After 10 days in Ireland, I offer this absolutely incomplete list of cultural differences, new vocabulary and first impressions.

“This feels… different.”

Just some facts.

1. In Ireland, you drive on the left side of the road.

2. And the right side of the car.

3. Irish police officers don’t carry guns.

4. The drinking age is 18.

5. Nationwide, if you want to eat inside a restaurant, you’re required to give a name and phone number for contact-tracing and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

6. Clothes dryers aren’t common. Instead, you use a clothes airer or hang wet clothes outside between rain showers.

7. Air conditioning is also uncommon.

8. Blackberries grow wild along the road. (I’m a bit obsessed with this fact, but more on that later.)

9. All road signs are written in two languages: Irish and English.

10. Castles and castle ruins are just around. Next to a pasture or a swamp or a highway.

“Say that again?”

Bacon by any other name would taste as good. Here’s a helpful dictionary if you fancy a visit to Ireland soon.

• Chips - Fries. No shock to my fellow Americans who’ve tried their best British accent ordering “fish and chips” at the beach. (Side note/plea: Irish chips need more salt or better oil or something. I’ve yet to find chips that set my heart fluttering like Five Guys or even McDonalds fries, and that feels sad. Send recommendations, seriously.)

• Crisps - Potato chips.

• Garda - Irish police.

• Holiday - Vacation. And you don’t “take” it; you go on it, as in “I went there on holiday.”

• Lift - When someone gives you a ride in their car, but don’t ask for a “ride” unless you’re looking for something more, uh, intimate than a lift.

• Rashers - Bacon.

• T.K. Maxx - Yes, Maxxinistas, this is your beloved T.J. Maxx across the pond. The letter swap was deliberate to avoid confusion with a once-popular discount store called TJ Hughes. Yes, really.

• Toastie - A warm toasted sandwich. For example, a cheese toastie is a grilled cheese. Cute, huh?

• Toilet - Bathroom.

• Tugs - A bathing suit. My personal favorite.

“One more time?”

The sayings that make us laugh, swoon or listen harder. Especially with that lilting Irish accent.

• “Grand.” - When opening our Bank of Ireland account over the phone, the agent said “Grand” after every answer. “Birth date? … Grand. Address? … Grand, grand.” Although our information was not grand, we certainly thought he was.

• “Thanks a million.” - Very common. Greg wants to know, “What about all the numbers before a million?” Seems the Irish are just really thankful.

• “Let’s grab a pint.” - This mean someone really wants to be your new friend. At least, we hope that’s what it means.

• “Jesus, Mary and Joseph!” - A Catholic exclamation akin to “Oh, my God!”

• “Half-[time].” - Half three would be 3:30. Half nine would be 9:30. (You get it.)

• “Good day, lads.” - An informal greeting between strangers similar to “Hey, guys” in the U.S.

“Are you feeling what I’m feeling?”

Initial impressions on being an American in Ireland. Subject to change at any time.

• Overall, the Irish like Americans. - Greg assured me of this after spending six weeks in Ireland at the end of college, but I was still pleasantly surprised to discover it. (Yes, I meant surprised.) There’s a pretty scathing list of common stereotypes about Americans around the world, so it’s been nice to feel unhindered by those assumptions.

• The Irish aren’t interested in hashing out (or piling onto) American politics. - When U.S. politics have come up in conversation, the Irish – while politically informed – seem uninterested in casting judgement on the U.S.’ decisions. They’re more interested in explaining areas of necessary growth in Ireland.

• The Irish-American connection is strong. - Many of the people we’ve met have family – siblings, children, cousins – living in the U.S. and visited regularly before COVID-19. Many have spent some time traveling there, too, but it’s mostly New York City or California, which I tend to think of as the extremes (physically and culturally) of the U.S.

• We Americans are easy to understand. - Or so we’ve been told. Apparently, we enunciate all. our. words. very. clearly.

More to come.