Is This Gonna Last Forever?

I wish that it would. That's right folks, I'm less than 12 hours away from leaving my beautiful Ireland, and while half of me is rejoicing that I finally get to see friends and family, the other half is heartbroken. So as my last blog post from Ireland, I decided to give everyone a little reflection of what I've learned in Ireland.

I wasn't planning on spending my trip "finding myself". I know some of my friends who planned on cutting themselves off from family and friends back home, rarely talking so they could be truly independent and learn about themselves. But I feel comfortable with who I am, and I knew I wouldn't be able to spend too long before calling mom and dad. Regardless, I've learned more about myself on this trip than I expected, in addition to making several friends that I might not have otherwise.

Surprisingly, I found out that I don't really like to travel, unless its for a good length of time. I need to feel comfortable with my surroundings, and at the very least that requires knowing my way around a small square of whichever city I'm in. At the same time, I can't regret a minute I've spent in any of the countries I've seen.

I learned how to slow down. Rarely in Ireland do you see people on the go with lunch or a coffee. They sit down and have a meal, or chat over a cup of joe at the local coffee shop. They arrive 10 minutes late to class for no other reason than walking at a normal pace. Stores don't open until 9:00 am and everything closes down by 6:00 pm. They take time to just be with each other.

I learned how to relax. Classes start five minutes late and end five minutes early. The Irish students think you're crazy if you go to class during RAG week. I went out for pints in the middle of the week. I spent entire weekends in Galway, London, Edinburgh, etc. instead of studying. And when I needed to get something done, I did it.

I learned how to communicate. I went to four different countries, with languages ranging from French and German, to Italian and Catalan. Somehow, I managed to navigate through their various airports, train stations, streets and shops. I also learned when it was important for me to communicate with my travel buddies.

I learned how to plan. I spent my month of April in four different countries, and numerous different cities. I had to book flights, hostels, and activities to do in each of those places.

I learned how to let it go. While I think I did a pretty good job navigating myself around cities and doing different activities, it wasn't without difficulty. I missed trains, arrived late at night in foreign cities and lost confirmation numbers.

I could go on and on with all the lessons I've learned, but I'll be home tomorrow to tell them to you myself! Every minute of these last five months has been incredible. I was very skeptical of the hospitality of the Irish (after all, I come from the land of Minnesota-nice), but they are truly the friendliest people in Europe. Ireland's scenery and lifestyle make anyone feel welcome, relaxed, and like they are having a good time. In addition, I have five awesome flatmates without whom would've made this trip a complete bore. That's it for me--I'M COMING HOME!