Have you reached the stage, if only briefly, where your host culture felt as similar and as easily traversed as shops in your own street at home? Describe an incident in which you realized that....
I'll share my journal entry with you...
This is my home…walking back to my flat the feeling finally hit, this is my home. Amy, a dear friend from high school came for the weekend as we had an amazing time learning to surf. Dropping her off at the bus station I headed back to my flat in the crisp evening air. Accustomed to biking everywhere the walk home gave me time to slow down and appreciate the sites and sounds I take for granted. As I walked at dusk I wasn’t afraid to be alone, there wasn’t any hesitation that I may get lost, I could name off every shop I would pass. This was it, a feeling of home. A feeling of comfortable familiarity as I knew this city so well I could call it home. It’ll of course never be my true home as that lies several thousand miles across the ocean. However, God has placed me here in Galway for this short period in my life. Providing me with a wonderful church family and brilliant flat mates, I can all Galway home.
Two weeks ago my family came to visit as we toured Ireland. Not able to speak for the rest of them, I can at least say it’s the most fun I’ve had on a vacation. Full of adventures, many laughs, uncertain situations and provisions by our Heavenly Father, we enjoyed a truly fantastic week together. Thursday morning it was time to say our goodbyes. Rather than tearful, sad hugs and kisses, it was almost as if we said “see ya later!” With a presentation looming over my head I needed to get to campus as the family needed to take off for Dublin in plenty of sunlight. We hugged, kissed and off we parted. There was nothing sad or even unusual. It was as if we did it all the time; I’ll stay in this country and you return home, bye! Maybe it was indeed unusual. Most would probably expect a sad, drawn out farewell, but I’m thankful it wasn’t that way. It shows that Galway is my new home and my family and I know that it doesn’t matter if we’re separated for just a few short months or forever; we’ll meet again. I must confess the Wednesday afternoon my family left to come over, was a bit shocking, realizing my entire family were in a plane flying over the ocean. If they crashed I was an orphan…shucks! It’s the first time this type of situation had ever occurred, where they were all in one location. My nerves lasted only a few seconds before realizing the situation may be sad for me, but glorious for them. Meeting our Heavenly Father and spending eternity in paradise with Him, sounds wonderful to me. As beautiful as Ireland is, I’m sure it doesn’t even touch Heaven’s beauty.
So here I am in Galway and my family is back in Wisconsin. I was able to receive a little piece of home when they came over and they were able to see a little piece of my new home.
My Homes
With Love from Galway
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