Dear Dublin,
Our time has come. This goodbye has been four months in the making. We knew there was an expiration date going into this. As it draws near, I give you this letter for closure.
To start, you were ready to give me everything you had as soon as our paths crossed. Chapters of your history were released in different increments, when you were ready. We built a connection because of this. Pictures in the Gallery of Photography told me tales of your past. Anecdotes from the locals at the Thomas House filled me with uncontrollable laughter. The feuds between the North and the Republic showed me a side of you I never would have truly comprehended without seeing it first hand. Even songs you love such as Molly Malone and the wailing guitar solos by Rory Gallagher showed your range of style, from classic rock to traditional folk.
After diving into your past, it was who you are today that really made me fall. How you’re trying to be better with budgeting after the Celtic Tiger scratched you up, and the secret garden you have hidden between office buildings in order to preserve the beauty of this country while still in a city. Wearing your heart on your sleeve, being proud of where you came from, motivated to get where you wanted to be, and accepting the mistakes you made in the past. These are the reasons that made it impossible not to fall in love with you.
From there, you got to know me, too. Feeding into all of my weaknesses, you brought out the best and worst. Little guilty pleasures you knew about started to appear, and I had no choice but to cave in. From Hansel & Gretel’s to The Queen of Tarts, you know I’m a sucker for baked goods. Over-indulging what you had to offer nearly killed me at times, but I never got sick of you. Two Jameson and Ginger Ale’s is enough for me….okay, maybe three. The best was how you took something that I loved and made it so much more. Savoring the combination of bite, heat, and comfort was made so easy because of you. Fries without cheese and garlic sauce just seem wrong, now.
You may be wondering why I have to go. Well, my mom and sister were not amused with our arrangement from the start, that’s a deal breaker right there. However they still came to visit, and I really think they had a good time with you. Never in my life have I seen Mama Reags so excited for a St. Paddy’s Day parade. You won over my family, that was important to me. But I’ve been gone for too long, and I need to be closer to them as well as the others that I am close with.
There is just unfinished business I need to attend to. Graduation, a job, the rest of my life. My mind burns to use such a cliche, but it wasn’t you, it is me-loving my past and not being able to give that up. Having stability in a place that I could never truly leave because my heart still resides there. What we got from each other was the adventure, the openness, the vulnerability. From you, I have learned that the small changes lead to good things.
With this, I bid you farewell. Our overlapping time was just enough to satisfy, while still leaving territory untouched. Maybe our chapter is over, but there could be another one further along. Only time will tell.
—Casey Reagan
Champlain Abroad Dublin Spring’14
Champlain College, Marketing/Advertising’15
