A Toast To Ireland, The Craic, Some of the Best People in the World, and the Session to End all Sessions
Originally given 31 Jul 2016 @ The Solstice, Dublin, Ireland.
It’s only been a year since I arrived in Ireland, but as some of you may have noticed, something has happened to me. You might call it infatuation. You might call it going native. You might say I’m a header just after one too many yokes. But I’m going to call it love. Because like someone in love I can’t see the good from the bad anymore, and I’m not sure I want to.
I love addresses with no numbers, I love your man down the road sorting us out, I love hot presses and immersions that you better not fecking leave on. I love sickie sessions just for the craic and tea with milk (and a purple snack!) I love talking about traveler weddings and skanger babies and how much my talking about it gets the Irish angry. I love that my house to this day is coated in glitter, because apparently we can have a pint without silver under our eyes.
I love the pints and the pubs and fields and even the rain when they give us a break for a day or two, but mostly what I love and I know I’ll miss the most, is all of you. Mitch and I, I’m sure, were just the weird American lads with the nice gaff when you heard about us, but I don’t know if I’ve never felt so appreciated, so cared for as part of such an amazing crew. $#@! the Guiness storehouse, you all are Ireland’s best attraction, and I know this is not the end. We shall all session again soon my friends, in San Francisco or London or Tullamore or all three.
Mitch, all this love, all these friends, everything I’ve been apart of could never have happened without you. You’ve absolutely made this year for me. I couldn’t have been more lucky to find a friend who was not only willing to move halfway around the world, but pushed me when I was doubting, then stepped up at every point along the way to maximize the craic, the growth, the friendship. You’ll alway be a brother to me.
And so my friends, to one this final session at the solstice, and to the session to end all sessions, which tonight is is only just beginning.
Slaite!
