In denial

I absolutely cannot believe that this amazing experience is coming to an end in less than 48 hours. I'm mid packing at the moment and it just seems like I'm going on another trip, not THE trip. The trip back to America, back to the same world I've known for 20 years. In less than four months, Ireland has become a home to me and I get teary just thinking about leaving it behind.

That being said, I am looking forward to going home. I've missed my friends and family, my mother's cooking and one dollar bills. I'm looking forward to warm, sunny weather, beaches, Del's lemonade and Ice Cream Machine's mint chocolately goodness.

But to list everything about Ireland that I'm going to miss would be impossible. The accents, the pubs, Irish boys in track suits, Irish girls with bad haircuts and fake tans, hearing "doyaknowwhatImeanlike?", pints of Guinness and being able to request "Galway Girl" whether or not they actually indulge the Americans and play it. I'm going to miss watching Friends every night with the suitemates as Tara makes fish, Mike eats a box of cereal with half a gallon of milk out of tupperware and Taylor eats an entire bag of pasta and jar of sauce in one sitting.

Everyone has become so close on this trip and it's insane to think we're all going our separate ways for the summer. And even still, some people do not go to BU, so it really will be strange to not see them around campus when September rolls around.

So to make the most of the last few days of the program, we have all had a week devoted to the craic.

Tuesday, I went to the Irish Museum of Modern Art after work. It wasn't my favorite museum that I've been to because it wasn't as modern as I was hoping, but I'm still glad I went to see it.

Wednesday, Molly, Melissa, Colleen, Mary, Tara and I met after work for dinner at Green Nineteen. We had a lot of laughs, both at the restaurant and on the long bus ride home.

Then Molly, Mellissa, Colleen and I went to Irish dance lessons. Our teacher, Mary Beth, prepped us for tonight's big ceili (pronounced kaylee) in the city. It's a traditional dancing gathering at a pub and we will be there swinging with the pros.

Today was my last day of work, and my coworkers were sweet enough to get me a few parting gifts. First, we all had muffins from Queen of Tarts. Mine was chocolate and banana and oh so yummy. Then, they gave me a card, a celtic style necklace, some adorable magnets and some Irish soaps. Everything was made in Ireland, they wanted to give me a real send off.

I had one last lunch at the Queen of Tarts and enjoyed it thoroughly, of course. The waitress I have gotten to know from going in so often was actually training a new worker today as she is heading home next week to Virginia. The place just won't be the same without us.

They let me leave work early, so I hopped on the bus back to DCU. I thought I'd take a few last pictures of O'Connell Street.

I'm not ready to say goodbye.