Today's an Ireland Day

I keep gazing out the window today, toiling away on my endless reports at work, and dreaming about Ireland. I can practically hear the guitar intro to U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name." Oh wait, that's just The Edge's radio on the other side of the wall. It's raining outside, a heavy drizzle that greens the grass in a day. It's cold, damp, and the gray clouds make my sinuses hurt. It's a good day to reflect, since my battered sinuses make me feel like closing my poor eyes anyway!

I spent a year of my life in Ireland, my sophomore year at Saint Mary's. It was a phenomenal year, marked with my first taste of real homesickness, staggering freedom and individuality from my family, and priceless memories that make me me. As I left Indiana for the first time ever, I left my roots. I left the expectations my family had of me. I'll never forget when the airplane dipped below the clouds, upon arrival into Dublin, and our eyes were met with a literal sea of green. I was free to become Dorrie, whoever she was destined to become. I learned to travel by myself, acquire the taste for Irish beer, calmly orient myself to new cities and surroundings, and how to dance an authentic Irish gig, as learned in a Gaelic-speaking pub on Inisheer. The Aran Islands (of which Inisheer is a part) are your usual, picturesque Ireland complete with stone fences, grazing sheep, and cliffs plummeting into the sea.

Last month, Jack and I had the pleasure of attending Gaelic Storm, in concert, at Notre Dame's Leighton Hall. Gaelic Storm is the band who played in Titanic, in the party scene below deck. As I listened to the band and the audience clapping and stomping their feet, I was transported back to the west coast of Ireland. It was a gray day with steady drizzle raining down on the Irish countryside. My friend and roomate in Ireland, Bewley, and I stomped through the mud to a little pub on the outskirts of Doolin, where we experienced an impromptu Irish jam session! Gaelic Storm reminded me of this experience.

It also reminded me that I won't get to experience neat things if I don't leave my comfort zone. I cannot help but be struck by the similarities between my year in Ireland and my upcoming year in Chicago. Just as I jetted off to a new land back then, I'm about to up and leave my roots once again. If it wasn't for having to leave Jack during the week, this transition wouldn't be that big of a deal. I'm realizing how much I'm going to miss him. He's my stronghold and I run all my personal and professional struggles by him. He has a worldly wisdom and with his leadership experience at work, he always shares priceless feedback with me. I'm so grateful for the times we've had together, the hilarious jokes, and the vacation memories...these will get me through while I bust through my comfort zone, yet again!