I'm back by popular demand to finish up this blog. Apparently some people are quite upset that they haven't had proper "closure."
I guess I've been avoiding this final entry because 1) I hate the idea that it's over, 2) Sometimes I'm lazy, and 3) I've had some trouble deciding what to write. How do I draw a conclusion on 4 months and so many different experiences? Well here's my best attempt:
What was I doing for my last week or two in Dublin?
I had some time off of work, because I finished everything early and couldn't really start an entirely new project with just a few days left. I spent this time roaming the city and working on papers. I finally got to Christ's Church and St. Patrick's Cathedral. They were both overrated in my opinion, but I guess this isn't a really fair assessment after having seen a bunch of churches on mainland Europe. They just tend to be much grander in Spain and Italy! Plus I find it kind of awkward when you walk into a church and the first things you see are a cash register and gift shop. I also went to the National Botanical Gardens in Glasnevin on one of Ireland's few truly gorgeous days, and it was very impressive for such a tiny country!
Jackie and I also went to Brazen Head, a pub famous because it claims to be the oldest running pub in the country, dating back to the 1100s. Despite being super touristy, it does have a great old and cozy atmosphere. And the food! It was a bit pricey, but dinner was one of the best meals I had the entire trip. Jackie ate her weight in bangers and mash and I had some delicious baguette concoction with sweet chili sauce. Sweet chili is on a ton of things in Ireland and it's so good! I'm definitely already starting to miss that.
Besides sightseeing I also had to finish up my school work. Believe it or not, I did do a significant amount of work, although the academics were pretty weak compared to BU. The end of my Arts in Ireland course required us to perform different scenes in an Irish theater. I was typecast as the one with the temper, presumably because of my hair. For the final project I played Kate, the mean sister in "Dancing at Lughnasa." My class went to Rush, a middle-of-nowhere town about 40 minutes outside of Dublin, so we could perform at the Millbank Theater. When I told my boss where we had gone she said something to the effect of, "Why on earth would anyone go to Rush??" It was an odd experience to say the least. They had be wearing this ridiculous 1930s schoolmarm outfit, complete with kerchief on the head. The Irish theater assistant and my teacher started cracking up; apparently I looked exceptionally Irish in that get-up. Luckily almost no one came to see the performances. Ours went pretty badly. It was a pain to learn the lines, but when all was said and done I actually kind of had fun. For the second part of the Arts in Ireland we learned to play the bodhran, and during the final class we got to perform with some of our teacher Padriac's musician friends (they played fiddle and guitar, with Padriac on the banjo). That was way more fun than any academic class has a right to be. In fact, I've taken my bodhran home and I am still practicing, in hopes of one day actually being decent enough to feel comfortable playing with other musicians.
Mean schoolmarm Kate and the "slow" sister Rose at the Millbank
A few days before we left my suitemates and I made giant lists of the things, people, and places in Ireland we would miss and wouldn't miss. There were a lot of items on both lists, although the "I Will Miss" list was definitely longer. At the top of the "I Will Not Miss" list was Dr. Mark O'Brien, who is responsible for the intern project assignment. Thanks to him I spent the majority of my last few days abroad writing a 30 page document (1.5 spaced and on extra long European paper, mind you) about what I had written during my internship. How silly is that?!? Of course it was uncharacteristically beautiful outside those days, and as soon as the work was over the skies opened up. In retrospect it was only fitting, though, that our last days be spent in the rain. I went into the city, took a few pictures, picked up some souvenirs for people, ate chips, went to Porterhouse and Coppers, and otherwise did my usual weekend routine in Dublin. It was absolutely perfect. Travel back to the U.S. was miserable since our plane was delayed by almost five hours, but I was really happy to come home and see my family.
Since I've been back I've felt a little out-of-sorts, but I guess that's to be expected. The first few days I caught myself over-analyzing which way I should be looking to cross the street. One day I tried to use Euro change by accident. That stuff is quickly wearing off, though. I've indulged almost all my food cravings and cravings I never had at the insistence of family members who love to feed me too much. For the most part it's been nice being home; sometimes in Ireland I got way more homesick than I anticipated. I've enjoyed the visit, but I think I'm ready to go back now.
Life around Ellington for me has been a bit dull, as most of my friends are only just finishing up their exams or are still abroad. I went to Boston to see my guy friends. We went to BU's pub, which is supposed to be like an Irish pub, and it's a nice place, but not the same of course. Even the hard cider was no Bulmer's. Besides making me a snob about Irish pubs, being abroad made me realize just how lucky I am to have such strong groups of friends in Ellington and Boston. I missed those guys a lot. I guess I've always known that I was lucky, but I've never been in a situation before that required me to live in a group dynamic of which I wasn't particularly fond. To be fair, I miss my friends Jackie and Colleen quite a bit.
I'm moving to Boston this coming Monday, where I'll be living with a friend, Rachel, from the Dublin program. The rent is super-cheap, so it's pretty exciting. I'm going to be interning at the Governor's Office, in the Community Outreach Program. I've also got a job lined up at the Stone Science Library on campus. The whole job-search thing, which I started in earnest several months ago while in Ireland, has been a rough blow to my self-esteem; I went from having my papers sent to the EU to apparently not being qualified enough to make posters for the Women's League of Voter's Massachusetts. Ok, so that's a slight exaggeration, but not by much. I had to submit well over 20 job applications, cover letters, etc. before I could find these positions - it was like a full time job! I know I'm not alone and plenty of people are in this situation this year, but it's been a difficult mental shift for me. In Ireland, job hierarchy is a lot less strict and many jobs in general tend to be less formal, competitive, and rigid in their processes. Putting all bitterness aside, I am really excited for my internship and hoping things will turn out well this summer.
Before we left Dublin we had to write these stupid personal essays on "how Ireland has changed me." I definitely made mine super cheesy. In all seriousness, though, I think it has changed me in some regards. I'm questioning my future career options; I really enjoyed working at an NGO. There are so many different fields I could go into with a political science degree, so maybe I should explore some more before I invest immediately in law school. My internship reaffirmed my belief that I not only love to write, but I'm actually a talented writer (even if this blog isn't the best of examples since I tend to write in a hurry). Whatever kind of work I do, I want it to significantly involve writing. The Irish way of life reminded me that I need to find a better work-life balance. Sometimes I take myself far too seriously, and I need to relax! That one will be tough to commit to, but I should at least try. It made me confident to travel. Otherwise, though, I think I'm going to have to wait to see how Ireland has changed me. It might take time for me to recognize some of the changes.
Sometimes when I wake up I don't remember if my study abroad experience actually happened, since it went by so quickly. But then I roll out of bed and see my bodhran on the floor, get on my computer, check my bank account, and it all comes back. Oh yes, I was definitely in Ireland and traveling throughout Europe for the past 4 months. Overall, I'm glad I chose Ireland. At first I worried it wouldn't be enough of a "challenge" for a study abroad experience, but it wasn't always easy by any means, and I ended up picking a place that I could actually see myself living for a much longer period of time.
One thing's for sure, though, this wasn't my last trip to Ireland. I left a few things unfinished so I'd have to go back - travel to Dingle Peninsula, Limerick (even if it is gross), see the hill of Tara, Rock of Cashel, Connemara...I also want to bike ride in Phoenix Park and see a concert at Whelan's. There's just something about Ireland that I'm inexplicably drawn to, and that especially applies to Dublin. Dublin isn't the prettiest city in the world, the largest, or the best at anything I can think of, quite frankly. But there's just something about it that made me fall in love. I can't quite figure it out, and I think that's ok. Maybe I've just found another place I feel at home.
So that sums up my adventures. My next journey will be to Boston, and as soon as I have a cent to my name my next stops will be Berlin and Prague, then somewhere a little more exotic (Thailand maybe?), and China is on the list of course. Then back to Ireland a million more times. Thanks to everyone who followed along and I hope you all can now sleep at night knowing I finished this blog. :)
"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."
