On my way to visit my son in England—the one I released to the other side of the world, I had a 4-hour layover in Dublin. I thought it would be long, but it turned out to be too short.
Although I have visited Ireland before, I had my new cultural awareness glasses and my cultural learning antennas on. I had fun walking around the airport, observing people, listening to Irish accents, and weaving cultures!
Upon arriving at the airport, I went into a store called “The Best of Ireland.” Within a few minutes, I had made a list on my phone of the “10 Things I Discovered About Ireland (At the Airport!)”
Here is what I observed:
The Irish Love . . .
—Green (their flag is orange/white/green). Everything is green (clothes, mailboxes, telephone booths, etc.)
—Shamrocks
—Leprechauns
—Sheep and their wool
—Rugby
—Beer (especially Guinness!)
—Celtic Music
—Red (and orange) hair
—Blessings
—Pubs
A Traditional Irish Blessing:
I found this Irish blessing everywhere I looked—on coffee cups, tea towels, t-shirts, plaques, keychains, etc.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
Are you ready to go to Ireland and explore some more!?
Let’s Weave Cultures!
Have you ever traveled to a foreign country where you could see the national identity very quickly?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
I love how you stop to see things that most don’t see.
I love cultural exploration—even if I never make it out of the airport! 🙂