Coming home to Cornafean and Cavan for Christmas
When you are reading this, I will be at home in Cavan having woken up in my own surroundings for the first time in three months. I remember the last time I left home, when I hugged my family and friends saying I would see them at Christmas. My eyes filled with tears, it was going to be unbearable. I thought Christmas seemed so far away, yet here we are only three more sleeps left, using my childhood countdown.
Last week and the past few days have been filled with moments of closure and goodbyes. Some people I know I will see in the new year, others I may never see again. I finished up working in the pub on Sunday evening, scurrying away at 6pm before Argentina could shoot their way to victory. It was bitter sweet.
I was delighted to be leaving the massive crowd of fans behind but, at the same time, I felt a little sentimental. I didn’t realise that the last time I served a customer or worked with a colleague would actually be my last
Don’t ask what I would have done differently, but to me colleagues and customers really become therapists and vice versa. You see them on a weekly basis, you know what is going on in their lives. For me, working in The Wild Geese will always be so much more than just a part-time job. Belgium would never have felt like home if I didn’t start working in that pub.
Although it was often picture and no sound what with early mornings and late nights, I am so thankful to those Irish and Scottish accents who took me in and slagged the living hell out of me until I had a smile on my face. Of course, it worked both ways. Not just this, but little things mean a lot to me. Telling me to be careful at certain train stations, particular areas in Brussels where crime is more prevalent, warning me about where protests or riots would be taking place – things that you would only know if you have been around for a while. Most importantly, where I can get Barry’s tea bags!
It was only when I got more comfortable in my surroundings that I realised the Belgian people are really friendly too, as are the Romanian, French, Spanish, Venezuelan, Croatian, German, Moroccan, American, British, Indian (I am going to stop because this list is endless). I remember being told that Irish people are very clicky.
This person had explained that, in a group of international people, Irish nationalities found each other and spoke among themselves, not including anybody else in the conversation. Although I wouldn’t do this, I do understand that we tend to flock together. So, if you like, the pub forced me to spread my wings and communicate with people outside my bubble, something for which I will always be thankful.
I am also partly responsible for finding the intern that will replace me when I leave my position in January. This has been an ongoing process for the past few weeks. I didn’t really see how I qualified to find the new me but, going through the applications and participating in the interview process has been amazing. I have found new ways to present my CV and myself during interviews but, as well as this, I can see what not to do, which is equally important. Throughout this process, I have been asked if I could stay on. Although it is impossible to remain here if I want to graduate, it is nice being asked to stay.
In continuation with my trend of finals, my lecturer from UL had a call to assess my performance during my time here, as it is coming to an end. Both my supervisor here and at home are happy, so I think it’s safe to say I have passed this part of the semester. This is a massive relief for me.
I always wanted to move away from home in my 20s. This isn’t a reflection of my family, friends or my life at home but more of an aspiration to challenge myself. You can study from a book as much as you want but you have nothing without experience. For me this has been having a panic attack on my first adventure on the metro, communicating with someone using Google translate, getting lost on my way home, getting my passport stolen, asking questions that made me look stupid, spending money when I shouldn’t have. Honestly the list is endless, I have messed up so many times living on my own but each time I have learned something from it, branched out a little more, laughed, copped on, everything in between. This experience and the people I have met have changed my life in so many ways I can’t even explain. I cannot recommend living abroad enough. If you can at all, do it!
To top it all off, I know I have an amazing family to come home to. Since October, my mother has been sending me pictures of the Christmas cake, which she tops up with whiskey every two weeks and the puddings, which she has been boiling at the stove. Coming home this Christmas is extra special for me, enjoying time with my friends and family while documenting everything to show my friends abroad what an Irish Christmas is like.
Wishing everybody a very merry Christmas!
* Gemma Good is from Killeshandra and a third year journalism student in University of Limerick
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