Currently sitting in the JFK airport in NYC, and I’m taken back to just three months ago when I was waiting to board the plane that would take me to Ireland. Only 3 months, yet I wonder how past me and present me sat next to each other would seem similar and different.
It’s been a whirlwind of traveling and studying and soaking up every minute with my friends. The last half of the semester flew by. From traveling Europe during fall break, to discovering Ireland with my parents, and finishing with a short trip to Germany, each weekend has been booked. Last weekend was the first weekend I have been in Maynooth for a month, and it was spent catching up on studying we didn’t do in previous weeks. Still, I had the opportunity to visit Dublin several times over the course of the semester, and its layout has started to become familiar. We made one last trip yesterday, and I still feel like there is so much to discover about the city. We simply need more time.
Weeks ago, I was excited to come back to the homeland. Yet as the end of the semester came to a close, I wanted to leave less and less. There is still so much I want to do/places I want to go, and Maynooth has become a second home to me. This semester has been unusual and amazing in so many ways. My easier academic load allowed me to explore the island, go out more in Maynooth, and actually get decent amount of sleep. Of course, putting off studying until finals week meant I had some late nights, but even my exam schedule was much lighter. I only had two exams in Irish Language, and two small essays. Our last night was spent at Brady’s, a local pub, where Old Irishmen kept offering us Guinness and insisted on telling their life stories – and later, packing. For the record, waiting to pack was a mistake – I only got one hour of sleep before getting up to catch the 4:50am bus to the airport. Being back in the US feels almost like a dream (the lack of sleep doesn’t help), and it will be interesting to how the transition goes.
I’ll miss all of the good times and our little gang at Maynooth. It has been a life changing and trip and I feel insanely blessed and grateful to everyone who made this happen – Rollins faculty, family, and friends. I’m looking forward to being back in Winter Park, and will forever carry a little piece of Ireland with me. Go raibh maith agat, a Éireann!