The first thing most Irish would ask upon meeting me upon learning that I was from California was, "How are you putting up with the weather here?" The ground was wet, my Wellies were in full use, my overgrown bangs curled haphazardly whenever I stepped outside, and the windshield wipers on my tiny car were working overtime. I adored it, I told them. After experiencing reseviors a third full in California for three years straight, I felt blissful in the Irish mist and showers. Things were green. Things were about thirty different types of green, in fact.

Today I'm curled up on my couch in California with a cup of Barry's tea in hand - my second after my starter cup of coffee- watching the rain fall outside. The skies are grey and bright. After I publish this post, I'm thinking of putting on my Wellies and going for a walk.

My flight returned me to the states late last Monday night, and since then I've been experiencing a wealth of emotions, which might not surprise those I ended up crying on when saying goodbye (sorry, guys), and, a tad bit of jet lag. I visited three of the most wonderful countries in the world- Wales, England, Ireland- spent time making cheese with top cheesemakers kind enough to let me salt and play with their curds, revisited friends and made new ones, was genoroursly welcomed into the homes of families who I hadn't met before and fed delicious things by them, and ate an insane amount of cheese and perhaps also drank a little local alcohol. Perhaps.

I had a blast. I'm unpacked. And, quite honestly, I'm ready to pack again. More news about that last part in future posts.

Over the next couple of months I'll be posting here and there about my trip, and working on a project based on my time there. I"ll write all about it. Of course I'll stay grounded in American-ness too- all about Thanksgiving cheese plates here next week. I also have some news to share soon. There will be a lot going on here, folks, check back in.

To all the cheesemakers and families who let me visit and didn't yell at me in the make room when I did things wrong, thank you. I've never felt so welcomed by so many as I did over the past two plus months. I'm very, very lucky.

Lastly, if you don't have anything to do next Tuesday or simply need something else to think about for a couple hours other than turkey or how to sit family members at the Thanksgiving table to encourage wellbeing, I'm teaching a class at the Cheese School next week (sorry, guys the Bubbles class in December is sold out) and there are a couple spots open: Winter Cheese and Wine . I'd love to say hello.