So, yesterday morning I finished up my last milking. I wish I could say it was bittersweet, but mostly it was just sweet to be done. I was also finally brave enough to try the milk produced here on the farm. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste very different from the milk you can buy in the grocery store. I may not be a farm girl, but I guess I hacked it for two weeks, and that’s an accomplishment in my book. And here are a few other conclusions I came to:
-Without a doubt, the weather in Ireland is always a safe topic of discussion. I don’t care who you’re talking to, you can always talk about the Irish weather and how crazy it is because truly, it really is crazy.
-My favorite and most necessary phrase I’ve used and practiced since being here is “This too shall pass.” I’ve thought about it in times of hardship, times of homesickness and times I felt like I was just going to break down and fly home as soon as possible. It hasn’t failed me yet.
-I’ve overcome my fear of the unknown. I’m not sure when or how it happened, but I’ve become much more OK with not knowing what exactly to expect in the future. Almost every day since I’ve been here, Peter has told me we’re going to have a surprise. Usually that means we’re going to go for a drive and discover a castle, but sometimes it hasn’t meant that. At first being surprised daily by a stranger was strange to me, but now it’s something I look forward to. I think overcoming this fear will be helpful in the future, especially considering everything I have coming up in the next couple years.
-I have a shirt that says “Respect” on it with symbols for sex, race, religion and sexual orientation. This shirt is the only one I will wear when I travel and am meeting new people because it gives them the best possible first impression of who I am and who I am striving to be.
-It makes such a difference to be able to interact with people my own age. I’ve never appreciated this before because people my own age have always surrounded me, but I think it’s because we’re at the same place in our lives and can discuss similar topics that are equally appealing to both of us. Oisin was a lifesaver for me on the farm, and I really value his friendship.
-Meal names in Ireland are different than they are in the United States. Breakfast is the same, but they call lunch “dinner” and refer to dinner as “tea time.”
-An Irish mass differs dramatically from an American mass. Sure, since it’s Catholicism, the ritual is the same, but the interaction is very different. No one sits in the first 10 or 15 rows, unless, of course, you’re at a cathedral with a large tourist population such as the Galway Cathedral. Plus, mass only lasts 30 minutes and at the most 40, whereas in the United States an hour is much more common.
-When Americans share something, such as fruit snacks or candy, they’re only sharing because they have to. For example, while in the van one day, I was eating crackers and offered one to Gingie because she was sitting next to me. She declined, and I went back to eating my crackers. Peter then got upset because I didn’t offer him one. To be honest, sharing with him didn’t even occur to me, and I think that’s because when I asked Gingie if she wanted one, I was only doing so to be polite. I didn’t really mean it. I didn’t even realize until that moment that I do that.
-Ordering wheat bread in Ireland is unheard of. If you go to a restaurant and order wheat bread, they will look at your like you’ve got two heads. If you want wheat bread, you have to order brown bread. I have yet to figure yet if brown bread is whole wheat or just whole grain, but regardless, it’s the closest thing.
-I really miss a dishwasher and a dryer. I’ve always taken them for granted and yes, they’re not a necessity. But I want both in my house some day.
-Irish pub music is so much fun. I am not really a bar kind of person, but I enjoy going just to hear the music.
-Living with someone for one week is very different than living with them for two weeks. During the first week, you’re still working to make sure the person is comfortable because they’re a guest. During the second week, you both have become comfortable, so comfortable, in fact, that you usually stop being polite.
-I miss no one meeting me when I get off of a bus or a train or a plane. I’m really looking forward to seeing familiar faces when I get home.
-Route 12 doesn’t mean platform 12, at least when it comes to the bus.
-When you’re traveling and have to go to the bathroom while waiting in line or something, there is no one to hold your stuff. That is a large nuisance, especially when you have multiple bags to drag into a small bathroom.
-I really like myself. I like my own company. Yay for self-discovery and self-love.
This experience has been a really great growing time for me, and I am really thankful to have been able to do it. Yesterday marked the end of week four; only three more weeks to go. I am ready to come home, but I am also looking forward to spending my final three weeks in Ireland in County Kerry. I’m not sure what’s ahead, but since I’ve overcome that whole fear of the unknown, that doesn’t faze me. County Kerry here I come!
Sounds like you have really grown. Can't wait until you come home. Love Dad
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