Dashin to Bray Beach

This morning we successfully made our second mad dash down to the ocean (Irish Sea to be exact) since we arrived yesterday. Each year, the town of Bray has a charity event where citizens go for a noontime dip in the ocean. We had planned to meet up at the playground pre-swim with the friends we met yesterday, but alas, the exhaustion of the trip seized hold and I did not wake until 11:45. I rubbed my eyes and squinted at my watch, hoping I was reading it wrong, but no. So, wrenching open the curtains, I gently woke up my two companions and informed them that the swim was happening in approximately twelve minutes, so if we wanted to see it, it was time to dash! These two remarkable souls, sitting up and rubbing their eyes, each took a deep breath and mobilized! I wasn't quite sure if that would happen, but it did. I helped them by finding clothes from suitcases to throw at them and getting them into their socks like some sort of dressing ninja. We had clothes on and coats and scarves on and shoes on and were out the door!

Bray New Year's Swim 2015

There were flocks of people all going to a centralized place on the beach that was practically in front of our hotel and I quickly realized we had almost gotten ourselves swept up with the parade of swimmers themselves! Some had costumes that were colorful and a few had wings. They all made it down to the crowded beach where the main throng of people stood parted by a passageway demarcated by blue rope. We made our way down towards the edge of the water and saw that there were many people who had already taken the plunge. It was a relaxed atmosphere with bouts of laughter here and there. I realized many could have been doing this as a tradition since when I was a child. Put on by the Bray Lion's Club, the event has had great success in raising money for local charities. Shiloh was not interested in going back to the room for her suit, however.

Now, our first successful mad dash was spurred the night before by a wistfully made comment of mine about wanting to be dancing on the beach shouting Happy New Year to the ocean when the time came. "So, let's do it," was the matter-of-fact reply I received to my wistful comment. It was something that seemed so out of place when I said it back in the states, a hare-brained idea that only a mad woman would suggest. Something to laugh off, like, yeah THAT'll really happen. And here I had the completely calm tenor of a seven year suggesting it like she were discussing bananas for breakfast.

Quickly we bundled into our layers over our pajamas, for of course it was fifteen til midnight when the idea was mentioned, and rushed our excited selves out the front door of the hotel, past the pub which was active with revelers and the wonderful Irish music still being played from when we were gifted its presence at the tail end of our delicious dinner earlier, and across the street, the grassy lawn, the ocean walk and the beach full of smooth large pebbles til we were standing breathless at the edge of the rushing ocean.

We were early! Seven minutes early! But I suppose when you grow up with a mother who constantly forgets things until the last minute you become very adept to throwing something on and getting out the door at the drop of a hat. My children are EXPERTS apparently. So, we had time to walk a bit on the beach and each find a smooth stone to remember our night. Then our countdown began and when we reached one, by golly if we weren't all dancing on the beach shouting Happy New Year to the ocean! They were armed with flashlights (Thanks Gramala!) and had a blast dodging the surf that never comes up to the exact same line twice in a row. It was a fantastic New Year and a perfect ending to our first night in Ireland.

Hotel Esplanade, Bray, Ireland

Our hotel, The Esplanade, looked beautiful as we made our way back in and up to our room to message New Years greetings to family, then finally curl up and go to sleep. Because you know, we had friends to meet in the morning.
(Good thing I have her number. Now to just get the phone set up.)

I hope you all had a magnificent New Year's Eve and have a magical 2015, where all the harebrained ideas you come up with that make your soul sing happen, each and every time. Much love!
cheers