary’s!
1. Getting Post-Christmas R&R Up North
This year we had five Christmases to attend, which were all filled with fun and great food, but we were ready for some relaxation, so we booked a cozy cabin up in Nisswa, Minnesota to get away for a few days. We were up in the woods, enjoyed walking the Paul Bunyan State Trail with the pups, loved the cute shops in town, and most importantly got the rest we needed and wanted as we prepare for 2020.
Here’s to 2019 and all the fun we had and cheers to what 2020 will bring!
Until next time…
xo,
