Back... to the Future

So here I am, enjoying my last few days in Galway and I heard this pop and a roar and look out my window and see a set of flaming tire tracks running down O'Connaire Rd. Probably not the strangest thing I've seen over here, but it's up there.

There's a knock on the door. Then I remember I sent myself ahead in time to ask me about my time here three months ago. I wonder briefly how I knew to wait an extra week.... :)

Looking back, I really nailed the answers to several of these.

So I says to myself I says to me..............

(Original speculative answers from three months ago in blue)

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.

No. I'm looking forward to resuming my services to Synthesis Technology, who made this all possible. Furthermore, there are no seasons in Ireland. Only varying levels of rain and temps in the high versus low 50's.

Q: Where did you end up living?

Galway, in a house with three other fantastic people.

Yup. Except that it was five other fantastic people, though never more than three at any one time. Aoife was here the whole time (sans when she was out of town, which was frequently), Conal for about the first six weeks, Kesstan for about three weeks when Aoife was in Sligo, Emma for about the last six weeks, and Julia for about the past month.

Probably the biggest surprise of the housing situation was that of the five other people who lived here during my time, four of them were American. Only Emma was a native Irish girl, and even she was from the other side of the country.

I think the main reason for that was that the primary means our landlord (who lives in NY, btw) has used to advertise the space is craigslist, which just has not gained critical popularity over here, despite there being a Dublin site, anyways.

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.

All true, except that I did make it to France. Wales will be very high on a return trip priority.

Q: What did you miss the most?

Family and friends.


Of course.

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

Hi-powered laundry dryers.

Not gonna lie, that is certainly up there. Spending sometimes a day or more trying to get a load of laundry dry in Ireland's climate can be frustrating, not to mention how air-dried clothes tend to get stretched out and crunchy.

For the first two weeks, though, the answer would definitely be "internet access". I really couldn't believe how much it was driving me crazy to not have constant, immediate, hi-speed net access up until we finally got it installed here at the house.

I also missed some sports. I would've loved to have hung out with friends and family watching the Wings and Pistons during their playoff runs, as well as the Tigers. I'm definitely looking forward to getting out to Comerica Park and/or Wrigley Field when I get back.

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

Work. Seriously.

Wow. I have to admit, this is one I was dead wrong on. I really thought I would miss having a daily routine and expectations and such. I honestly did. While I miss the folks at work and some of the office banter and atmosphere, I can not honestly say that I missed working at all. I did do some while I was over here, and while the hours I put in were very limited, it took much effort to get even that done.

I should add, though, that this probably would have been true, had it not been for really maxing out the side-adventures. The amount of time I spent not only travelling outside of Galway, but preparing for said trips, and reporting on them when I got back really did take up a lot of my time here and kept me from having too many days when I had nothing to do.

Internet (see above) would be a better answer, and another one I didn't think of is "dishwasher".

Oh, but the number one answer: Drinkable tap water. Yes, the cryptosporidium contamination is still an issue here in Galway, and looks like it will be until sometime in the fall, so we have not had potable water my entire time here.

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

American junk food.

Actually, I'm going to go with TV shows here. While I did spend this morning finally catching up on what was left of season 1 of Heroes, which Justin brought over for me last week, and I'm looking forward to catching up on The Office and what was apparently the final episodes ever of Veronica Mars when I get back, it didn't really bother me at all to not be able to keep up with them as they were broadcast. The way my TV viewing habits had changed in the past year or two, I had expected that I would've really missed seeing my shows on a regular basis.

I didn't miss junk food all that much, but it was mostly because it's all pretty readily available here, not because of some newfound discipline.

Q: What will you miss most about Ireland?

The friends I've made here.

definitely true. But also...the sessions, and the scenery, and the vibe, and the relaxed, laid-back nature of things, and the easy access to other European destinations, the breakfasts, and the weather... well, maybe not the weather so much, but I'm sure when I'm sweltering in 90+ degree humidity back in the States, I'll be longing for a cool mid-afternoon shower and temps in the 50's again.

Oh yeah, and ready-made Indian food!

Q: Meet anyone... special?

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

Everyone I met was special.

But as has been already tipped here: Yes. But it ultimately was not meant to be anything more than friends. I'm glad that it worked out that way in the end.

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.

This is pretty much true. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't manage to find a teacher here in Galway to continue lessons and sort of gave up on practicing the latter half of the trip, even. However, when I was in Dingle trying out the practice set that was for sale in the shop down there, the shop owner asked me how long I'd been playing, and when I told him just a year, he sounded very sincere when he said I was doing pretty good for that. Considering how little I've put into it compared to what I should be putting in if I ever want to become proficient, that really made my day.

Of course, he was trying to sell me a 2000 euro practice set, too.

I'll also add though, that I've gotten enough of a confidence boost from certain friends who have heard me play, and even did take them to my would-be last session at Richardson's and played my small handful of tunes that I semi-know on them, and it was appreciated and enjoyed by those there, so I think there's still some hope...

Q: And the whistles?

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

Again, that's pretty much right on. The main reason I kind of stopped practicing the pipes regularly was because I was about half-way through my time and hadn't played in any sessions yet. I knew I wouldn't be taking the pipes to any sessions soon (which turned out to not be completely true), so I wanted to knock the rust off my whistle. It was also about this time that I discovered the "improvers" class and session at Richardsons on Monday night, so I started to put a lot more focus on the whistle.

I'm feeling pretty comfortable with it now, though I definitely still have a ways to go. But I'm comfortable enough sitting in on most sessions, if only for a tune or two. Probably the biggest change and improvement is that I am getting over my self-consciousness about playing solo in public, as evidenced by my busking outside Blarney Castle and playing for the backpackers on the hill at the base of the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye. Also, that I've gotten up the courage to sit in on sessions at not only Richardson's, but The Crane, An Pucan, Taaffe's, the pub on Inis Meain, and even that session in Scotland.

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.

Just one? Road trip to the North my would-be last week here.

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.

Again, I pretty much nailed it. Justin G's trip ended up being in June instead of May, and he brought along his brother.

I also got to meet up with Traci from the Grafton Pub in Chicago when she and her fiance were over here visiting his family, and I did meet up with Raeanne from Memphis when I was down in Kilfenora, if that counts.

Q: Any hassles with immigration?

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

Actually, not even then. In fact, the officer was talking on the phone while checking passports and he didn't bother to look at any other pages in my passport, or even ask me a single question. Rather, he gave me a stamp and wrote in the date that I have permission to stay until:

September 1st.

The first of many signals that led me to decide to extend my trip, if only for a bit.

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).

No, not that. Really, nothing too traumatic happened at all. I mean, what's a little heartbreak amongst friends? :)

Q: When are you going back?

:)

Gonna have to leave it at that, for now. I have definitely left some things un-done, though not many. I still have not been to the "sunny southeast" of Waterford and Wexford. There's a "Magic Road" in the Comeragh Mountains down there I'd love to find, though after the past month, I'd find any place in Ireland that can claim to be regularly "sunny" to be just as magical and unbelievable. I also have somehow managed to circumvent County Monaghan in all my travels, I believe. I'd have to check the map, but I believe Monaghan, Wexford and Waterford to be the only 3 of the 32 counties of both the Republic and Northern Ireland that I have not been to now. But there are still plenty of specific spots... Valencia Island, Clare Island, the other two remaining Aran Islands, the Bluestack Mountains, the peninsulas of West Cork, not to mention tons of spots to explore further where I have been.


If I have some particular goals or ideas, though, I'd love to return for about a month around this time of year and take in the Craiceann bodhran festival on Inis Oirr and piggyback that with Willie Clancy Week (piping-focused general music festival) in Miltown Malbay.