This past Thursday, Jim and his wife, Joan, had invited Lace and I over for dinner at their home. And when I tell you that it was one of my most treasured moments in Ireland, I truly mean it.
Jim came by to pick us up at 6pm and we arrived at their lovely abode soon after. Jim and Joan’s place has such a warm and cozy feel to it. It’s the perfect escape from the college “lifestyle”. As we walked through the door, Joan immediately stood in the hallway with open arms ready to greet us. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my entire life. She lead us to the kitchen where she had a beautiful dinner prepared for us. We first started with huge plates of spaghetti and garlic bread. Lace and I could barely make a dent in our plates. Joan offered to pack it up for us to take back and then she brought out her delicious homemade apple tart with vanilla ice cream; my mouth is watering just thinking about it. She warmed it up and everything! That’s one of my favorite desserts if you couldn’t tell. After dessert, we made our way to the living room area and as soon as we sat down on the comfy sofa, Joan offered to make some popcorn with maltesers for us. To me, maltesers are like the whoppers candy in America. I had never had this mix before and although I was stuffed, my curiosity urged me to say yes. She then said she would make us tea and there’s no turning down tea when you’re in someone’s home in Ireland. The popcorn and chocolate was so amazing and drinking the warm team next to the fireplace was really comforting. At this point, I was in a food coma and ready for the best sleep of my life. Jim put on a movie and the next couple of hours were spent sharing stories and laughs. Before we knew it, it was 10:30pm and about that time for us to head back to the dorms. We gave Joan another heartfelt hug and loaded up into the car. Before telling Jim goodbye, we thanked him a million times for the hospitality and for making us feel at home. Jim and Joan, you two have left a forever lasting impression. “Thanks a mil.”
