If saying goodbye at the Park Lodge was one of the saddest moments I've had, then saying goodbye to Rory was a close second. After he made sure we had all of our bags and our passports, Rory gave us hugs and a kiss on the cheek to send us on our way. We literally just stood there crying, while he urged "go on now, go on now," because I think he knew we wouldn't have left unless he made us. We then continued to cry as we walked through the Shannon airport, which caused a lot of stares and some concerned security workers to ask us if we were ok. No shame. But in our defense, even our beloved JP and Rory have been tearing up lately, and I think it shows the amazing bonds that are formed by this incredible program. Our hosts in Spiddal truly took us in as their family and it made my experience that much greater.
I'm sure all if this may sound dramatic to someone who has not had this type of experience, but the ending of this trip seriously feels like we're mourning the death of something, for lack of a better way to explain it. While we can each go back and visit Ireland on our own someday, for most of us that will be far off in the future and we will never be back in the same situation with the same people. As sad as it is, this specific experience is over, and it's only natural that we all are struggling a little bit as we all part ways.
The relationships we have made on this trip have been some of the best friendships I have ever had in my life. Our entire group experienced something so amazing together, and we bonded through every hot ride on a tiny bus, monastic site visit that drug out just a liiiittle too long, or one of our always entertaining cottage parties. Between all of our different excursions, and just the sheer fact that we were around each other constantly, we became a sort of dysfunctional family that I already miss so much. It's been less than a day since I left the group and I'm already missing them and I'm sad to know that I won't see everyone every day anymore. The people in this group made this trip even more special than it would have been on its own, and I cannot say thank you enough for all the amazing memories I have of this trip.
Sitting in the New Jersey airport now, it honestly feels weird to be back in America. I remember the study abroad office telling us at our orientation meetings about the reverse culture shock we would experience coming home, and at the time that didn't make any sense to me. But here I sit feeling weird about being in America when I felt so at home in Ireland 12 hours ago. When I went to buy a drink when we got here, I was actually confused for a second when she told me the price in dollars instead of euros. I am very excited to go home and see my friends and family, but at the same time it is truly a bittersweet experience of knowing an experience that shaped me so much has come to a permanent end.
While Ive talked plenty about how much I loved Ireland and all of the amazing people in it, which I really did, the experience of studying abroad as a whole really made me grow as a person and learn so much about myself. I would strongly recommend studying abroad to anyone who has the opportunity, because it is a unique and amazing experience that nothing else can really compare to. I think all of us can agree that it has given us a new perspective on life, and I am so grateful for the amazing experience I had during these past 3 months in Ireland.
As I am writing this post, I am starting to realize that I'm never really going to be satisfied with it. An experience like my time in Ireland is something that you can't really do justice to in a blog post. Plus Ive gotten about 2 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours, so I'm not really at the top of my game. But in all seriousness, I really can't describe how much this trip, and the people on it with me, meant and continue to mean to me, and I want to thank each an every one of them for making this possible. Also, the Irish friends I made gave me the true exposure to the Irish people and culture that I could never have gotten on my own, and I am eternally grateful for that. While it's sad that this trip has come to an end, I couldn't have asked for a better program and I will smile every time I think of any person or part of our Irish adventure. I know that we will all take the things we've learned with us for the rest of our lives, and that is a unique and priceless gift that this trip has given to all of us. So for all of us Galway study abroaders that are struggling through these next few days, let's try to focus on all of our amazing memories and our new and improves knowledge of the world that we are so lucky to have gotten. Plus, even though we're sad to leave each other, I know we'll have plenty of Ireland reunions when we all get back to St. Joe. :)
Thank you so much to everyone who has read my blog throughout my trip! It was an amazing experience beyond my highest expectations, and I'm glad I got to share it with at least a few other people! To end this blog I'd like to leave you with one of my favorite Irish Blessing I learned on our trip:
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. |
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