Looking Back

I’ve been home for two weeks now. It’s hard to believe that ten weeks ago my passport sat on my dresser, stampless, and now it sits with a green stamp that signifies so much.

It signifies amazing friendships I have made. I started this summer living with three strangers and ended the summer living with three family members. I could never have predicted how well we would all get along, nor could I have predicted how much I would miss them. I loved every afternoon chat, family dinner, late night weirding-it-out, and facebook spam session. The new friendships weren’t limited to just my apartment either. It stretched to those living above me (yes, Andrew Prickett, you get mentioned two blog posts in a row!), those living below me, and everywhere in between. I discovered many new things about myself with your help (like my culinary skills with French toast and that my grip becomes incredibly bad when in Europe). My summer wouldn’t have been the same, or nearly as fun, without all of you and for that I am eternally grateful.

It signifies an incredible work experience. I got a taste of each stage in filming. I did pre-production research, filming during production, and post-production editing, all for an established film production company. 22-minutes of my work will be aired on TV for people to watch. My name will go by in the credits of two docu-series. Did I mention on TV?? I can’t believe the opportunities I was given this summer. I have something seriously substantial to put on my resume. I am on a credit reel, my first major credit reel. Sorry, it’s still sinking in. As if the work experience weren’t enough, the people I worked with were positively lovely. Having such a pleasant work environment made it even harder to leave Ireland.

It signifies a summer that I will never forget. From the travel to the pubs to the friends to the boys, this summer has been one for the record books in all the best ways.  I feel so blessed to have had this incredibly opportunity, and I can’t wait to see how it continues to affect my life.

It signifies a new vocabulary. Here are just a few of the words I learned this summer—

Savage=cool

Negging=pulling your leg

Shifting=kissing

Lushing=raining hard

Raging=so upset/jealous

Cheers=thank you

Keeping sketch=keeping track of

Suss it out=figure it out

Gas=funny (as in, that person is gas)

Brellies=umbrellas

Jellies=jelly beans

Wine gums=fruit snacks

Wellies=rainboots

Raincoats=condoms

Fringe=bangs

Zip=zipper

High vis=fluorescent

There are others I heard, because Catherine was always throwing Irish slang at me, but I didn’t write them down before I forgot them.

Classes start this Monday and my summer is officially over. As happy I am to be back in Happy Valley, a part of my heart will always reside in Dublin.

And here it is, the end to my ‘Summer in Dublin’ blog. Not ready to say goodbye, but the merry months of June and July have passed and as August comes to a close, so do my posts. Thanks for reading. It’s been real.