The First US Paddy's Day

comic courtesy of comics.com/frazz

It just won't be the same without being in Ireland. Without friends coming to visit. Without a pub crawl to put together. I might not miss being hungover tomorrow however, but I will miss the vacation. Not that I've much to vacation from at the moment, but you know... it's the idea I miss. March is an amazing time in Ireland. The winter is over and you can actually see the days are getting longer. Leaving work every day is just a bit lighter than the previous day. The tulips and daffodils are pushing up thru the soil. People are starting to come out of their winter grumbling phase and beginning conversations not with "Ah, it's bleak today" but with positive statements. True, it is still cold and the sun still sets around 5pm but there is something inherently optimistic in the air this time of year in Dublin. I'll miss that. Here in Florida, it is far more difficult to see. The landscape is always green, the light is always strong. Were it not for the blooming of the trees, with yellow and pink flowers, nothing would appear different than when I first arrived 6 weeks ago. There is no discernible shift in attitude, no group looking on the sunny side of things. Here in Florida, it is business as usual: green beer and college kids on spring break. I think there will be many things I'll miss about Ireland.