New Beginnings

I’m back in Spokane, as of last Friday. To be honest, it’s been a bit of a weird transition. Some things that I expected to be hard (like driving on the other side of the road) aren’t, while others I hadn’t expected at all (like readjusting to US currency) are difficult. My last week in Belfast was rough, saying goodbye to people who have become very good friends. For the first couple of days in Spokane, it felt a bit like my body had moved but my heart stayed in Northern Ireland. As the jetlag wears off, though, so does the sense of being in the “wrong place,” and adjustment is happening slowly but surely.

One of the questions I’ve gotten most often since being back in the States is, “so, what have you learned?” That’s a hard question to answer because my time in Belfast was more about living and growing than about learning concrete lessons. But I’m beginning to form a short list of things Northern Ireland taught me:

Working together in the kitchen is a great way to form friendships. Car horns are best used to say hello to people you know, not to antagonize someone who’s driving slower than you’d like. Just because you never talk about deep things with someone, doesn’t mean you don’t have a close relationship. Music brings people together faster than almost anything else. Identity is one of the most necessary and most overlooked basic human needs. Rain makes you appreciate the sunshine. God is present.

That’s all from me, at least for now. I’ll be spending some time in Spokane, trying to figure out what the next step is. I’m content, right now, to just live life one day at a time. Thank you for going on this year’s journey with me and supporting me in various ways. I felt your love all the way from Northern Ireland – it didn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated. Blessings and peace to you all.

Under the Mercy, Megan