#FirstDate #FirstDates #FirstDatesIRL #Dating #CountyWaterford #Dungarvan #GrattanSquare #Ireland #LEGO

First Date #51 was with an American woman living in Youghal, County Cork. We matched on Bumble. We hit it off because we were both from California. She went to UCSB, and I went to UCLA. She moved to Ireland over 20 years ago, and she was recently separated. Though getting divorced in Ireland is easier than it used to be, it’s still takes a long time. You must live apart for 2 of the previous 3 years. This is kind of a funny way of saying 2 years. I don’t know many people that would separate for 2 years, go back for another year, and then file for a divorce, but I guess it happens. Plus having children complicates matters. It’s a good thing I don’t have to worry about the latter.

She acknowledged that Kilkenny was far away and asked for a halfway point. I suggested Dungarvan, and she agreed. On a Sunday afternoon, with threatening skies, we met for caffeinated beverages in the center of town. It was lovely to chat with an American woman who had gone to a UC school and lived fairly close to where I was born and grew up. She said she was fairly active with tennis and hiking. So, I asked if she would join me for a walk before the rain ruined the day. The conversation flowed smoothly and I felt very comfortable speaking with FirstDate51. It seemed that she was enjoying it as well. After about a half hour, we turned around. All-in-all, we spent well over two hours together. I walked her to her car and gave her a nice squeeze. My bus wasn’t going to arrive for another hour, so I went for a bite to eat. The skies opened up almost immediately. It was like the weather was sad to see her leave too. A couple of days later, we planned to meet again in Waterford.

(First Date – 19 September, 2021)