Surprise, I’m back.
I write this blog currently from my airplane seat as I travel back to Ontario for the Christmas holidays from Edinburgh, UK. After my ‘Amazing Race’ battle from my connection flight in Heathrow (never again), I found my seat on the plane and thought things could only get better from there with a good seat location, quiet seat neighbour and, thus far, a pretty quiet baby and toddler on the other side of me. Of course, my luck turned on me as right from the get-go, my video screen infront of me was quite finicky and would cut out every 5 min. I asked the flight attendants after dinner and such was served if they could look into it and two stewardesses later who said they each reset it, the screen won’t turn on anymore. I found it as a sign that maybe I should pull out the old Mac (and yes, she’s old and damaged – much how I feel like after my crazy day)….and do some BLOGGING. I have a couple blogs left to do from Ireland and I haven’t even written about my experience thus far in Edinburgh yet so maybe I’ll catch up before the New Year even hits…MAYBE (Side note: I guess that flew out the window shortly after 2012 arrived...since I'm just posting this pre-written blog just now...oops.)
Anyway, where did I leave off? Hm…I believe it was my Summer visitors? Well, my summer did indeed fly by with all the amazing visitors I had and before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to Galway and friends. Goodbyes are never my specialty so I always try to believe ‘I’ll see you sometime soon!’. The three amazing Canadian girls I met on my second day in Galway, Ireland were something special. Each one of them with their quirks and different personalities (sometimes multiple…haha, jk) made our little Canadian group so eventful and fun. Ashlie, who hailed from the buzzing metropolis of Antigonish, NS (near Halifax) had a love for politics (sorry for always glazing over when you talked about politics, Ash), anything geeky, and was always fascinated by the world wide web. We definitely connected on a geeky level – especially with our love for Apple/Mac products. She would be so sad to see the current status of my Mac that is now coming up on 5 years old with a broken screen and very much in need of an update.
Then there was Rachelle, who was born and raised in Saskatoon, SK and knew everything about sports, probably more than the average Canadian lad and taught me about rugby being the fellow rugby player herself and sharing our love for soccer and many others. She was in the middle of a gap year after doing some university studying in Saskatoon for (surprise), Sports Therapy (physio) and pretty much made a comment every week on how much she was dreading going back to school. I believe even after her return back to Saskatoon and university she is still dreading it but I know she’s a smart girl and will stick with it and be an amazing Sports Physiologist one day. I encouraged her to maybe try to transfer to a different university like U of T or UWO to maybe have another change of scenery and see what it’s like living in Central Ontario and mixed in with some hardcore med students. She would also fit in well with those…ahem…insane Toronto Leafs fans as she is one herself. Hopefully they will win a cup in her lifetime…don’t hold your breath darlin…right Carlee?
Next, the Frenchie…Miss Carlee who comes from a small town outside of Montreal, QC (Hudson – represent!). Even though she admits her French is not ‘parfait’, she is still a true Quebecois at heart with her love for poutine, the Habs (vive les Canadiens!) and snow…ok well maybe the last one is a true Canadian love. She had just finished up college and was looking to travel and the one place she’s always wanted to go and live is Ireland and from what I can tell – it was everything she imagined it would be and she’s itching to get back. She was the last to leave of all my Canadian gals as Ashlie went home in June, Rachelle in July and Carlee stayed till the very minute she would have gotten kicked out of the country which was end of September. She was my Croagh-Patrick climbing partner, my Galway Races date in her fancy fascinator and like the rest of the girls, a true friend and great company to catch a pint with…or two… followed of course by Supermacs or Charcoal Grill…Rachelle couldn’t stay away from her crush.
Lastly, my flatmate and pillar of strength in Ireland, Jonny Boy. It’s ironic how things quickly change in your life. Just like when I left my career in Advertising to move home and figure out my next step. I was home for not even two days and already restless so I decided to get a job at a pub in town to make some money and keep me busy till the fall. Jonny happened to be the manager at Sid’s and we instantly clicked. I knew of him just because it’s a small town and we were around the same age. He went to one of my rival schools back in the day so I was never in the same circles as him but as everyone knows in small towns, everyone knows pretty much everyone…and their business at times! I could see that Jonny was in a bit of a funk and seeing that I just got myself out of one, I encouraged him to do one thing on the top of his bucket list and just go for it...afterall, it didin’t seem like there was much keeping him in Stratford anyway. So, he started saving his money for Ireland and I was saving my money for Indonesia…or so I thought. Long story short, visa requirements changed after I accepted a teaching position in Jakarta, Indonesia and I had to start my travel plans from scratch again. As usual, my mom grounded me and made me see that everything happens for a reason so I decided to go with my original travel plan which was just traveling Europe. Seeing my family history is Irish and Scottish I decided to get my Brit-Ireland visa and just go for it. Jonny and I didn’t plan on going together and I had my heart set on Galway and he wasn’t sure where is wanted to go. I left about 2 months before Jonny did as I wanted to travel solely on my own to see how I would make out and once I got to Galway, I realized living on my own would be pretty expensive. As I didn’t want to go through random roommate drama like many of my friends have, Jonny and I decided to share a flat and it was a really great experience. We had a good system going with cooking (me) and cleaning (him…mostly) and such and pretty minimal roommate drama for two friends who only knew eachother for about 6 months really. He was so supportive during trying times with work and being homesick and dealing with other up-and-down moments in life…especially with the loss of Chelsea. I truly believe that you see how valuable people really are in your life when going through, what seems, your darkest hours and I definitely did. I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate and friend and I know we have many more fun memories to create in the UK that will be just as cherished as the ones in Ireland.
I learned so much from these friends through so many amazing and memorable experiences that I won’t go into detail or else this blog will go on forever…which seems like it by now, I’m sure. As they read this, I’m sure they will reminisce about all the gut-busting adventures, laughing till we couldn’t breath, tearful and emotional chats about our loved ones back home or who have passed on that we miss so much, sitting ocean-side (a first for many of us), and so much more. I remember the day when I first met the girls at Sleepzone Hostel and I’m so glad that I set aside my shyness and spoke up as I heard their familiar Canadian accent chatting about their eventful outing the night before as Ashlie laid comatose on the couch beside us. They were all my family away from home during the holidays and we made all the other holidays our own too with so many memories I can’t even count, like Halloween, Christmas, New Years, St Patrick’s Day, birthdays, etc.
As I said, I was never good at goodbyes but words truly cannot express what my Irish adventures would have been like if it wasn’t for Ashlie, Rachelle, Carlee and Jonny. I truly believe as each year passes and each year I get older (gulp!), people come in and out of out of your life for a reason…especially when traveling. Whether you share a day with a random stranger, travel city to city with new faces, or meet four random Canadians in Galway, Ireland (and one familiar Stratfordite), you learn something from each and every one of them through the experiences and memories you shared together. I hope I do see them again but if not, I will always cherish the time I spent with them in one of the most amazing places I’ve ever visited and resided in. Ireland will always have a special part in each one of our hearts, just as each and every one of them will always have a special place in my heart…forever.
Fate controls who walks into your life, but you decide who you let walk out, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.
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