Why, What, Where, and When?

It has recently come to my attention that not everyone knows exactly why we are moving to Ireland, what my husband will be doing, where exactly will we hang our hats when we get there, and when do we actually leave.  I am not upset with those of you who have asked me these questions in the last few days and weeks, but it is really starting to get old.  Even though I know without a doubt that I will have to endure these questions a few more times in the weeks ahead, going to do my best to answer them now.  Maybe next time someone asks I will just direct them to my blog.

1.  WHY?
Most of you know my husband Adam the food scientist.  He has been steadily working his way through the long and laborious process of obtaining a PhD.  Most of his graduate work has been on the study of dairy and dairy flavor.  Most recently and specifically on the study of off-flavorings in whey.  I'm not going to pretend to know much more than that, because it's complicated and makes my head hurt.

On a recent business trip to Ireland his professor, who is one of the worlds authorities on dairy flavor, was approached about the possibility of any qualified PhD students ready to graduate from her lab.  Within a week the Irish Dairy Board  had contacted Adam, and the rest as they say is history!

So that's the story of why we are going to Ireland. But what is the Irish Dairy Board you ask?

2. WHAT?
Basically they market, produce, and export Irish dairy products all over the world.  You can check out their website here www.idb.ie  Some of you may already be familiar with some of their products.  Have you ever seen this logo in your grocery's cooler?

Kerrygold is the retail brand of The Irish Dairy Board, and their products are imported all over the US.  In fact, our Costco usually has a small selection of their Irish Cheddars.  In addition to cheese the Irish are very well known for their butter, which you are more likely to find at specialty groceries such as Fresh Market and Whole Foods.  If you feel so inclined to support my husband's new career or your curiosity gets the best of you, I feel it is my duty to warn you about a new taste experience.   These are the Kerrygold cows.

Cute right?!  These cows like most cattle in Ireland do not spend their days in a feed lot munching on corn like US cows.  They are pasture fed, meaning... duh, they eat grass.  So as you might expect the flavor of the products derived from their milk can be very grassy and hay like.  This can be a pleasant flavor and aroma, but there are other Irish cheeses that are a bit more barn like.  OK, I'm just going to come out and say it, they taste like cow ass.  No, I don't actually know what cow ass taste like, but if I had to guess many of the cheeses I've tried are what I imagine it to be like.

Maybe it's an acquired taste.  I'll let you know in a year or two if the taste of cow ass gets any better the more you consume it!  So now don't you just want to run out and get some Irish cheddar?!  In all fairness, most of their products are quite wonderful, but this ain't no Velveta or Kraft, so just be prepared.

3. WHERE?
The Irish Dairy board is headquartered in Dublin, but we will actually be living in Cork.  Check it out on the Map here:

Cork is the largest of Ireland's counties with approximately 420,000 people in County Cork.  About 130,000 of those people live in Cork City, which is where we will be.  I find it hard to believe with only 130,000 people Cork City is the second largest city in Ireland behind Dublin.

I'm sure I'll have plenty more fun Irish facts for you in the near future.  For now I'm still doing my homework, so you will just have to wait!

4. WHEN?
Now that you have a few more details on the Why, What, and Where, the last question is when.  I've made reference to the next few weeks in this post and earlier post, but to be more specific we are leaving the US on February 11th.
For our Raleigh friends we are packing up and leaving town February 8th.  Just prior to that we will sell both our cars (Sob :( no more blue jeep!) and drive a U-Haul to Florida to put our furniture and things into a shared storage unit by my parents house.

I guess that concludes this post.  Don't hesitate to ask me questions, just know that I can't promise an answer, because there are some things even I don't know!  Hard to believe right! ;)