Today is the two-week anniversary of my departure from Ireland. My way of life there seems to have faded away at the same rate as my way of life here returned – fast. Upon arrival, I felt similar to the way I did when I first arrived in Ireland – comparing where I was to where I am. When I talk about what I notice with people here, it’s hard for them to relate (understandably). It makes me miss Maynooth and all that comes with it, and excited to see my Rollins friends I shared those experiences with.
It already feels as if I’ve been back for months. It was a quick adjustment back – I even drove on the second day I was back. I was nervous, but the familiarity of driving on the right side came back as soon as I got behind the wheel. Sometimes I still look the wrong way when I cross the street, however. That makes sense – I was more of a pedestrian than anything during my three months away. I think I will always value being a pedestrian much more than I used to. It’s more of an active lifestyle and the cities in Europe are made for walking, which I love.
I have simply resolved to go back someday. I didn’t get to do nearly enough while there, especially as time and money ran out. Just writing this brings back memories of exploring each city and discovering their culture (ie food… especially food). Speaking of food, Guinness is definitely not the same here as it was in Ireland. It’s a stale version and I feel like I need to hold tight to the memory of real Guinness – in addition to a lot of other food in Europe.
Looking back brings up a lot of different emotions – pleasure, anticipation, adventure, anxiety, apprehension, longing. It’s fulfilling and nostalgic, and a little sad, to remember my experiences. Still, life goes on and I have to go with it. Looking forward, I maintain a lot of those feelings as my final semester approaches. So much is up in the air in my life right now, and I know I will have to adjust back to the rigorous academic schedule at Rollins in a couple of weeks. I am just happy to say that I now have this study abroad experience under my belt, and can use it as a tool in so many different contexts in the upcoming months. That in itself makes me feel ready to step into my future with confidence.
Again, thank you to everyone who helped me make this happen. Studying abroad is perhaps the best decision I have ever made and the ups and downs that accompany it are now a fundamental part of who I am and how I operate. Níl sé slán, ach slán go foill 🙂