Well it’s all over. My epic journey has come to an end and I am back home in Dublin. To say it was the best time of my life is an understatement.
The last leg of my trip was in California and New York, and I had a fantastic time there, needless to say. Towards the end, I occasionally felt tired and that I was ready to go home, but I fought against those feelings and threw myself into life in New York as much as I could. However the flight was booked and I had to go.
I got a great welcome and had a party thrown for me by the family and all my cousins and my friend Michelle turned up. First hangover on Irish soil in ages! It felt fine to be home – I wasn’t elated but I wasn’t depressed either. It was great to see everyone and reassure them that I was still in one piece, and lovely to see my nieces and nephews who had really grown up when I was away. It was like I never left.
Now I am back a few weeks and I am unsure of how I feel. I have so many memories of beautiful places crowding my head – the Indian Ocean in Perth, the Southern Alps in New Zealand, arriving at Macchu Pichu – that it’s very hard not to feel upset at not still being there. And more than just the landscape, it was the freedom I had – no work, no time pressures, no responsibilities except to get myself around safely and soak it all in. Which I did. I don’t think I could have enjoyed it more. No, I would have liked to have gone out at night more, which is hard when you are by yourself, but I took all the opportunities I could! During the day though I never let the fact I was alone put me off doing anything. And in many ways it’s the best way to travel – if you want to spend hours in a museum you can, or go on a trip or choose a restaurant without having to consider what other people might want. However I always knew my trip had an end date – maybe that is what made it so special for me.
One of the best parts of my travels was reconnecting with my relatives and friends around the world. I met one aunt, four first cousins and their families, loads of second cousins, one more distant, and as many friends and neighbours as I could. The most amazing thing was the hospitality I received from all of those I met, my friend Peter in New York, and from all the lovely people I stayed with through Airbnb. It’s very humbling to be so warmly welcomed into people’s homes and not to be made feel like you were in the way. It really enhances your experience of a place. I learnt what hospitality means, the importance of family, and the connection you can have with your family and friends when you are so far apart.
So here I am on the other side of my journey, and no matter what else I feel, I feel so lucky and grateful for the opportunity and experience I had. I was anxious about it before I left, but it was way better than I could have hoped. It doesn’t feel right to complain when I have had such a great time. But I have to settle back to life here and that is fine – I’m not independently wealthy yet! However, it’s a big world out there and I definitely have the travel bug now. Also I definitely would encourage anyone to travel by themselves – time, money and an Internet connection is all you need (not much, then!).
Thanks to everyone who has read this blog over the past number of months, and for engaging with it in the comments. They definitely helped me feel less like I was talking to myself – though I did a good bit of that along the way. It generally wasn’t cranky because I generally wasn’t cranky – except for the times I wanted to murder people. For my own general amusement I might keep it on, as I might be cranky soon. We’ll see. It’s been a great experience – where’s next?
