June 19: Home

Wow.  Where do I even begin?  I have so many more blogs to finish, but there simply was not enough time in Ireland.  All of my blogs are started but it is going to take me a while to finish them and add pictures.  I have so much more to write about and so many pictures to sort through.

How am I feeling now that I am home?  It is sooooooo depressing not waking up to Lough Gill.  Rain or shine, I'd take the view of Lough Gill over my neighbors' houses any day.  It is so weird to be back.  Not just depressing because I am no longer in Ireland, but I spent so much time on a strict agenda that I do not know what to do with myself now that I have nowhere to be. 

I remember the center for global learning telling us about the different stages or levels of emotion we would feel while abroad.  I never thought I would experience anything significant because our trip was only two and half weeks.  Before we departed I thought the program would feel like a vacation, I had no idea it would be life changing. 

Being in Ireland made me appreciate so much more about life- especially the little things.  I am so envious of the way the Irish embrace their heritage, their families, things they are passionate about, nature, and so much more.  Anyone I met was so willing to just stop and have a conversation with me.  They wanted to know my name, where I'm from, what I'm studying.  I feel like they just have a whole different perspective on life- they genuinely care and value others.  I may be generalizing a bit, but it holds true for everyone I met. 

Not only did being in Ireland make me appreciate more about life, but it was also very fascinating to see the United States through someone else's eyes.  I loved asking people if they had been to the states or where they would want to go.  I got a lot of the same answers: Boston, New York, San Francisco, and the Grand Canyon.  Talking to these people also made me realize how large the U.S. really is.  I live in the U.S. and I have traveled a bit and yet I still have not seen all of those places.  It was a pretty crazy realization.  Also a realization that led me to create a bucket list of all the places I want to see.  Ireland was absolutely amazing- one of the best experiences of my life- but it is also just the beginning...