July 19, 2016

Solely because it was the last full day and not at all on my final due in a couple of hours I woke up early to seize the day. Unfortunately the Finals bad luck followed me to Ireland. It is a known fact that whatever can and will go wrong during finals week (or day). My PowerPoint presentation was due half an hour before class started. I tuned it in over an hour early and continued editing my notes for my speech. I went to go check my email a little under an hour before and realized that my email would not send or receive anything and had been doing this since the night before. It was a race against the clock at this point as I tried to restart/reset everything. Rachel came to check on me 10 minutes before class and it still wasn’t working. I walked to class with my laptop open in my arms trying to fix it along the way. Tom wasn’t too concerned since I had my laptop so I could plug that in. I had the long version of my notes on my laptop, with only the dates written in my notebook, so I knew that would not be good. Thankfully, I kicked my email back into gear and the PowerPoint was sent to Tom’s computer instead. This was a huge relief and I was able to relax (kinda). The first half of the class took 2 hours for their presentations so by the time it got to me I was completely fine. I ended up not even using my notes except for looking at dates in my notebook. Basically all the stress was pointless, but at that point I didn’t care now that it was over.

The class lasted over 3 hours because it all took so long. I took Ryan, Tatum, and Stuart to Hairy Lemon for lunch because I have been bugging them about this place since before we got to Dublin. I would like to give a huge shout out to Darby for once again proving to be the best big in the entire world for recommending this place to me. She told me their bread pudding was the best thing you will ever have and I don’t think I have heard a statement more true. I made almost everyone in the program to go to this place for this reason and they all agreed that it was their favorite. And before you ask: yes, I did go solely for the dessert, but it was so worth it I don’t even care. The food was also good, the dessert was definitely the highlight though.

Originally class was supposed to be earlier and not last that long so we planned on going to see the Book of Kells, but we were so hungry we had to get food first. By the time we got back to Trinity the line was wrapped around the building. We were meeting for our final group dinner a couple hours later and didn’t have time to sit in line and take the time to look at the book or the library. This was super disappointing, but I guess it’s another reason I have to go back. I really need to start making a list or something. Instead I walked around Dublin a bit more before getting ready for dinner.

Our group walked together to the Market Bar. I don’t know if I would call this a dinner or a feast. Tom lowkey mentioned that we actually weren’t going to be ordering our food and they’d bring stuff out for us. We didn’t understand the extent to this statement. Once the food started coming it wouldn’t stop. We got nachos, cheese and crackers, bread and dip, meatballs, rice, chicken, seafood kebabs, and who knows what else. Before they could clear our plates and we could lean back in our seats, they brought out the dessert menu. They were pretty good desserts, but I definitely couldn’t finish it after everything else we ate. The night didn’t end there. We continued on to a pub called O’Neill’s (they spell it wrong here) for a few rounds to celebrate. We grabbed a section in the corner and played musical chairs as we bounced around talking to everyone. Ending our last night just like our first, all 14 of us hung out as one big group. After a little bit we walked upstairs to listen to the music that had started. It was really good and there was even a pair of Irish dancers to keep us entertained. They were great! I have never seen people’s feet move so fast. It was so much fun, but it was getting late and we all had to pack, so we had to call it early. At this point it was probably 10 or 11 o’clock but it felt more like 1 am. Our little group decided to pack and end this night like every other night. We all went to the guys’ apartment to hang out for a bit. We were all in denial. We kept dozing off and tried to push off the goodbyes. Eventually we knew it was time. Tatum and Stuart were off bright and early for a morning flight and Rachel was leaving for a ferry to Whales before moving on to London and Paris (so jealous). Ryan and I were going to the same place but on different planes that were 15 minutes apart so we planned on meeting up in the morning.

July 20, 2016

Well this is it. The final few hours in Ireland. My home for the last 5 weeks. I woke up at 6 and forced myself to go back to sleep until 6:45. I was ready to go an hour before we had to leave. Ready bag wise, but not actually ready. I tried to take that time to take it all in and realize I was actually going back home, but I still don’t think it has hit me. 11 of us left at the same time, meeting up to check out and walk together. We lost 3 before we reached the bus stop because they were staying to meet up with their moms. 7 of us were flying back to Dulles. 4 on Aer Lingus and 3 on United (5 if you include Tom and Karen who we ran into at the gate). 1 is making the flight alone to Newark. Dublin Airport was easy to navigate through and I made it through smoothly. We got to go through customs there which will be super nice once we land. I was slightly disappointed though because I was hoping to spend the last of my euros on snacks or a cheap t-shirt or something, but they didn’t have any type of souvenir shop by my gate. Or any store for that matter. We boarded on time and sat another hour at the gate. We waited a little longer because there was traffic on the runway.

I am currently writing this sitting on the plane still in denial. I am excited to go back to see everyone, but I love Ireland. So if you all could’ve just come to Ireland then it would’ve been perfect! This has been the longest, fastest trip ever.  If that’s confusing I’ll attempt to explain. I feel like I left from Dulles to go to Ireland years ago! While there, I would look back at each place stayed and it felt like months. Then the time was flying by wherever we were currently. Time is a weird thing abroad. 5 weeks flew by in general. Everything runs together making it all feel so fast, but you think of individual events and it all is so long ago. It’s weird I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself when I’m home and I can’t walk or hop on a bus/train/van to some spectacular place that  you see only on postcards. But at the same time I know it’s going to go back to what it usually is and I won’t feel different at all. Only that I’m filled with all these stories that I’m still not sure are real or not. I’m going to have to compensate for my post-travel depression by exploring everything in the US until I can get abroad again.
And both of those plans are already in the works, or at least forming in my head.

I knew I loved traveling before this trip, but studying abroad gave me a much bigger appreciation for it. It’s not just oh I want to travel the world, but I NEED to see the world. Studying abroad also made me feel perfectly comfortable traveling around places and I’m fully confident I could do it all by myself and be perfectly fine wherever I went. I fully intend to begin the next item on my travel bucket list. Who knows maybe next summer or the summer after I’ll be fulfilling my dream of spending months backpacking around Europe. Can’t wait to see where my next travels lead me! Until my next adventures! Sláinte!

Shout out to my wonderful group and this amazing program for giving me all these life changing experiences that last 5 weeks.