Meet Up in Waterford!
On the bedstand: Dubliners by James JoyceComing through the speakers: Andrew Bird. The guy can bring me to tears with the simple pull of a bow. Here he is live.
Waterford City. It was a bit of an unconventional choice for my Irish first trip beyond Dublin City Limits, but I was traveling with the Dublin History Meet Up group. I was just along for the ride.It was my first event with the group and I was a bit hesitant starting off with an overnight stay. I haven’t yet had a bad experience with a Meet Up group though; a change in that trend would have to wait!
We arrived in an absolute mist of an Irish day. Grey, cool (not cold), and a heavy drizzle that wouldn’t let up until we were ready to leave. After checking-in to the hotel, we gathered for the first of four tours. With this being the history group, I could shamelessly geek out on all kinds of Viking and Medieval things (with a group who could appreciate a good geeking-out!).Back and forth we crossed the Viking Triangle. The town was nice, but I didn’t really appreciate it until our final day when the sun came out. It seemed as if the town had adopted a whole new personality! Rain or shine though, we rocked our sunglasses. It's all a state of mind!
The Medieval Museum offered an impressive collection. Gold-threaded vestments from the 16th century and colored legal documents from the 14th century have a way of making an impression. The tour through the Bishop’s Palace was also great: Period actors turning what could have been a boring tour into a theatrical production. Why can’t they all be like that?!And of course there was the Waterford show room!
That evening, the group hit up the night life. There were about 20 of us. I was definitely on the younger side and also one of the few males. At times it reminded me of hanging out with my parents’ friends. That’s not a bad thing.The group really gelled as we shared stories over pints and bad music. The people; that’s what really makes a meet up group, right?! I wouldn’t say I’ve met a “Meet Up Type,” but they all share a positive outlook and a friendly demeanor. So many of them seem to be starting over, whether due to a recent move or a broken relationship. Even if they don’t say it, they seem to sense that there’s more out there. More refreshingly, they aren’t afraid to admit that they don’t know what that entails or even how to find it.
And before I could drink another pint, it was time to get on the train back to Dublin. It was a wonderful, magical, beautiful trip through the countryside. When’s the next meetup?!