A Box of Chocolates

atop the cliffs of moher (go vikings)

Life is and is not like a box of chocolates. On one hand, I knew that I'd miss my friends, but I did not know that I would miss them this much. On the flip side of the coin, I had an idea of what to expect from my experience in Ireland, but I did not expect this much fun so fast.

Truth is, the box of chocolates gives you a list of which chocolates are where, but despite knowing this, you're still some times skeptical of the ones you've never tried. Why is this?

Not sure really.

Like I said, I knew missing my friends and family would be an unavoidable emotion, but of course it was not strong enough to deter me from leaving the states. Just because something is known, like the list the box of chocolates gives you, it does not mean I'll jump right in...I already know. I'll be a bit skeptical, but in the end, I'll probably go for the unknown anyway...like I did with the study abroad experience. My friends and family are without a doubt the most important people in my life. Grateful is a word not strong enough to describe my ability to talk with them still. If I could not talk to my friends, this experience would be much more difficult.

And let me be clear: I am lucky, happy, grateful, excited, curious, and everything in between about my time in Ireland. So far the experience has been better than I expected. I made a great group of friends quickly, which is something I'm thankful for because in the end, we all feel the same: grateful, but still missing home. We go out, we stay in, we eat together, we are a unit that feels the same way about this experience. And it is comforting to know that other people are in the same boat.

for gods sake, just look at this for a moment

The Cliffs of Moher are the perfect example of how incredible this experience has already been. I found it quite unfortunate that many people at the Cliffs were on their phones. There is no doubt that I was a victim of this myself, but all I did was take pictures. I talked with my friends, chatted about how amazing the place was amongst other various things, but for the most part I was silent, taking in what I could. And taking it all in is actually impossible because the sheer might of these cliffs is simply indescribable.
I've seen pictures and videos of it before, having some idea of what to expect, but being there was a totally different feeling. It was spiritual. I could feel some presence there with us all, you know? Don't know if it was a God or...yeah, I just don't know what it was, but there was certainly a higher power there. That's something pictures cannot do; pictures cannot make you feel that way. Only experience can...

So let me clear about this box of chocolates...
Just because you know the list of where each flavor is does not mean it's easy to choose. I just think it's brave to choose the ones you don't know. While choosing the unknown can sometimes make you cringe for a second (like missing my friends & family), you know that you'll save the best ones for last (my experience in Ireland and the eventual reunion back home). Nothing about the choice takes away from the experience, it IS the experience.

stay tuned...

(soundtrack to this blog: Static Age by Misfits)