STEP BY STEP

As the smell of fresh coffee wafted up my nose, I was greeted with a smile.

‘What can I get you?’ the waitress chirped.

It was September 2015, and I was on a weekend away in Dublin, keen to soak up the sights of the beautiful city.

I’d only just arrived, was unfamiliar with my surroundings, but a local café near my hotel seemed welcoming, so I headed in to get some breakfast.

As a steaming plate of bacon and eggs arrived, I smiled.

‘Thank you,’ I said to the waitress. ‘I’m on holiday here, is there anything you’d recommend I do first?’

I’d never been afraid to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger.

My job as a hairdresser suited me perfectly – I could spend all day happily chatting