OutKick Writer Recounts Europe Trip with Illness, Scams and D-Day Visit

OutKick writer recently returned from a two-week trip to Europe that mixed business, adventure and health scares.

He departed on the afternoon of April 21 with his wife, a retired professional athlete. As they prepared to leave for the airport, President Donald Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire in the Iran War. The writer rushed to his studio to film an update, finishing just before their ride arrived. He edited in the vehicle and reached the airport in time to check bags and relax in the Icelandair lounge.

The first stop was Dublin, Ireland, after a layover in Reykjavik, Iceland. He praised Icelandair for its top-notch service, attentive flight attendants and outstanding food. Airport passengers in Iceland dressed well and behaved orderly, unlike the sloppy crowds and poor service he sees in the United States.

Customs in Dublin cleared quickly on April 22 morning. But trouble hit at the currency exchange counter. His wife handed over a few thousand dollars and received about 3,000 euros back due to high fees and a poor rate. He called it a scam but had backup cash and cards.

They took an Uber to a five-star hotel in central Dublin. He noted his rural Wisconsin upbringing left him unused to such places. That night, after dining locally and contacting his network—including advance teams already in Ireland—he drank a few Guinnesses and went to bed feeling fine.

Around 3 a.m., severe illness struck. His throat felt stabbed from multiple angles, he shivered with fever, coughed loudly and felt near death. With a mission launch set for Saturday afternoon, he had 48 hours to recover. He chugged water and took medicine, gradually improving.

Saturday morning, the group moved 45 minutes outside Dublin. One member dumped luggage across the hotel lobby floor searching for an item, drawing stares amid elegantly dressed guests. The new site felt secure and isolated as international business owners, government officials, academics, engineers and land owners arrived.

Details of Saturday and Sunday events remain undisclosed. Most of the group returned to the United States, leaving a skeleton crew in Ireland. The writer and his wife flew to France.

France enforces strict nicotine laws, banning pouches despite tolerance for youth smoking and wine, he said. They checked into a five-star hotel in Bayeux, Normandy, to visit D-Day beaches.

He stood on Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, hundreds of yards from German bunkers that young Americans stormed under machine-gun and artillery fire on June 6, 1944. The cold sand, scorched bunkers, craters, bullet holes and bloodstained church pews left him silent and reflective. He wondered if he could have matched their courage.

The American Cemetery's endless headstones overwhelmed him. He quoted President Ronald Reagan: "It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray haired. But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives—the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for our country, for us. And all we can do is remember."

Bayeux residents treated them with gratitude as descendants of those liberated from German occupation. Food there proved amazing and cheap compared to the Washington, D.C. area.

In Paris, he saw stark contrasts: luxury streets near areas that shocked him with immigration issues worse than in America. He avoided those zones. The Eiffel Tower looked cool at night from a private river cruiser, but little else impressed. Parisians struck him as pretentious compared to friendly Normans; he suspected poor bar service due to his American appearance.

On the flight home, a severely ill passenger sat behind him, coughing violently without covering his mouth. Others donned masks in fear.

Random notes: Celsius energy drink is hard to find in France. Nicotine pouch bans demand resistance. Parisians fear guns and shadows. Paris smells bad with poor hygiene in spots. Skip dicey areas. No tipping culture, but it's appreciated. Europeans grill Americans on their country via media. Normandy beaches are cold. Portions are small. Fast food tastes better with better crowds. Trump opinions split sharply. American flag hats draw glares—wear anyway.