Epilogue

 As mentioned in my last post I went ice skating with my remaining roommates Wil and Krisztian on Saturday night. We were joined by Anton, Derek, Sami, Chandler, and three other girls. It was a great way to pass the time as we awaited the morning, even if I was terrible at it and have the scars to prove it. The few hours that we had left were spent watching movies, making food, and socializing. I took a quick nap and before I knew it five a.m. rolled around and it was time to leave. An Irish friend of Wil's drove the two of us and an additional guy to the airport. I ended up crying again as I looked back at the UL flagpoles for the last time.

Shannon airport was the first stop on my trip, which is a very small airport that is comparable in size to Gerald R. Ford airport in Grand Rapids. I was able to get an earlier flight than expected and in a few short hours was on my way to Heathrow in London. The experience at Heathrow was not as enjoyable. It is a huge airport and I ended up getting lost a few times heading to the wrong terminal right off the bat. However, with a five hour wait before my next flight it was not a really big deal. The lines were very long due to the holiday traffic, but eventually I made it onto my transatlantic flight. The plane was not as nice this time, but we still got plenty of great food and movies on the flight. After several hours we landed in Chicago where I met up with my college friend Jenny. She treated me to dinner at TGI Fridays and after a few hours she dropped me back off at the airport. My flight to Grand Rapids was not scheduled until the following morning, so I ended up sleeping in the airport in a big chair. After an awkward night of sleep I was finally able to get on my flight home on Monday. I was very anxious during the thirty minute flight, and once we landed I ended up crying from the joy of being home. I raced out of the terminal to meet my waiting loved ones.

To my surprise when I exited the gate my family was not waiting there for me. After a bit of confusion I decided to walk to the other terminal to see if they had just gotten the wrong gate number. I found the entire crew sitting at a table that did not have a clear view of the terminal entrance. It turned out that the airport never announced the plane's arrival, so my family was not prepared for me. Those who showed up were (from the left) Xiomara (my brother's girlfriend), Nicole (my older sister), Nate (my younger brother), Stuart (my boyfriend), and my mother (the photographer). My mother is a believer in capturing the moment, so fresh off the plane she had me pose for a picture. Once we collected my baggage and after plenty of hugs and kisses we headed to my house.

My sister had not slept for long the night before, so she took a nap while the rest of us headed to Applebee's for lunch. After lunch began a race around town to see some of my greatest friends. I began with my friend Krystal who had a baby boy on December 11 while I was away that I was anxious to meet. After some much needed time with Krystal and her family I headed to my friend Betsy's apartment. I spent the rest of my day with my family building gingerbread houses, unpacking, and wrapping souvenirs that were my Christmas gifts to others.

 
The next day I went to breakfast with my family at my old workplace Russ'. It is a Dutch restaurant that has terrific food. We had one of my old coworkers and friends for our waitress. After breakfast the kids went shopping for my mother's stocking stuffers. Later that night I got in touch with my friends Caylie and Jenn and the three of us plus my brother and his girlfriend went to 5/3 Ballpark to see the Christmas lights. Jenn had also just had a baby girl a few days before Thanksgiving, so I was able to meet her that day. Caylie told me that I had changed and that she couldn't wait to see what life had in store for me in the future.

 Christmas Eve was spent with family and my boyfriend. We all went to the evening service at my church, which is full of great music and plenty of singing. It was nice seeing church members again and they were all curious about my trip.

Christmas morning I woke up early and helped my mom put the presents under the tree and began to look through the pictures I took on my trip. My sister and her husband arrived at our house and all of us plus my brother opened our presents. In my stocking I found a package that welcomed me back to America and had a pair of cheeseburger earmuffs that were hilarious. My mom felt that I needed a bit of Americana for Christmas. My mom's family as well as Stuart and Xiomara joined us for an additional Christmas where I received several handmade jumpers from my grandmother. Overall it was a wonderful Christmas and I was happy to spend it with family.

The remaining week was spend with family and my boyfriend. It did not take too much effort to switch back into my normal life and routine. Driving again was a bit scary, but after a warmup I was driving like a natural again. Honestly Ireland is beginning to feel like a dream. Everything is so normal at home, but then I will notice a small change in my town and be reminded that I was gone for four months. I have kept track of my roommates and friends from Ireland for the past week and found that they are adjusting to home life as well. Kaitlyn actually became engaged this week, which is awesome and I wish her and her fiance the best. Although I missed some events at home I will never regret my decision to go to Ireland. I grew as a person there and was able to gain an experience that almost no one in my hometown is able to.