Since this was originally intended to document my time in Galway, I'm going to leave it that way, for posterity's sake. Also for posterity's sake, this: a record of my bio/picture as they were when I left for Ireland:
"If this were the blurb of a book, it would probably say something like this: "Sarah is originally from New York City and is a philosophy major at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York. She is currently studying abroad in Ireland." That's all true, but doesn't really tell you much, so here's the skinny: I drink a lot of coffee, I talk too fast for my own good, I love old noir movies, and I bake a lot of pies."
So, it's been good. I'm really glad I kept up with blogging while I was abroad because the whole experience is fading fast...but I will always have a record of how I felt in that eternal moment, over those four months.
Corey, Caley and I just talked to the group of HWS students going to Galway next fall and it kind of just hit me that we've been back in the states for two months. That's half as long as we were abroad. And it's crazy! I can't even remember what it was like before I went abroad, but I'm pretty sure I was a nervous and excited as these kids are. I'm kind of jealous, honestly. Corey and I have, in all seriousness, been looking up flights to Ireland. And today, I found out that Mumford & Sons are playing in Galway over our spring break! How exciting would that be?! Well, these kids are going to have such a fabulous, amazing time!
One of them mentioned to me that we so nonchalantly talked about our weekends in Paris like they weren't a big deal...and they kind of weren't. Yes, I'd wanted to go to Paris for a lifetime, but while I was there it seemed like a trip to Jersey or something. Which is ridiculous and amazing!
Getting super homesick now. Oh well.
Here's the first song we heard when we went to CP's for the first time:
I haven't updated in a while, so this is past due for those of you who have been following.
I've been home almost a month now, and I'm still adjusting. My trip home started with sort of a jolt....I slept through the 4 alarms I had set and nearly missed our bus to the airport. Luckily one of my roommates called and woke me up, and Zach and Chris helped me finish packing and get my stuff out to the bus (talk about full circle! yes it was stressful, but I couldn't think of a better way to end it).
Once we got to the airport, things moved rather quickly. Before I knew it, we were all on the plane. Fortunately for me, I was sitting next to my good friend Corey; the second the plane took off, the two of us promptly started bawling (which was quickly followed by laughter).
Once we landed and collected our bags, the goodbyes--which were harder than I expected--began.
It was great to see my family; when we got back home my parents surprised me with my favorite Chinese food and some Smithwick's, one of my favorite. From there, though, the culture shock began. For one, I forgot where my parents kept dishes--I went straight to where we kept our dishes in Galway.
The next day, I went to a local diner with my mom and my grandma and was completely overwhelmed--the menu was too big, the people too loud, and the waitress too rude. And to top all that, they didn't serve a full Irish breakfast.
Over the past couple of weeks, things have gotten a lot better--I'm not completely overwhelmed by large crowds anymore (That in and of itself was weird since I'm definitely a city girl). However, every now and then I get homesick for Galway. For instance, I just tried to turn on the bathroom lights outside the bathroom itself, which is pretty standard in Ireland. And it's really upsetting, but I can't pinpoint why.
I was able to stop and see some of the Union kids from Galway on my way back up to school, which was fantastic. Even though it's been a few weeks, conversation flowed like we had never been separated.
One of my friends who studied abroad in Galway a few years ago recently told me that although "Galway withdrawal" gets better with time, it's never completely gone. The whole experience is starting to seem like a dream--one that you vaguely remember but leaves you with the most satisfying feeling.
So, that's all I've got for now.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite adverts from Ireland (one that admittedly confused the hell out of me until my flatmates explained it to me):
So, the day has finally arrived....the LAST DAY IN GALWAY.
The plan so far is to get breakfast at Griffin's, buy a ring I've had my eye on, go down to the Spanish Arch/Long Walk and then to the city museum, get a final Bailey's/banana/chocolate crepe from the Saturday market, and pack.
In true me fashion, I am hosting a pre-packing party at which Bailey's hot chocolate will be served.
Speaking of packing....my suitcase will not close, and I may or may not be bringing a tesco bag of laundry on board as a carry on.
Today my plan is to get the last of my shopping done (read: stock up on candy) and then let the festivities begin! Early afternoon Bailey's hot chocolates with some of the girls, off to a session at Taffe's, and then our last night out in Galway.
I'm not quite sure how it happened, but Court, Kels and I took a picture of us trying to climb/escape various monuments on most of our trips. And now, for the first time ever, they're in one place.
September: Inishmore, Aran Islands--escaping Dun Aengus
