(Ed. note: A quartet of travelers from Kingfisher - Brian and Liz Walter and Chris and Tanya Cameron - recently ventured to Ireland. Brian Walter has documented parts of the trip, including some things he learned, some surprises they discovered as well as a couple of chance encounters while in Europe.)

Before we begin, please know my intentions in this writing.

My hope foremost is that reading this will lift up someone who, for any number of reasons, would like to visit Ireland, but, for any number of reasons, is unable.

My further hope is to share an experience, lift people up and perhaps inspire worthwhile thought.

With that in mind, I hope you enjoy the letter...

I am writing this not for the studious types who just by virtue of study and reading have already made themselves aware of Ireland’s history and culture.

Rather this is for those, like myself, who have long been aware of Ireland, but really know very little of its history and people.

Always aware of life’s fleeting nature, Liz and I, as well as our travel companions in this instance, Chris and Tanya Cameron, and I know many of those reading this, are striving to travel as much as our time and health allow.

Liz and I feel travel is an important aspect of our lives as it allows us not only to broaden our knowledge and have fun, but also, and perhaps most importantly, it gives us days truly together from start to finish.

Our time at home in Kingfisher faces many obstacles and distractions, so the fact that travel gives us time together has truly been a blessing. There is a story of how we chose Ireland as our destination, but this is not that story. This is a story of the unexpected things we discovered as a result.

We went to Ireland expecting beautiful, rolling, green countryside, ancient castles, sheep pastures divided by old, hand-stacked rock fences, dramatic rugged coastlines, and a city named Dublin. Ireland is certainly all of these things. Again, though those things were expected, this is the story of the unexpected things.

We arrived in Ireland late on Friday afternoon, June 3.

For those who haven’t flown to Europe, here is kind of how it goes. You typically leave relatively late in the day.

Our flight overseas was what I’d consider typical.

We made the short flight from Oklahoma City to Dallas and then boarded a 7:15 p.m. flight from Dallas to London.

As you fly east you are rapidly advancing the natural order of your day. As a result, your evening quickly turns to night and your night quickly turns to morning.

You try to sleep. You are tired. It is dark outside.

But the night is short and you arrive tired and worn out.

The typical plan is to tough it out and stay awake until your typical bedtime.

Your hope is to sleep well that night and awake at an appropriate time ready to go the next day in the new time zone.

This brings us to surprise number one.

In the process of trying to tough it out until bedtime on the first evening – typically 10 to 10:30 p.m. for me – we ended up encountering really, really good music.

We love live music, so this energizes our group and inspires us to stay up well past our intended bedtime.

The net result was low quantity and poor quality sleep. Morning guy is definitely not happy with night guy.

You would think this would resolve itself the next day.

But, no, this continues the next four evenings before morning guy finally convinces night guy to avoid the music all together and get caught up on sleep.

Surprise number one is Ireland is full of really talented young musicians and has a deep love affair among its people for music.

Surprise number two comes after breakfast on the first morning as we set out on our first tour.

In Oklahoma, a tour on June 3 would typically mean short sleeve shirt, shorts and probably flip flops for best chance of comfort.

A tour on June 3 in Ireland means long sleeve shirt, pants, close-toed shoes, sweater, hooded rain jacket, scarf and a warm hat for best chance of comfort.

The last two items Chris and I buy on the first morning while the girls shop for local specialties.

The other men on the tour initially smirked at our Paddy caps, but by the end of the tour virtually all the men had purchased one.

You are just flat more comfortable in Ireland in June with a warm hat.

Surprise number two: early June is cool to cold in Ireland.

It turns out Ireland is about the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska, with a typically stiff, (locally called a fresh) breeze coming off the north Atlantic Ocean.

The third surprise has to do with sport.

On our transfer from the airport, our cab driver was talking about a – previously unknown to me – sport called hurling.

Hurling is played over a large field using a ball, maybe the size of a baseball, called a sliotar and a stick called a hurley.

The hurley looks like a cross between a hockey stick and a huge wooden spoon.

The game, its followers and its culture won me over very quickly.

The game I liked because of its nonstop action, high turnover rate, rough nature, skillful use of the hurley and the absolute toughness displayed by the players.

The game is difficult to explain, but it features aspects of rugby, soccer, American football and hockey.

One key aspect is you are encouraged and expected to hit each other with full speed shoulder tackles while armed with a slightly cutoff hockey stick.

The players wear a lightweight helmet and no pads. It is very, very rough.

Its followers won me over because they are very akin to our most ardent college football fans.

Everyone loves passionate fans and of course that is the beauty of sports. They tend to give people something to be passionate about, which of course promotes a stronger bond between the people.

Which, of course, is a great thing in today’s society.

What I like most about hurling, though, is it’s refreshing departure from American professional and what is now rapidly becoming the college sports culture.

In American sports, young people across our nation dream of professional sports stardom in a culture that constantly tells them to do what it takes to join a championship team and also how much money they stand to make as a result.

In Ireland’s hurling culture, young people dream of stardom too, but there are key and refreshing differences.

In Ireland every county has a team. The players are unpaid.

Coaches are expected to use players raised and living in their county.

Players are expected to remain and play in their home county.

I’m sure you’re thinking, yes, but it is small scale stuff.

No, that would be incorrect. They play in televised matches in stadiums filled with as many as 100,000 paying spectators.

Yes, hurling was a big surprise.

A few days prior to my departure I came across Larry Talbott at the store. “Well if you’re going to Ireland you should look up Virginia Giglio,” Larry said.

I told Larry that was a neat idea, but we were going to be on a tour with no time for such a meeting.

Then on our fourth day at the base of Blarney Castle, the home of the world famous Blarney Stone, while Chris and I were milling around in a sweater shop as Liz and Tanya shopped, lo and behold who do we see?

Virginia Giglio and Neal Dunnigan just happened to be there with their daughter and grandchild.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, on our return trip home, I learn my 1980 KHS classmate, Lesa Nail Mordini, is our flight attendant.

Then when we board the flight, she greets us and she informs us she has bumped us up to premium class.

Let me tell you, there is a difference between economy and premium. A big difference!

Very kind and classy of you Lesa!

In my mind, these are God things.

I am convinced that God lines up these sorts of things to remind us that we are connected, that we are always closer than we realize and that we need to remember how much we mean to each other.

Yes, perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised because, as Christians, we should expect the unexpected, but I felt especially surprised and blessed to be reminded by God of these things thousands of miles from home.

Old country for sure, but a brand new nation.

The oldness of Ireland is a big part of its charm. Everywhere you go in Ireland, there are old castles, old rock fences and ruins of ancient city walls.

It is what we went to see and Ireland did not disappoint.

What I didn’t realize, though, is that Ireland is a brand new nation. Ireland as a free and independent nation is turning 100 this year.

Ireland, like America, was formerly an English colony.

Ireland, like America, declared its independence from England.

Ireland, like America, fought a war of independence.

Ireland, like America, won its independence.

Ireland, like America, has assassinated some of its greatest heroes and since venerated them.

Ireland, like America, has endured the pain of Civil War.

Ireland, like America, is still striving to come together to form a more perfect nation.

Unlike America, Ireland cannot print money.

Unlike America, Ireland is a little younger and a little earlier in the bondage that leads to religious conviction, which leads to freedom, which leads to prosperity, which leads to complacency, which leads back to bondage cycle.

Let us remember we have much in common with free nations around the world and let us remember freedom is never free and the cost to keep it is eternal vigilance.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.