Last Day in Ireland (day 39/40)

July 31/August 1:

Today was a hard day to wrap my brain around...I was going to be leaving Ireland in however many hours it was still my plane left the ground at 645 in the morning.

I got up and had breakfast and packed up my stuff to get ready to check out of the hotel, and then I went and wandered around Galway for one last time. I went to Dunnes to get another bag since I accumulated so much stuff while I was away, and then I went and finished buying peoples gifts on Shop street. I took a while there, just enjoying the sites and sounds of the city that I love so much.

I had a lot of time to kill because I had to wait around to go and pick up Sarah and Katie at the train station at 515. I finished shopping and eating lunch and stuff at around 2, and then I had no idea what to do, so I just got in my car and drove out of Galway. I drove around for a little while down along the coast, and it was beautiful! It was sort of grey and cloudy and rainy, but that is Ireland for you. I drove for a while and then I turned around and stopped at this pull off that overlooked Galway bay, and had a nice little beach. I sat there in my car for a while just thinking about my trip and everything that had gone on, it was nice.

I finally made my way back into the city and picked up Sarah and Katie. They had to do some more gift buying so we walked down Shop street for a while, and then went and had one last meal at Couch Potata together. After that we went over to Taaffes to have one last pint, but it was JAM PACKED with people, mind you this was at 7pm, which at that time it is normally empty. However, it was Ladies Day at the Races, and that is the biggest day, so not only was it packed with people, it was people who were dressed up all fancy. So we decided it wouldn't be fun there so we went over to the Kings Head to have our last pint, because even if there were a ton of people there, it is a bigger space, so we actually had room to move.

After we left Galway we made the journey down to Shannon because we were staying at the airport the night before all of us left. We finally got to the hotel and I returned my car and then we went into the hotel room and we all had to repack stuff. It was pretty late by the time we did all that so we all just went to bed.

I didn't sleep really at all that night, I just laid there thinking that this was the last night I would be spending in Ireland. It was pretty depressing. Then I got up at 3am and got ready and walked over, in the pouring rain, to the airport. It would have been nice to know that the check-in counters do not open until 5am, so even if your flight leaves at 645am, and normally you have to get there really early, you don't have to be there till 5am. The airport was EMPTY! except for the few people who were on my flight as well.

I finally got checked in and got on the plane, and started my VERY LONG journey home. It was a pretty nice flight, no one sat next to me so I had 2 seats all to myself, which was INSANELY nice. I got to stretch out and lay down, so I actually slept some on the way home.

I got into LAX and as we were flying over the city I just had this overwhelming feeling of disdain for this place that I had to come back to. They say you have culture shock when you travel to different countries, but it was fine getting into Ireland, but coming back it was like "oh my god, this is awful." It is really hard to explain what I'm feeling right now because it is such a mixture of feelings.

As much as it pains me to say, I am home now, after the adventure of a lifetime. I have already started thinking about when I am going back, and it is going to be sooner rather than later.

This trip was an amazing experience, and it was life altering. I am not the same person I was before I left, and there are a lot of life changes that I will be making as a result of being on this trip. I just hope that everything works out the best.

Slán agus beannacht leat