Friendship

One of the things that stands out the most for me this semester is the great friendships I have been able to build. I have met lots of wonderful people, I knew I would, but what's really important is that they are genuine friendships that I know will last much longer than this semester. I honestly don't know what I would have done without some of the dear souls who have loved me, cared for me, and challenged me this semester. I am finding more and more just how vital good relationships are in life. It really isn't about where  you are or what you are doing as much as it is about who you are with. Our relationships with other people define our lives, We were created as relational beings, we were designed to need each other. And for that I am so grateful. I have had a great experience here and I know it is because of these relationships. I have felt truly at home here, never had a moment where I felt like I was in a foreign place. Culturally yes there were differences, but overall I feel at peace here, I feel at home. Which is pretty big for me. While I certainly miss my family and friends from home I also feel like I could do this forever, I haven't had any homesickness or wishing I could go back at any point. The hardest part in going back to the States will be saying goodbye to the friends I have made here. I find reassurance in knowing I will see them again, even if not in this life. As a friend keeps telling me, this isn't goodbye, it's I'll see you later.

But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.
~William Shakespeare


Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.  ~C.S. Lewis


C.S. Lewis says that friendship is unnecessary, and yes that is true. We don't need friends, or other humans, to survive. God gives us life and health and breath. But friends add something more to life. Our relationships with other people give meaning and context to our lives. What joy that the Lord chooses to bless us with friends, for while we do not need them we would certainly be lost without them. 


 Sometimes I have a hard time understanding why God would give me such wonderful friends only to have them taken away right as we are beginning to know each other. I am sad at leaving these friends so quickly but I also recognize that these few short months have been better than years of friendships with others. I am truly grateful and am so blessed to have had the opportunity to know these friends and I wouldn't trade that for anything. 


Proverbs 12:26
The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.


Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.


Proverbs 27:9
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.

A real Irish Dinner (and possibly breakfast)

On Tuesday we had a little Irish reminiscing party. I made this Deliciousness and The Best for dinner. Brings back the memories of our first dinner out in Galway at this fine place. Can I go back now?

Quote

The principal benefit of living abroad is that it enables us to get glimpses of ourselves as others see us and to realize that others' views are more accurate than ours. Progress begins with grasping the truth about ourselves, however unpleasant it may be.

             - Russell Ackoff, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

 

Stateside

Well, I'm back at my Dad's in VA now. The flight over was largely uneventful and everything went smoothly. After a long day of traveling it was nice to be at 'home' but I miss Galway like crazy and have been thinking about everyone constantly. I was a bit surprised at how calm and peaceful I was in leaving Ireland. I guess I had gotten out all the tears and emotional stuff when saying goodbye to friends earlier in the week. I was all smiles yesterday as I looked back upon the best five months of my life. I had only good things to think upon and it made it so much easier on me (and on everyone in the airport I'm sure).

I spent my last two days in Ireland in the adorable little village of Adare. I had to move out of my apartment on Tuesday and so needed somewhere to go till my plane left on Thursday. My mother had been to Adare in the 80's and remembered it as being a favorite and so I decided to go check it out. I'm so glad I did! It is a lovely little town although far from quiet at this time of year but it is still peaceful compared to the city and has plenty to see and do. I explored the Adare Manor house and gardens, visited several churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, and I walked through the town park a half a dozen times. I sat in the local pubs and heard traditional music my last night in town. I became good friends with the owner of the inn I was staying at and they sort of adopted me for the 36 hours I was in town. They let me tag along to watch their son's U14 Gaelic football match! It was an incredible match and the lads played so well. I was glad I got to see a Gaelic football match before I left, even if it was just 14 years olds. I think they played better, and made the match more exciting, than some of the minor league teams. I also bought myself a Gaelic football to bring home. If you are visiting Ireland and plan to go down to Kerry at all you will most likely pass through Adare. If you do, promise me you will stop into Sean Collins' and Sons pub and say hello for me! They also run the Adare Village Inn which is where I stayed and Sean and his wife Bridie were the best hosts imaginable! I can't wait to go back for a visit.

It was a great five months and I am so grateful for the all the wonderful opportunities I was given. I've made so many wonderful friends and we've shared some great memories. Thanks for an unforgettable semester you guys! For the summer I'll be going back to my mom's in NY and dividing my time between work and summer fun (which will include gardening, shearing sheep, hiking in the ADKs, and reading in the hammock). I will continue to post pictures and stories on here that I've yet to tell, but they will be few and far between. For more regular updates on my life you can follow me here.

Slán go fóill!

Last Week

I have just one week left in Galway. I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming emotions I've been feeling. I have made such wonderful friends here this semester and I've truly started to feel at home here. I can't imagine going back to the way life was before, and I don't intend to. I've been changed this semester, and so I will return a changed person. We are all being sent to various corners of the globe, but we will remain friends across the distances. We will write to one another and maybe someday get to visit the faraway places that are still just stories for now. And someday we will all be reunited together again, and we will get to be together for eternity. That is the best thing of all. I have been so incredibly blessed this semester and I am so grateful for each opportunity I was given. The time went by way too fast, but we made the most of it and we have some wonderful memories. For that I am so truly grateful. To all my Galway friends, I love all of you so much! Thanks for an amazing semester. I can't wait to see you soon.

Visitors!

I'm finally getting some visitors this semester! All of my friends and roommates have had family and friends visit them and now I finally have some coming to see me! I am so excited!!! My dad and my sister will be here in less than two hours and I couldn't be more impatient. I love playing hostess and tour guide but I am also anxious for them to come because I said goodbye to my third and final roommate today. If Dad and Olivia weren't coming I would be by myself for more than two weeks! So thankful that that is not the case. In preparation for this visit I spent the day baking cookies, cleaning the bathroom, and doing laundry. I can't wait to show them around Galway tonight and tomorrow! We will then head off to Kilkenny, Cork, and Kerry where we will see my family's old farm and homestead. We we also be checking out the Rock of Cashel and seeing the house where my great-grandmother was born and raised! So excited!!! The biggest adventure will be watching Dad navigate driving on left-hand roads! Should be fun. They leave early on Sunday and then I have less than two weeks left. Slightly sad, but I'm not going to think about that yet.

Photo Safari

Some friends and I went on a photo safari tonight. Check it out here