Surviving the Irish Summer

Ireland got a mini heat wave last week.

Clear skies, sunshine, warm air, dry grass, and sun burned chests – it was pure bliss.

Fiji
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The fab weather caught me off guard, I hadn't converted my wardrobe from Winter to Summer.

(We don't get Spring in Ireland – we barely get a Summer)

So I had to push past the woolly jumpers, stretch in past boots, and shoulder Winter coats out of the way to be in reach of vest tops, flip flops and shorts.

Tropic of Capricorn, Western Australia
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I was 100% sure I had suncream from last year, but it was no where to be found, so I had to give in and pay Summer prices for new suncream. An hour off early from work (to celebrate the sun) gave me the opportunity to smother in suncream, lay out on the freshly cut lawn and read my book. It was the most content I have felt in 2012.

For the first few days of sunshine no one dared speak about the sweat or the sunburn or the dying plants – but four days without rain started to drive some people mad.

I laughed at their silliness, I had endured 40c heat (104F) in Australia and survived, this 25c (77F) was a doddle.

But the fifth day of sunshine stopped me in my tracks. I was sneezing, not little lady 'achoooos' but big ones, ones that took over an hour to emerge, my eyes were running water faster than the River Shannon and I felt crap.

On top of the seasonal hay fever, I was so tired, like exhausted. Past 2pm in the day my eyes were squinting, I blinked for longer than is acceptable when holding a conversation and I drove like a maniac to get home and sit (looking out).

Hay fever season, Ireland
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When I relayed this info to my partner, he laughed. “Go for a nap,” he advised.

“I don't do naps,” I replied, naps are for lazy people and I have so much to do.

“But you always took naps when we were away,” he recalls. But his recollection was in accurate.

Me sleep during the day, never!

Well in Thailand I did a little because I wasn't sleeping at night and I needed indoor shelter from the cruel sun. But not in Australia.

Cue himself reminding me “yeah but you went to bed super early and were not fit to walk after work.”

Oh, yeah ... maybe.

We spend the Winter storing up carbs to help us fight the cold, tucked into woolly socks and thermal underwear, staring out at the cold wind and the snow and frost dreaming of the sunshine and the light breeze.

But when it arrives, we stare outside soothing our sunburn in aloe vera, sniffing and snoozing, never hoping for rain or clouds (that would be a curse) but waiting for the 'break.'

At least the Summer tunes are good ... and beer gardens have shade!

Summer grazing, Ireland
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