a difference in perspective
So, I noticed that I'm definitely more likely to blog if I have papers that I should be writing. Funny how that works.
I was reading Tom's most recent blog entry, and I'm thinking about how funny it is that two people can have such different takes on the exact same experience. He was remarking on how sad he is that the end of his time in Ireland is coming so soon. We are on the same program, and yet, we are having completely different reactions to being here; I'm actually excited to head home, and looking forward to it.
I'm actually heading home earlier than I originally planned to. I was going to head back to the states in mid-May, but I am now heading back in mid-April. I realized that I've done most of the traveling I wanted to do, seen most of the things I wanted to see, and since our classes end in early April, there really isn't anything keeping me here. This semester hasn't been horrible, not at all; there have been many, many things I've enjoyed. It definitely wasn't what I thought it would be, but I've come to terms with that, and I've made the most of it. Reconciling my image of what Ireland would be like with the reality was difficult, but I did it. I feel relatively comfortable here; I know how to get around town, how to do all the things I need to do. I have favorite places to go, and routines, and friends. But I'm ready to go home.
Being In Ireland has also been an unexpected exercise in accepting myself for me. I planned to stick it out until May, simply because I wanted to be the kind of person who loves being away from home, away from the familiar. I wanted to be a fearless adventurer, to enjoy traveling and new experiences above all else. But you can't change who you are, and the truth is, I'm a homebody. I've been here from three months, I've gotten adjusted even if I haven't thrived. But the truth is, I'm ready to go home, and there's nothing wrong with that. This is who I am.
Anyway, I think it's interesting that Tom and I have been going to many of the same places and seeing the same things, but we are having quite different reactions to it. Personal preferences make a big difference.
On an unrelated note, many people use the endearment "Love" here. For example, there is this one older lady who works at one of the coffee shops on campus, and every time I buy coffee there, she says, "Just the coffee then, Love?" Maybe endearments offend some people, but I just absolutely love it when complete strangers call me "Love" - it makes me feel a little less isolated and foreign here. There's also something so appealing about that particular endearment.