Slainte Ireland, One Final Time

My time in Europe has come to an end. Luke and I arrived safely in Ireland, spent one day in Dublin, one full day in Galway and taking a day trip with a delightful old tour guide to see West Ireland and the Cliffs of Moher, and then caught the bus to the Shannon airport early the next morning and flew home. Oregon, how I have missed you. Goodbye Ireland, and goodbye Europe. 

First, I just want to say thank you to everybody who read the blog, or sent emails, cards, packages, life updates, Facebook messages, or anything else feigning interest in my life and my travels abroad, and updating me on the life I left behind. I also want to say thanks to all my close friends and family for being patient with my ridiculously slow internet connection in Ireland, and for trying time and again while Skype worked only when it wanted to, probably about 40% of the time. Thanks especially to Mom and Dad, whose weekly/sometimes daily emails, skype chats, and care packages made me feel like 4,500 miles really wasn't that far away, and who supported the six most expensive months of their daughter's life, ever. Thank you to everybody for putting up with the communication barriers and the 8 hour time difference for 6 months. 

My study abroad experience has been an incredible one. I would have been lucky to have been able to visit one country, let alone many. After six months, dozens of flights and train rides, and thousands of dollars,  I can truthfully say my time in Europe is complete. All in all, I was able to visit 10 countries: Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Greece.

I have had irreplaceable experiences.  I have been able to indulge in incredible food, I mean absolutely incredible food. I celebrated my 21st birthday in Ireland. I was in Spain when Barcelona beat Real Madrid to advance. I laid on the beaches of the gorgeous Algarve Coast in Portugal. I swam in the Mediterranean Sea in three different countries. I smoked in Amsterdam. I met family I had never met before in Germany.  I drank my first Guinness in Ireland, and tried innumerable beers in Belgium and Germany. I devoured Belgian chocolate. I climbed the Eiffel Tower, twice. I hiked the Burren in Ireland and the trails of Cinque Terre in Italy. I walked so much I wore out my tennis shoes and flip flops. I took a gondola ride through the canals of Venice. I was able to travel with great friends, and with family I have missed dearly. I watched the sun set over the Acropolis in Greece. I have shopped until I have dropped. I have literally laid off the edge of a cliff. And I have met some absolutely lovely people along the way that have made my experience so much more enjoyable. 

My homecoming is bittersweet. I have missed my family and friends dearly. I have missed Jake's slobbery kisses and deadly wagging tail more than I thought I did. And seeing the sight of my own front porch again for the first time, my home and all the comforts it brings, literally made me cry. Of course I have also missed my own bed, a shower where I am not required to wear flip flops for hygienic precautions, and a kitchen with a dishwasher. And I don't mean you Dad, I mean a real dishwasher. I have missed clean clothes. I have missed drinking fountains, the fresh air of Oregon, and being able to walk anywhere without inhaling somebody else's huge puff of cigarette smoke. I have missed free public restrooms, and free ketchup in restaurants that serve food that requires ketchup. And of course, I have missed Mexican food, macaroni and cheese, and Cold Stone ice cream. Typical American. 

But I know I will miss my time in Ireland and elsewhere. I will miss the cheery Irish hello, the traveling experience, and even the challenges of living out of a backpack for weeks on end. I will miss the people I have met along the way. I will miss the simplistic life of traveling, with no cell phone and limited responsibilities. I will miss learning about and experiencing other cultures and languages. I will miss the life I have created in Ireland and as a backpacker traveling and eating her way through Europe. 

Thanks again to everybody who kept up with my travels, wished me well, and kept in contact while I've been away. Your enthusiasm, encouragement, love, and support are sincerely appreciated. And should anybody want to see more pictures or to chat about what I've learned,  I have now caught the traveling bug and would love to share it with you!