It actually happened.  My brain and mouth tag-teamed against me.  I was talking to my future mother-in-law yesterday, and my speech suddenly veered off the course of English and dove right into Spanish instead.  Being the sweet lady that she is, Juliana just smiled at my 5 seconds of immense bewilderment.  She understands, as she speaks Gaelic out of the blue.  Still, I couldn't help but wonder how that happened so involuntarily.  Since when does my mouth decide which language it will speak?  Oh well...así es la vida, ¿verdad?

Aside from my involuntary Spanglish, I'm a happy camper. :)  Ten days until the BIG day.  It really hit me last night when Patrick asked me if I was "ready."  It seems like I've been asked that question a million times, but when he asked, he meant something beyond the wedding.  He was asking if I was ready for the marriage.   The marriage that will continue when the wedding is over, the marriage that will try our patience, the marriage that will experience the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of life.  Am I really ready for that?  Absolutely.  I can't wait. :)

Have you ever questioned if you were settling for something less than what you really want?  Ever take comfort in staying with something that's good enough rather than what you've always dreamed of? 

I ran the Nashville Marathon this past weekend with my parents.  They were smart and decided to run the half marathon, but I wanted to be adventurous and complete the whole 26.2 miles.  It was a crazy idea, but it really connected me to a city where I've always dreamed of living.  Since I was four, I wanted to move to Nashville & pay the bills by singing.  As I ran through downtown and amidst the neighborhoods of music production agencies, I was filled with a sense of renewed inspiration.  This is my dream, and it's all right here.  I started to question my immobility. Why am I not moving forward with this?  How do I expect to get anywhere by standing still?

I know what I'm saying sounds like a little girl's dream.  Fairy tales aren't real, but dreams can (and do) come true.  Shouldn't we all work hard and be willing to fail at something we truly love rather than work hard for our "2nd best" constantly wondering, "what if?" 

There's a word commonly used in Ireland.  It's a word from the Gaelic language meaning fun, good times, or the like.  This magnificent little word is craic.  It sounds like "crack," and let's just say that when you're talking about a great night, it's not uncommon to hear, "Yeah, it was great craic." Sounds bad, doesn't it?  I guess that's what happens when you grow up in a country where "crack is whack," but oh well!

For the past week, I've had not one, but TWO Irish guys hanging around my apartment.  Let's just say that there hasn't been any shortage of craic.  Paddy's long-time friend, Kyle Maguire, who is from Mullingar (the town where Paddy grew up) arrived last Wednesday for a week-long visit.  Kyle has never been to the US before - he's actually never been outside of Europe - so the US has been less than familiar in a lot of ways.  Regardless, he's taken things in like a sponge.  He's officially a Reds and Bengals fan now (boooo!), he kicked butt at the batting cages, and he has indulged in three of America's finest eating establishments: The Cheesecake Factory, Chipotle, and CiCi's Pizza.  The poor guy still can't quite figure out the currency ("They're all the same color!  How the heck can I tell which is which!"), and driving on the right side of the road still has him befuddled, but otherwise, he's been a champ.

Kyle will fly back to the Emerald Isle on Friday, but thankfully, we'll get to see him again in October.  Paddy's sister Caroline is getting married at the end of October, so it will be a blast getting to go back to Eire for a little bit!  One might say that the craic will be mighty.