Tomorrow I will have been back in the United States for one month.
My final week in Galway went differently than I expected. The only unfortunate difference was the weather. I had hoped to take one of my routine walks every day to “say goodbye” to familiar sights. Unfortunately, copious rain and wind extinguished those hopes. My walking that week was limited to getting me where I needed to go.
On the positive side, I was able to conclude my business with the electric company, bank and my landlord swiftly and easily. I was pleased to finally meet my landlord, Brendan, and his wife the day I left Galway. They arrived to review the apartment, give me back my (full!) deposit, and collect the apartment keys. Brendan thanked me for taking good care of the apartment and that felt great. Brendan was kind enough to drive me to the coach station so that I didn’t need to take a taxi.
The day before I left Galway, I attended my last knitting class. The atmosphere was more celebratory than work-focused. One of the students, Teresa, provided cupcakes for the group and two sisters, Nora and Bridie, gave me a mug as a going away gift. The mug said “Keep Knitting.” I was moved by their gift.
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| Knitting class on the last day |
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| Mug from Nora and Bridie I was instructed by the apartment building rental agency that I was to take out every single thing I brought in. While I was cleaning and packing I realized that my dish drainer was made entirely of metal. An idea was born. On my way to Mass that last day, I carried my dish drainer outside and threw it on the scrap heap. It felt right. |
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| My dish drainer on the scrap heap |
Kevin picked me up at the airport in Lincoln after 11:00 PM on the night of May 30. He did a great deal to make my transition back home as easy as possible. He mowed my lawn, bought me groceries and had flowers waiting for me in my house. Kevin also hosted a house re-warming party at my house to which he invited my department members. After everyone carried all my boxes and crates upstairs, we ate grilled burgers, etc. I greatly appreciate the efforts of my friends/colleagues.
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| Welcome home flowers from Kevin |
The three NWU seniors who lived in my house took extremely good care of it. I feel blessed to have had such a terrific group of young women rent my home while I was gone.
I am extremely happy to be home. It has been wonderful to reconnect with friends. I also visited Michigan and was able to spend time with my family and some friends. I wish I could have seen everyone, but time was, sadly, limited. Hopefully I will be able to connect with more people over Christmas.
I have been falling in love with my house once again. Interestingly, I am looking at my house with new eyes and purging even more possessions. I am thrilled with my yard. I love my trees and the unfolding landscaping project. I love to travel but I am, at heart, a home-body.
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| It's not an otter, but I was happy to see the squirrels still crash on the tree in my front yard |
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| It's not a seagull, but it's beautiful |
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| My roses were in full bloom when I returned to Lincoln |
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| The view from my front window is not of working docks, but it makes me feel peaceful |
Numerous people have asked me if I miss Galway. My answer has been, “not yet.” However, when I was in Michigan, I celebrated my birthday with my family. After reading a card made by my mom that listed many of the things I experienced in Ireland, my dad presented me with four large prints of pictures he took of the docks in Galway. I started to cry; it was the first time I had missed Galway since I had left.
I feel blessed to have four cities I call home. Grand Rapids and other parts of West Michigan will always be my first home. I have lived in Lincoln now for fifteen years and it is most definitely my home. After my first sabbatical in Italy, Florence also feels like a home to me. I expect to feel the same way when I return to Galway in the future.
And I will return.
“Ireland, sir, for good or evil, is like no other place under heaven,
and no man can touch its sod or
breathe its air without becoming better or worse.”
-George Bernard Shaw
