Interview with the future

(note: I was planning to post this sometime during my final week in the states, but kind of ran out of time. I ended up finishing it on the plane, and am going to backdate it to my last day at home)

I recently managed to acquire a DeLorean and a flux capacitor, so I thought I'd zip ahead three months and ask myself a few questions about my time in Ireland as its nearing its conclusion. I also told myself to check in again in at that time and see if any of the answers change due to some mysterious time paradox...

Q: Did you find a job? Are you going to be staying, or returning shortly?

I've acquired a permanent position as a Guinness taster. Unfortunately, I won't ever be returning home because I am unable to pick myself up off the floor of the pub.

Kidding. In all seriousness, this is a bad question to start off this interview with, and I'm going to have to break character already because I really have no sense at this point for whether I'm even going to want to try and stay longer, let alone, whether I'll be able to. There's still a lot of great things to be had about staying for 1 year, but the goodbyes I've said in the past few days have been rough enough. Coming back in July only to have to turn back around and leave for a longer period of time would be much worse. Not to mention the fact that I likely have a very promising employment situation that will likely be waiting for me in 3 months. It's questionable whether it'll be there for me in a year. But still, the rich experience of living here for an entire year and seeing all the seasons cycle through with all that brings with it is an enticing draw.

Q: Where did you end up living?

Galway, in a house with three other fantastic people.

Q: What other countries did you end up seeing?

Italy, Germany, England, Scotland. Didn't make it to Wales, France, Poland, Spain or any place else I was hoping to hit, unfortunately, but that'll save something for next time. Particularly bummed about Wales.

Q: What did you miss the most?

Family and friends.

Q: Okay, so maybe that's a given. What trivial aspect of daily life did you miss the most?

Hi-powered laundry dryers.

Q: What was one thing you missed more than you thought you would?

Work. Seriously.

Q: What was one thing you missed less than you thought you would?

American junk food.

Q: What will you miss most about Ireland?

The friends I've made here.

Q: Meet anyone... special?

Ummm... you do realize this is still me you're talking to, right? Even three months in the future?

Q: So how are the pipes coming?

Meh. Got some great pointers and had a chance to do some quality practicing, but it's a long, slow road to learn to play the uilleann pipes, and three months is but scratching the surface.

Q: And the whistles?

Pretty good. Learned a few new tunes, anyways, and feel like I've improved overall.

Q: Favorite single memory? (25 words or less)

*bzzzt*crackle*static*What was that? I didn't copy*bzzt*

Damn sunspots... (Did I say something about a DeLorean? I meant that I was communicating with future me via an old ham radio. Yeah, that's it.) Either way, looks like we'll just have to wait until June to see the answer to that one.

Q: Who came to visit you from home?

Met up with Jen C in Italy, and Justin G in Scotland. Russ, Justin B and Mom all talked about coming to visit in June, but it didn't end up happening.

Q: Any hassles with immigration?

Only getting back in the country from the UK after the England/Scotland trip.

Q: Worst thing that happened to you?

Got drunk and passed out in a pub, woke up with an atomic wedgie, a shaved chest and my wallet replaced with a stinking dead fish, after dreaming all night that I was stuck on the evil boat ride from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original version, but with Johnny Depp's creepy glasses staring at me the whole time).

Q: When are you going back?

:)