A Somber Start
True, September 11 changed our lives and outlooks forever, but we knew that going ahead with our trip showed more about what America is than cancelling. The empathy and sympathy demonstrated by the Irish for us, from our boarding of the Aer Lingus flight on September 14th to almost everywhere we went, was truly amazing. All over there were flags like this with Books of Condolences for the terrorist victims. While the sad events were never far from our thoughts, we also knew that exciting surprises, fantastic music, and great fun lay ahead for us in Ireland.