Travel in my heyday — my youth, those yonder years — was unquestionably different. Disembarking the plane signalled the start of an adventure: no time wasted. After checking into a 20-bed dormitory in the heart of town; a pub, café, or attraction would be hit within minutes.
Today, I have to consider another human — and her plush toy, Chase — both still getting used to existing in this world. Hunger, exhaustion, and the small detail of not actually understanding we’ve travelled a million miles, all play a role in our next steps.
Throwing Méabh into the world of travel, especially after significant changes in our personal lives, would have been a recipe for disaster. So, we’re easing into the nomadic lifestyle by exploring the familiar — Galway, Daddy’s hometown. With her grandparents here, it’s been the perfect way to settle in — gentle, grounding, and full of the joy that only family can bring.
Our first week saw an unbelievable phenomenon in Galway – sunshine.
This rarity draws Galwegians out in spades, making the most of rays casting down on their Irish skin, their joy levels rising exponentially. You know that feeling when you’re soaking up every drop of a fleeting moment, fully aware it won’t come again? Like moon lovers witnessing a rare solar eclipse – exciting, brief, and utterly irrefutable. This is the Irish when the sun comes out. The behaviour is in stark contrast to people like me – someone who runs from the sun. That said, I am a redhead and I have no soul. Given the temperature still didn’t exceed 25, I embraced it!
We spent three glorious days plunging into the freezing waters of Galway Bay. To me, the sea hadn’t quite soaked up enough sunshine to be considered “lovely” by Australian standards – but nonetheless, I donned my bathing suit and dived in. Méabh, not quite adjusted to life on the other side of the world, set up her plastic picnic and watched from the shore.
Like the weather, my health took a turn for the worst on Day 4. I woke up in the morning with the feeling I was slowly swallowing a spiked mace. My body ached and the reality hit I’d travelled ‘solo’ halfway across the world with a three and a half year old. Feeling like death warmed up, I scrambled out of bed to the sight of a wet, miserable day outside – the luck of the Irish had temporarily come to an end and Summer in Galway had returned to normal.
The best thing about Irish weather is the conversation it sparks. You’d be hard-pressed to remain a stranger if you simply mention the weather. “Miserable, isn’t it? We had it too good for too long!” A tried-and-tested icebreaker that could have you chatting away for ages with the next Paddy or Tommy at the local pub.
I’d been excited by the controversial RecipeTin Eats vs. Brooki Bakes saga going on at home prior to our departure. This prompted me to purchase Nagi’s Tonight recipe book as a present for my mother-in-law. Now, I’m not taking sides — I’m too deep into the Thermomix cult to know who’s who — but the six meals we’ve since cooked in Ireland were scrumptious. For the foodies — the spicy peanut noodles, mushroom brie pie, and wild rice and mushroom soup were absolute standouts.
And then, with any glimpse of the sun peeping through those clouds — we, along with the entire Irish population, were out and about. Having already seen the traditionally “tourist” sites of Ireland, I was lucky to have my local explorers — my in-laws — guiding the way. We tested out our new preschool carrier on a quick hike up the Burren. Méabh, who had previously told me she hated it and would never go in it, casually sat in the carrier nonchalantly — even as rain lashed down (you can never trust the sun will stay). Finally. This entire six-month adventure was pinned on her being able to sit in the carrier.
Easing into this “exciting disruption” to our lives has, without a doubt, had its challenges. However, I’m sure they would have been off the charts if I’d taken on the full backpacking experience without support. Right now, I’m sitting in my in-laws’ wonderfully comfortable and cosy house as the heavens open up outside.
Week one of the holiday saw Méabh stick to me like we were both wearing Velcro suits.— the need to be with Mum was something I hadn’t fully experienced before (often Dad wins in the battle of the parents), other than when I was the only milk supplier in town. It was all totally expected, of course and I did not, for a second, resent her for it. However, dare I say, it had my eyes rolling once or twice (more, much more) — “Méabh, will you just go to your nanny?!”
On June 16th, we fly to Norway for two weeks on our first-ever “workaway” with a family about 40 minutes outside Oslo. Essentially I’ll “work” (domestic duties, housekeeping, gardening etc) while Méabh plays. This is all in exchange for food and accomodation. After that, we’ll hit the road to tackle the Norwegian fjords and Sweden’s largest cities, before returning to our base in Ireland for a well-deserved reset. Meanwhile, I’ll be continuing my very important research into Galway’s best cafes and pubs — purely for journalistic purposes, of course.
