Feeling Grateful

I recently had the good fortune of traveling abroad – my second trip in four years. In that time I have visited five European countries. As beautiful as they all were, I felt an incredible sense of gratitude and privilege each and every time I returned home to the “states”. There are so many things – some silly and some not so silly – that I take for granted here, that I compiled a list of the top five things I am grateful for:

Our plumbing. Compared to most of the European hotels/inns that I stayed in, American plumbing is far superior. Our toilets flush, and our showers for the most part have both hot and cold water. Water in the sink comes out of one spigot here – not one for cold and one for hot.

Unflavored potato chips. Ok, I admit, this one is ridiculous. But I do love potato chips and for the life of me I could not find plain, unflavored chips anywhere! Sour cream and onion, cheese and garlic, cheese and onion, but no Ruffles, no Lays. I had to settle for Pringles. Sigh…

HVAC. See plumbing. We have air conditioning here. The hotels rooms that I stayed in barely had windows that opened. When it is 80 degrees out, a hotel room without ventilation can get pretty awful. Not one hotel had ventilation in the bathroom either. Stepping out of the shower felt like stepping into a sauna.

Medium rare beef. In Ireland, where I just spent 9 days, the law mandates that all beef is cooked well done. At least that is what I was told when I tried ordering beef medium rare. It was not the tastiest beef that I have ever had, to say the least. First time I ever left a steak on the table.

Driving on the right side of the road. I guess it is just all about what one is used to but every time I saw a car driving on the left side of the road I panicked, sure a crash was about to happen.

Yet while I am grateful for all of the above small conveniences, I did find that there are a number of more significant things that I loved about Ireland.

College is free for everyone. Our tour guide attributed an educated populace as the reason Ireland has only had 30 murders in the last five years.

Healthcare is also free. You might have to wait a long time for an elective surgery, but you can get it without mortgaging your house. You also have the option to purchase private insurance. For a family of three, the cost is about 300 euros a month (about $350.00 US). A much more affordable option than in the US.

I also appreciated the refined language of the Irish more than the often crass language we often hear in the United States. The Irish are beyond polite. Nothing seems to ruffle them.

And finally, there is something to be said for a country that has a president who is only a figurehead. In Ireland, the president doesn’t have an executive or policy role. Food for thought.

And that is my view, from my hill.