My Life as an Irish American Girl

You're probably wondering how I can remember anything that was twenty-years ago. You wont belive it but I have an amazing memory. Sit down, get comfy and enjoy this story. 

In the summer, the year 2004, my parents let me go to Ireland by myself. It was my first time flying overseas. It waas an exciting month for me. The year I turned thirteen and offically became a teenager. 

My mom took me inside the airport and made sure I got through security. One of the nice stewardists on the Aer Lingus flight, directed me to my seat and occassionly checked on me. Back then you had to fill out an immigration card.She helped me fill it out. 

Finally after six long hours, we finaly landed in Dublin. Apparently I was asked if I needed a wheel chair and without processing the question, I said yes and they wheeled me out and hlepd me get my bags. My Aunt Lorraine was very surprised. She couldn't beleive what she saw. 

Aunt Lorraine and I drove home to Dundalk which was about an hour north from the airport. My granny was waiting for me when i got to their house. 

When we arrived at the house, my aunt helped bring in my suitcase inside. My granny gave me a big hug and a kiss. I went upsatirs into the bedroom I was staying in, and got settled. 

Because I was a very picky eater and didn't eat meat at the time, I had to pack my own food in my suit case. Except for things I knew I could buy over there.

My granny made me pasta for lunch. After all I was straving cause I didn't eat anything on the plane except fro a small bag of pretzels. 

The next morning, my granny and I took the bus up to the town. There was this restruant called the Copper kettle that she would always go to and socialize with her sister and friends while she drank her coffee. We met Aunt Blondie, Kitty and Mary insdie the restruant. 

Because I was such a picky eater, and didn't eat meat at the time, my granny asked the chef to make me fresh hot chips and a piece of toast for breakfast. He was such a gentleman always went out of his way for me. I ate my breakfast and had a lovely chat with the ladies. Also listened to their conversations whle they drank their coffee. 

Aunt Blondie would give me two euro to go to the shop next store inside the mall to get myself a fun magazine. I walked next store and found a really cool one that came with a free bracelet. After I paid I jogged back into the Copper Kettle and showed them what I bought. 

Granny took a picture of me and my aunt Blondie outside hte Copper Kettle. The we  said goodbye to Blondie and her friends. The two of us walked over to the Long Walk which was a small mall. She took me shopping in Penny's and at Tesco's. Two of my favorite stores. She bought me a couple of new T shirts. When we went into Tesco's, she let me get some Cadbury chocolate. Buttons was my favorite. Particiually the gaint ones. 

Afterwards, we took the seven's taxi home and granny let me play outside in the backyard. Aunt Lorraine had a dog named Jeta. She was a cute black and white dog. I played fetch with her a lot. 

On Saturday, my Aunt took me to the sports club where they had a gaint swimming pool. The only part I hated about the pool was having to wear a swimming cap on my head. Back then I had long hair so it made it difficult to put on. 

We swam around and then went to the shallow end and talked about different topics. That was one of my favorite bonding memories with my Aunt. After we swam, we picked up granny and went bowling. I don't remember who won but it was a lot of un. Minus the fact that I got yelled at for leaving my new jean jacket at the bowling place by accident. Bowling was alwasy one of my favorite activities. 

Later that afternoon, when I was in the backyard playing with Jeta, my cousin Neil stopped by and granny took a picature of him and I. Back then we didn't have phones.

As you can see I ahd a tank top on. That's because It was summer in Ireland. It didn't get as hot as it gets in America but it does reach seventy degrees which feels warm enough when the sun is shining. 

The month flew by really fast. I remember having an awesoem time. i ejoyed creating memories with my granny and Aunt. 

When I flew back home, my mom picked me up and we drove to Tuscarora. It was quite the summer vacation.  

In June 2004, which was the first year my mom homeschooled my brothers and I, the three of us went to our first Field Day at Marine Park witih the Leah Homeschool Group. 

When we were at Marine Park, my mom got talking to a few moms. This one mom whose name was Mrs. Poit, introduced her five kids to my brothers and I. 

After Field Day, Mrs. Poit invited us over to their apartment in Bay Ridge. When i first met her and her little sister Abby, I was shy and nervous. But after hanging out with them for a couple of hours, thats when I knew she was my best friend. Her name was Margaret. She was ten years old. We were three years apart. Twenty years later, we are still friends. She's like a sister to me. Now that she's a Drill Sargent in the United States Army, I call her Sarg as her nickname. Outside of her job I'm the only one who calls her that. 

WINTER & SPRING

In January, Mom and I finally found a new church. We didn't go to church for three years and not because of the covid. Our new church is a short drive and parking is easy which makes it even better. 

Light House Church is located meets in Trinity Tabernacle in Gravesend. Pastor Frank is a great preacher and everyone is super friendly. 

Every Tuesday night they do a prayer meeting on Zoom and on Wednesday nights they have bible study which meets in different people's houses every week. I love that they're big into evangelism. I love my church family.

When I got back from my vacation (you can read about my vacation here -> Road Trip ) I joined a D Group which is a women's Bible study that meets on Zoom around the world. Sometimes you don't know if you're going to fall into the right group. But God definitely put me in the best group. My D Group sisters always make my day extra special.  I definitely feel like I am growing closer to God. 

METLIFE STADIUM - NEW JERSEY

On Saturday, May 27th, my Aunt Jena and I got to see Taylor Swift again at the Era's tour at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. Yes, I know, I know, we are lucky dogs. My brother Brendan drove us to the concert. 

We were high up and on the side of the stage but I still thought the view was good. It helped they had a TV. 

The opening band wasn't my favorite, but a lot of people seemed to like them. Taylor Swift sang forty-four songs and changed her outfit a lot. Taylor is amazing. 

She sang my favorite songs: Midnight Rain, Ready for It, I Knew You Were Trouble, Black Space, and Bad Blood. There were so many songs I couldn't remember the others. But those are definitely my favorites. 

Here's to the end of an era! 

SUMMER

The week before my birthday, I started a second job at Athleta which is a clothing store that is part of the Gap. I love this job because everyone is friendly and explains things well. 

MARYLAND

On the weekend after June 22nd, my mom and I drove to Baltimore, Maryland. Don't worry we didn't stay in the city itself but in Hanover. 

It took us five hours to get to Maryland which is ridiculous. You can never beat the Staten Island Expressway. It should be renamed to the local way. 

When we finally arrived in Hanover, we went to the Arundel Mall. Arundel Mall is a HUGE mall full of tons of stores and a big food court. We grabbed dinner at the food court. I got my favorite which is Popeye's and Mom got Chinese. 

After dinner, we did more shopping then for the last twenty minutes before the mall closed, we got a massage in the best massage chairs ever. Only five dollars for a twenty-minute full-body massage. We felt refreshed. 

On Saturday, June 24th, we got lunch at TGIF. I love their soft pretzel appetizer. 

After lunch, we went back to the mall and did more shopping. I got some new tops, bottoms and finally bought myself a pair of pink Crocs. The Crocs are very comfy. 

Before we left the mall, we got ourselves a soft pretzel at Aunt Annie's. One of my favorite pretzel places. The main reason why I love going to the mall besides shopping of course. 

After the mall, we drove to Camden Yards in Baltimore to see the Baltimore Orioles play at their home base against the Seattle Mariners. That was a great game. They won in the bottom of the tenth inning. 

Here are some pictures from the game. 

                                               

DELAWARE 

On our way back from Maryland, we stopped at my cousin Diane and Patrick's house to visit. It had been a while since we saw them. We went to the Texas Road House for lunch which is one of my favorite restaurants. I love their butter rolls. This was the second time I ordered a steak. But the first time I ordered a steak and BBQ chicken combo. Oh my gosh, it was freaking delicious. I swear I'd order it again. 

Rest in Peace Uncle Tony. You will be missed. 

TUSCARORA

On July 8th Mom and I drove to Tuscarora for our 23rd year at Leisure Week 1. Every year we stay at Riverside which is more spacious than the others. 

It was a very hot humid day. Thankful I got to swim most of the week. Of course, I enjoyed ice cream, milkshakes, and hot pretzels at the snack shop. 

I don't usually care for the movies they offer. But this year Mom and I decided to watch Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. It was pretty good. I would rate it 7/10. It definitely had some funny scenes. 

The food at Tuscarora was delicious. My favorite meals were lo mein and french fries. 

Another great year. Here's to another year at Tusc. 

DELAWARE

After Tuscarora, Mom and I drove to Delaware to spend the weekend at our cousins' house. On Friday we went to a Habachi restaurant. The flavors in the steak were extremely yummy. Habachi is my new favorite place to eat even though it is expensive. Later that evening we attempted to go play mini golf but it was closed. So we got ice cream instead. Which was yummy.

On Saturday, I got to ride the John Deer lawn mower and helped my cousin Patrick mow his lawn. That was a lot of fun. I could drive that thing for hours. Later that evening, we went to play mini-golf. I surprisingly won.

PRUDENTIAL CENTER - NEW JERSEY

On Thursday, July 20th, after work, my dad drove me to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. I got to see my favorite Christian rapper NF (Nathan Ferguson). It was the first rap concert that I've ever been to. It was really awesome. He sang my favorite song which is Let You Down. 

 

THE BRONX

For my brother's belated birthday gift, I bought him front-row tickets to a Yankees Game (bleacher creatures) and paid for food. 

On Saturday, July 22nd, Brendan and I took the train to Yankees Stadium. It was crowded. We sat in the front row of the bleacher creatures.

 For those that don't know what the bleacher creatures are, it's basically benches with no backs. It's not very comfortable and you are sitting in the sun. However, the view is great right by the outfield. 

The best part of the game was that we ended up on TV! It was on the home run replay which was really awesome. That's been one of my biggest dreams when going to baseball games. 

The Yankees beat the Royals. Brendan and I had a great time. Here's to another game next year. 

PRUDENTIAL CENTER - NEW JERSEY

After church on Sunday, and after we ate the delicious steak my brother Brendan made for dinner, Mom and I drove to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. 

We were attending a summer worship night performed by KB, Brandon Lake, and Phil Wickham. The concert itself was very good. I enjoyed worshipping with thousands of other Christians. 

My favorite song sung by Brandon Lake was Graves in the Garden and Gratitude. Graves in the Garden is always stuck in my head when I'm at work. 

My favorite song sung by KB is 10K. It has a nice beat and makes me want to sing along. 

My favorite song sung by Phil Wickham is Battle Belongs to You. 

We left the concert at ten thirty in the evening because I had to get up for work the next day. 

On our way home we got to do a drive-by tour of Bayonne, New Jersey. I guess Google Maps wanted us to stand clear of traffic. 

EAST ROCKAWAY - LONG ISLAND

On Thursday, August 17th, I rode the Long Island Rail Road down to Long Island to dog sit my Aunt's dog Josie with my mom. 

Brendan came out to visit us since he works in Long Island. We decided to go for a swim. My mom didn't go in because it was too cold for her. But my brother and I went in. At first, the water was an ice cube then it got warmer. 

On Friday, August 18th, my dad came out to visit. We went for a swim. The water was still cold. Mom asked Uncle Brian how to turn the heater on for the pool. She got it on and after a couple of hours, the water warmed up. 

After the pool, my dad and I went to Lidl and got food for the house. The three of us teamed up and cooked dinner. For dessert, we got carvel ice cream. The bomb dot com. He stayed all day. At midnight Bren picked him up and he went home. 

On Saturday, August 19th, Mom and I slept in and then we went to Mama Villa's pizza restaurant for lunch. She got a veggie slice and I got a pasta alfredo slice. We both shared a baked ziti. There was a lot of food but it was yummy. 

After lunch, we went for a swim in the pool. It felt like a hot tub but it was perfect. A little breezy outside but it was enjoyable. 

On Sunday, August 20th, Mom's friend Jen, her husband, and her daughter came over. We went swimming then mom made burgers and fries for lunch. While we digested we played a game called Banana Grams. A game similar to Scrabble but extra fun. 

For the last fun day before going back to work, we had McDonald's for dinner then took a trip to Walmart. We didn't get too much but Walmart is always fun. Except this one was in the hood. But we still had fun. 

 

Sunday September 11

Dad and I woke up at five in the morning and packed the car. Then we started our road trip.  

When we got on the Verrazano Bridge, nothing was moving due to a collision. But finally after a long ten minutes, traffic started moving smoothly. 

After a long eight plus hours of driving, we made it to Cleveland, Ohio. 

We settled into the Best Western hotel, then we drove thru downtown Cleveland and found Progressive Field where the Guardians baseball team plays. 

Then we went to Wendy’s Park and walked on the path as we looked at Lake Eire. As I was walking back next to the lake, I tripped and almost fell into the water. Thankfully that didn’t happen. 

After the lake, we had Wendy’s for dinner then we went to Walmart. 

At Walmart I got a Cleveland Guardians T shirt. Something to remember Cleveland.

We went back to the hotel and relaxed till bed time. We were exhausted. 

Monday September 12

Dad and I drove to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in North Field, Ohio. Just thirty minutes from Cleveland. 

We got to see Brandywine Falls which was beautiful. Took a trip to Kendall Lake which was pretty. Lots of geese wandering around on the grass. 

After lunch, Dad and I took the train into the city, and looked at the famous ex baseball player statues outside the stadium. 

Unfortunately we got to the stadium four hours too early and had to sit on the bench till the gates opened at five. 

When we got in we took a look at the different food venues. Grabbed dinner at the Fat Rooster and sat in our seats which was in section 134 row T. The view was awesome and the Guardians won. 

Tuesday September 13

We left Cleveland and drove the short three hours to Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

My friend Katie met in person for the first time. We went to  Applebees for lunch. First we exchanged gifts, then we ordered our food. I got grilled chicken and soft pretzels. It was delicious. I got to learn more about Fort Wayne and got to know Katie a lot better. 

After hanging out with my friend, dad and I drove up to the Sand Dunes National Park. 

First we drove down to Beverly Shores and walked on the beach. We saw a couple of nice houses that tenants rent out. My favorite one of course was the pink Florida Tropical House. 

We drove back up to the Sand Dunes and hiked up on the sandy path. Going up hill was tough but we made it. The view reminded me of a scene from the animated Lion King movie. 

Going down hill was easier except some of the sand had hidden tree branches and parts were slippy. But we took our time and made it back to the bottom. 

Wednesday Sept 14

Dad and I started our five hour trip to St Louis, Missouri. 

We made a couple of stops to stretch, use the bathroom and have lunch. 

First we stopped at this Indian Historic Mound. We climbed up five steep flight of stairs. It was worth being out of breath cause the view was really cool. We could see St Louis and the famous St Louis Arch. 

After we checked in at the hotel, we drove around St Louis, saw Busch Stadium where the St Louis Cardinals play baseball. Then we parked the car and walked down to the Arch. It’s such a beautiful structure. 

Thursday Sept 15th 

We started our day in the city. Walked through the Museum inside the St Louis Arch, then we took the pod which is a small elevator, six-hundred and thirty feet to the top of the Arch. Takes a total of four minutes and three minutes to come down. 

We got to spend seven to ten minutes at the top where we got to see the Mississippi River and downtown St Louis through the windows. 

After the Arch we got lunch then took a trip to Walmart. I got myself a St Louis Cardinals baseball hat. 

The Cardinals had a really nice outdoor seating area while we waited for the gates to open in the stadium. 

Dad and I had great seats at the Reds vs Cardinals game. We sat in section 132 row 1 and we had aisle seats. 

Busch Stadium has the best chicken tenders and fries in my opinion. Unfortunately the Cardinals lost at home but it was an awesome game. 

Friday Sept 16th

We drove five hours to Nashville, Tennessee. We stayed in Symra which is twenty minutes out of the city. 

We picked mom up at the airport that night. Then we stayed up for a little bit and chatted. 

Saturday Sept 17th 

The three of us drove to downtown Nashville. We went to the Johnny Cash Museum which was fun and filled with great history. 

Fun fact about Nashville: Nashville is full of bars, loud music, people who love to party and drink. 

We found a delicious bbq joint called Jacks Bbq. I am a big fan of pulled pork it was yummy. 

After lunch we walked to the Country Hall of Fame Park where the had different names of country artists on stars on the sidewalk. That was really cool to see. 

We went back to the hotel to take a break from the heat. Then we had dinner. 

After dinner we went to  GO USA Fun Park where we played mini golf. Unfortunately my parents beat me. But it was tons of fun. I really liked the different holes and difficulty levels. 

Sunday Sept 18th 

We slept in and listened to a great sermon by Pastor Tim Keller. 

Then we had lunch and drove to the Opry Resort and Convention Center. Great indoor activity to do since it was another hot day. 

We walked around the different areas. It was absolutely gorgeous. Basically an indoor garden with fountains and different plants. 

We found an Aunt Annie’s and a Carvel. Yes, I actually got both for a snack but my we shared the soft pretzel. Mom and I shared the ice cream. 

Afterwards, we drove to the Grand Ol Opry and took pictures of it from outside. 

Later that evening we went to a Remember Rich Mullins concert. He’s a Christian artist who sadly died in a car crash twenty-five years ago. The concert was okay. We only new two songs. My expectations were set too high and it ended up being slightly different and not as enjoyable. 

Monday Sept 19th 

The three amigos got up early and drove nine hours to Myrtle Beach. 

We arrived in the evening and checked into our ocean view hotel. Our hotel room had a balcony where we could see the ocean. 

For dinner my parents and I went to to the Ol Irish Pub. A taste of Ireland for my dad. The food was delicious and the service was great. 

We took a walk past the different shops and then on the board walk. The ocean looked beautiful. Not many stars in the sky. 

The three of us took an evening swim at the hotel resort. They had two pools, both indoor and outdoors, a lazy river and a hot tub. It was a great way to end a long day. 

Tuesday Sept 20th

We got lunch at Walmart, after we ate we went got our suits on and walked less than a second to the beach. 

The waves were awesome. Not too rough and not too calm. The water was warm. 

We road the waves and had a snack as we sat in our chairs and watched the waves crash onto the shore. 

Two hours later, we went to the hotel resort and enjoyed the pools. The hot tub wasn’t that hot. It was cold. Mom texted the hotel and they said they would get maintenance to fix it. 

After the pools, my parents and I went to Golden Corral for dinner. That place is delicious. Very tempting to eat everything. 

After dinner we took a walk on the board walk to see the different hotels. Then dad and I rode the Sky Wheel which is similar to the London Eye only this one is smaller. Only one hundred and eighty seven feet tall. Great view of Myrtle Beach. It goes around multiple times before it lets you get off. 

We went and did some shopping at the a small shop near the wheel and at a bigger store called the Gay Dolphin. 

I got postcards for my friends and myself in every state I stayed in. 

But in Myrtle Beach I got my brother an engraved wooden pocket knife that had had and on it. Got myself a small license plate that had my name on it and an owl key chain too. 

To end a great evening, we had ice cream at Mad Myrtle’s. I always get chocolate and vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. It’s hard to resist. 

Wednesday Sept 21 

It was our last full day at Myrtle Beach. 

We slept in a little bit past ten. At one in the afternoon we went back to the beach and enjoyed the waves. 

The second time we went in the ocean again, there was this HUGE, TALL wave that knocked all three of us under water. It was a tad scary because we weren’t expecting anything that big. 

We had fun, and went back to the hotel resort. The hot tub was fixed. Oh man it felt so relaxing. 

After dinner that evening, we went to Captain Hook Mini Golf place. Very fun and creative. 

We finished our last day with ice cream from Dairy Queen. I had my first m&m blizzard. It was really yummy. 

Thursday September 22

We got up early and drove to Pittsburgh, PA. Once we checked into our hotel, we went to the Longhorn Steak House for a late dinner. It was the best chicken tenders I ever had in a while. 

The three of us planned what we were going to do the next day. Then we went to sleep. 

Friday September 23 

We didn't get up too early. We drove to Dequesne Heights where we got to see the city from a higher elevation. The view was beautiful. 

Then we took the tram up to the top. and saw another awesome view of the city. 

Afterwards, Mom and I walked in the park and saw a big fountain and lots of ducks in the water. 

We drove around to the to the other side of the park and took a quick picture of Mr. Rogers statue. That was pretty cool. I grew up watching him on TV. 

Later that evening, we went to PNC Baseball Stadium to watch the Pirates play against the Cubs. 

We had great seats. Section 8 Row H. What a spectactular view of the field and of all the players on both teams. 

I was cheering for the Chicago Cubs because as a Dodgers Fan, I can't cheer for the Pirates. The Cubs won. But it was a fun game and a great experience. 

After the game, we drove to see the city at night back at Dequesne Heights. You can still see the lights on in the baseball stadium which is pretty cool. The lights were also on in the Steelers Football Stadium which was weird because they weren't playing at home. 

It was a great day. 

Saturday September 24th

On our way home, we went to see the Flight 93 & 9/11 Memorial. Well put together. Extremely heartbreaking to replay in your mind. 

Afterwards we stopped at Denny's for lunch then we went to Walmart. Since we don't have a walmart in New York City. To end a great vacation, we had Chinese for our late dinner. 

It was a great trip. My favorite city was tied with Cleveland and Pittsburgh. I like how easy it is to get around without feeling lost. And it was clean and friendly. I liked Cleveland's RTA transit system too.