Ireland: Day One

I awoke feeling very relaxed. The deadline of being packed and out the door by 9:00am seemed like a piece of cake. Afterall, it wasn't like we were going very far - just a quick one hour plane ride to Ireland. It would feel like nothing compared to the 24 hour traveling we've done going between Utah and England.

Little did I know that traveling with kids - no matter how short or long the distance - never is easy!

We got out the door late, traffic was worst than we expected. But even still we were alright. It wasn't until we were at the check-in counter and found out that the weight limit for our checked bag was 15 kg vs the 35 kg that I thought it was.

Note to self: Never again fly with a discount airline - you end up paying more in fees than you would have if you had just bought a regular price ticket.

They then proceeded to tell us that it was no problem - we could still travel with the extra weight, we will just needed to pay an additional 20 GBP for each kg. That's the equivalent of $30/kg. We were 15 kg over the limit. Gulp.

Panic set in.

We began quickly tearing apart our suitcase and cramming anything and everything into our carry-ons. Coat pockets were stuffed with diapers and clothing, snacks were thrown out. All the while, the clock was ticking and we are getting really close to missing our flight.

The girls quickly picked up on the sense of panic and began screaming, Antalya refused to sit in the stroller and did her best to run away from all the chaos.

When carry-ons and pockets are filled to overflowing we admitted defeat and paid the extra for the remaining 3kg.

Next comes the security check which is always an ordeal with Antalya who gets completely freaked out when we start taking off everyone's shoes and putting all our belongings on the moving belt. She kicks and screams and is unconsolable. And even if I could have consoled her, there was no time. By the time we exited security the screens were announcing that the doors where closing for our flight.

So I threw Antalya the iPhone, buckled her into the stroller and began the mad dash to the gate. And a mad dash it certainly was. I took the lead running as fast as I could through the narrow hallways pushing the stroller with both girls screaming, a bag thrown over my shoulder, and a carseat in one hand. Next was my mom, followed by Jason, and my dad at the rear.

We really were a sight to behold.

But we made it! And soon enough we were landing in Shannon, Ireland.

First stop Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.

I must admit, I'm not really all that into castles. They just seem dark, cold, and uninviting. But they did a nice job with the folk park, making the surrounding area appear as it might have back in the day.





After the castle it was a quick one hour drive through the countryside to our B&B in beautiful Lisdonvarna.