And Although I Know It's a Long Road Back...

Sitting anxiously in the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, I find myself reflecting on this world in which we live. I find myself thinking about Eyre Square—the quaint, welcoming city centre of Galway that isn’t much bigger than a soccer field (or Gaelic football, depending on your country). The same park is named Kennedy Square because the president once made a famous speech on those grounds one rainy day in Ireland. I recall my last walk through that park on a rainy Friday afternoon, on my way to enjoy my last pint in Galway…at least for a while. From Kennedy Square to Kennedy Airport—I begin to observe the small nature of this world. I find myself thinking about Laura, who traveled from Chile to Argentina last weekend for a short vacation and became well acquainted with a woman from Dublin of all places. She had a lot of great things to say about the city I grew to love. And finally, I find myself thinking about how I left my cottage this morning at 4:30 and will be in my own bed in about 6 hours. At the risk of being cliché (which is something I am well aware I often risk), it really is a small world after all.

Time is an interesting thing; but one’s relationship with time is even more interesting. We have all experienced instances in our lives when we want nothing more than to freeze time in a certain moment: a moment of relief; a moment of elation. Probably equally as many times, we have moments in our lives when we find ourselves praying to Chronos to make the arms of the clock spin as a tilt-o-whirl. Yet we know that no matter how hard we try, one way or the other, 60 seconds is always going to make one minute; 60 minutes is always going to make one hour; and 24 hours is always going to make one day (unless you are traveling from Ireland to Minnesota, via New York, and you realize your day now became 6 hours longer). Time is a mystery that I will never be able to grasp and this semester has solidified my befuddledness. I feel as if I have been gone for years; but at the same time, I also feel like it was just last week that I was at the Shannon Airport filling out a lost luggage form. The only thing we can do to combat this enigma of time is live.

I can’t wait to be back to tell you all about how I lived for the last 3 months and 6 days; but even more that that, I can’t wait to begin again to live the life I lead in Minnesota.

I want to thank all of you who have read any of these blogs. In all seriousness, I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to express myself through writing. It has always been something I have enjoyed, but these blogs have given me an opportunity to…well, say whatever the hell I want without any repercussions…that I know of. (I hate ending sentences in prepositions, and I know I’ll hear about it from Monica, but this one was necessary.) Most of all I want to wish all of you and your families a very blessed and merry Christmas. I hope this new year is one of great health and happiness. And of course…
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.