There and back again.....but where to stay?

Flying into Dublin, the sea of green was shimmering against the fresh sun and morning dew.  The sight brought on a sense of calm, which was only perpetuated when I left the plane and took a deep breath of crisp, cool, fresh air.  I was happy to be back, and at the same time, felt guilty for it.  What I realized about being back home was that I missed the people, and aspects of the place, but not necessarily the life.  The week back home had been a whirlwind of activity from early morning until late night, all week long.  Between work, family and friends, virtually every waking moment was consumed.  This isn't a complaint about something negative.  The trip was very typical of life at home, the way it always is.  I guess what my time in Ireland so far has taught me is that there’s a kind of day-to day that’s very different.  I suppose now that I’ve gotten a taste of being alone, without my wonderful network, and in a simpler living style, I’ve realised how much stress i was under at home.  It's all stress that I put on myself really, and being back, I fell into old habits and routines without a thought.  By the end of the week, I was feeling it, physically and mentally, and part of me was really ready to come back.

On the flight over, i started comparing the two lifestyles-

<My car back home
     My car in Dublin>



There's no comparing the two, obviously!  But back home, i HAVE to drive everywhere, and often the drives are long and tiring, consuming way too many hours of the day.  In Dublin, I can walk to the park, the grocery store, to the center of the city, and it's all about me, my feet, and the fresh air.

 <View from my room back home

View from my Dublin apartment>



My house back home is big and beautiful, with a great kitchen, 3 car garage, and some of the best views in south county.  It also takes forever to clean and there's always something that needs upkeep attention.  My apartment in Ireland is cozy, the kitchen is too small to do much with, but the view is ok.  It takes maybe an hour or two to clean, and the communal parking isn't bad.  The clothes washer holds maybe 5 pairs of pants and that's about it for a single load.  No dryer, so the clothes hang out to dry during the day.  My washer and dryer at home make even piles of laundry relatively easy to manage.  The big beautiful house at home is usually full of activity, people, and there's always something baking.  The apartment here is a quiet place to hang out and do my thing, as long as it's not baking.

                                                           

<Ice cream at home

            Ice cream in Dublin>



Ice cream at home is almost always shared with family.  Whether it's a scoop after dinner or a massive sundae on vacation, it's delicious.  The ice cream in Ireland is the tastiest, creamiest bit of heaven ...but it's all about the single serving here.

In Ireland, the people are friendly, the office is happy, the weather is interesting, and my days are mine to do whatever I want with.  I don't have to worry about anyone else.  I haven't felt legitimately stressed since landing here back in May.  Life is simpler here, and people enjoy it more.

Back home, people are rude and carry a ridiculous air of entitlement about them.  The office is stressed, the summer is hot, commuting is horrible, and people have a completely different set of priorities...not ones that are necessarily in line with mine.  I'm constantly pulled in a hundred directions and I nurse an unyielding drive to do more, better, faster.

Ireland is a calm breath of fresh air.
Home is an adrenaline IV.
Yes, i love it here, but there's something, THE most important something, that Ireland doesn't have....

 

MY FAMILY