Chippie Wiki Wiki

We're read and reread every book we own on Ireland. We've spent hours pouring over maps and routes. We talk about Galway, the Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Inishmore, Doolin, Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Kilcock, Ballsbridge; places we can't wait to visit, and places that have names that just make us dissolve into fits of giggles. We call each other when Rick Steves has an Irish special on PBS and watch it 'together' over the phone. Almost every sentence we speak starts with "Ohmygodwe'regoingtoIreland....", spoken so quickly, it all comes out in a single breath. We've probably spent too much money on clothes, but at least we'll look good. We make up sayings, like 'Chippie Wiki Wiki,' which loosely translates into 'fish & chips really fast' when you combine Irish and Hawaiian slang (Hawairish?) - this also brings on the giggles. We countdown the days... and there are only 10 left!

This trip to Ireland is a big deal. For all sorts of reasons. For me, I actually debated permanently moving to Ireland 2 years ago. I was ready to make a change, and knew I had to move away from Spokane. There were two places I considered moving to: Ireland and Seattle. Seattle of course made more sense; I have family here, old friends, and I had a job waiting for me. And so I made the prudent choice, and packed all my belongings, the black and white doglet and moved to Kirkland. There is still a BIG part of me that wishes I had thrown caution into the wind and moved to Ireland. I have skills that make me employable throughout the world; I can build a Guinness with the best of them, and make friends with a rock. I pictured getting a job waiting tables, making coffee or slinging beers in the evening, and spending my days finishing the book I started writing a few years ago, but never quite find the time to finish. That was my Irish dream - the "if I could do anything in the world right now" dream.

I find the other reason this trip is so special kind of funny actually. Well, funny, but also sentimental. When we first started dreaming about taking a vacation, we spoke of Paris, Venice, Cinque Terra, Munich. We whispered about classic art, sculptures, and fountains made for wishing on pennies. We talked about quaint cobblestone streets lined with small cafes serving gelato and espresso. We brought up Ireland, but brushed it aside, both of us remarking that we were saving for our respective honeymoons. Well, honeymoon, shamoneymoon. We don't need to wait for men to take the trip of a lifetime. The time to live is now. We're going to Ireland. I'm coining this our Sistercatmoon. Sadly, this came to me the other morning, when I was... Oh, I hate to admit this, but for the sake of this story, I need to... watching Bride Wars. More accurately, I was watching Bride Wars and crying. Big, sloppy, emotional tears. The lines said during the closing scene of the movie struck a cord with me, and I will share them with you all now....

"Sometimes in life there really are bonds formed that can never be broken. Sometimes you really can find that one person who will stand by you no matter what. Maybe you'll find it in a spouse and celebrate it with your dream wedding, but theres also the chance that the one person you can count on for a lifetime, the one person who knows you sometimes better than you know yourself is the same person who's been standing beside you all along."

Such true words. And perfect, I think, to use when describing my friendship with my bestie, Kalena. So, with that explained, I think our Sistercatmoon is going to be the best one ever.... 8 days!