Thank you Ireland
Coming through the speakers: Sally MacLennane by the Pogues. "Sad to say I must be on me way / So buy me beer and whiskey cause I'm going far away..."
One last day in Dublin. With my stuff still in the city, I could still tell people I “lived” in Dublin. In 24 hours, it would all be different. I’d need to find a new place to call home.I worked that afternoon, but snuck in a good walk as a break. I said hi to Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square. Then strolled down Baggott Street and through St. Stephen’s Green. That green oasis was my reprieve during especially stressful work days. Funny how a simple loop around the lake could make everything better. While in Seattle, I’ve unsurprisingly had similarly stressful days and that park was always at the forefront of my mind. If only that walk was as accessible.
Back in the Dublin Rightside office, I tied up the loose strings and made sure to converse as much as possible with my colleagues. That office was special, and it was the people I worked with who made it that way. My first day back on this trip was filled with personal greetings, a stop at each of the desks. The departure would be the same, with handshakes and hugs.After work, we gathered for one last night out. The Swan was first, of course. Then Fogo’s, that terrible pizza place on Angier that welcomed me once a week. And P Mac’s. And No Name Bar. A Frueh beer with Joern, finally. We spent six months searching for that Koelsch! And O’Hara’s, of course.
We chatted through the night. The question I had for all of them was "Why Dublin?" So many of my colleagues came from outside Ireland; of the 25 people in our office, at least 15 different countries were represented. They could have stayed in their home country. Their EU passports would have allowed them to work anywhere on the continent. Why then, of all places, Dublin?So many times, I heard: “It’s comfortable.” It’s small enough to not overwhelm, but it still affords the benefits of a European capital city. There’s a rhythm to the walkable city center. Hikes through an idyllic countryside are just minutes outside of town. Yeah, it rains a lot, but you appreciate the sunny days even more. And the cultural emphasis on conversation and hospitality. “Think you’ll ever leave,” I asked. So often the reply was “why?”And suddenly, it was over.The next morning, I arrived at the Dublin airport at 7:00am. The moment I stepped inside the terminal, I lost it. Absolutely. Uncontrollably. Tears flowed down my cheeks. “Get it together until you at least get through customs,” I told myself. My lip quivered. I knew that it was no use.I thought back on the past year; where I was before coming to Ireland and how I’d grown since arriving. How hopeless everything seemed before Dublin, how depressed I was. That tiny island taught me to smile again. I dreaded Dublin evenings, knowing that one more day had passed. Mornings lent themselves to the unfamiliar feeling of excitement. It felt like being young again: the emotional stability of a teenager. It was beautiful.Thank you Ireland. Hope to see you again soon. Thank you. Thank you.