The Ghost of Semesters Past

I left Ireland on May 17th. This semester had been the first for a lot of things.

It was the first time that I was completely isolated from all family and friends.

My first time out of the America.

First time traveling alone.

First time grocery shopping for myself.

First time having to completely rely on myself for everything.

Oh… wait that’s called growing up.

Ireland forced me to grow up real fast. I did all the growing and changing that I would have done after college in four months. I learned to clean up after myself, better then I ever had at home or in the dorms. I learned what it meant to be a respectful housemate. I also learned hell of a lot about myself.

Trying to pinpoint everything I did and learned in Ireland is difficult. Since it felt like a hell of a lot longer then four months. And when it came time for it to end I didn’t feel like I was going home. Even as I sat on the plane I still felt like I wasn’t going home.

I also did a lot of thinking on that plane ride. The thing that had changed the most was school. When I’d left I thought I was going to be stuck at Kean University for four years and I’d do my masters at NYU. But that had all changed this semester. I was accepted into London Met. I start at the bottom of a three year program but that’s still a hell of a lot better then two more years at Kean.

I landed in Newark and said my farewells to the girls in my program and left. It was really weird because the last time we had all been in Newark we were a group of awkward strangers that were forced together for a semester and now four months later we were all leaving knowing everyone’s name and having partied together at least once. The four months abroad had changed us all in one way or another and I left the airport feeling accomplished… but I still didn’t feel like I was going home.

My older brother had picked me up and on the way back we hit Panara Bread for lunch. And that night for dinner I had the one thing I had craved all semester… American Chinese food. Funny right. I’d had Chinese food in Ireland but they didn’t have Lo Mein and I love Lo Mein. So I slowly settled into my American habits I’d been unable to have in Ireland.

I was sitting on the porch one morning with my mum and I told how it was strange to be home and how I didn’t really feel at home and relaxed here. That was when she pointed out that this wasn’t my home anymore. I’d be in London for three solid years with visits home only when I could spare the money. So in reality this is no longer my home. Yes It’s where I was born, but for now I feel like I’ve out grown New Jersey and America in general. I started a paper chain counting down the days till I arrive in London, my new home.

Cheers,