As soon as I got back from my walk, Luke and I packed up the car and headed back for Kevin's house in Kilcock. We arrived back later in the day and were met by cheers from Kevin's girls. It had been almost a month since I had last seen them so it was great to be able to spend my last bit of time with them. We had dinner and then enjoyed a cuppa altogether before Luke left for the night.
The next morning ushered in my last full day in Ireland and again, nothing felt real-I did not believe this was the end. I got ready for the day and Erin was going to take me to the train station to go into Dublin for the day. As soon as I was putting my purse together, I noticed my wallet was missing...I searched everyway-my suitcase, my coat, everywhere. I was also out of credit on my phone so I used Erin's to start calling anywhere where I suspected my wallet might be. Mind you my passport, credit card, ATM card, all IDS, money everything was in there. So in looking at the clock and seeing that I had nearly 24 hours until my flight back home to America, it was time to get to work. I called Des back in Mayo to check the house, Luke to check his car, the community center on Inishturk, the ferry out to Inishturk, the Garda station in Westport...I called everywhere I could think of in the County of Mayo. However, none of the results coming back were what I wanted to hear. The last time I had remembered using my wallet was at the community center on Inishturk. I had to think about changing my flight, trying to get into the embassy, there was a lot to take in. I called the American Embassy and learned that I needed 2 passport photos, $150, and any form of ID...things were just not going my way. So Erin and I headed into town and got credit on my phone and went to the pharmacy to get my passport photos. I then tried the emergency number for the US Embassy and was told that I could come in the next morning at 8:30am to get an emergency passport and that I should be able to make my flight the next day. I had been told that everything would work out and I only took the Irish saying with a grain of salt because I was starting to panic.
Kevin had taken the day off work to help out with the outrageous situation at hand and after I printed off my flight information, he had gotten word that if I was able to make it to the Embassy by 4, I might be able to get my passport that day. Well, it was 3:34 and to get into Dublin and to the other side of the city was not going to take only 26 minutes. However, we jumped in the car and sprinted into town and made our way to Ballsbridge. To make matters worse, there was a horse show in the area and the Irish Soccer League was playing Manchester United at a stadium down the road so traffic was only setting us back. By the time we pulled up to the 70s style building, it was 4:20. Kevin told me to run to the entrance and start pleading like I never had before. I ran to the window and the security guard, Eamon, took sympathy on me and called to see if there was anyone still in the passport department to help me out.
Thankfully Eamon came back to the window and let me into the door of the security hut. Just as I was about to go in, Kevin also came to the rescue with money for me to pay for the passport. Eamon took my iPod and cellphone and then I had to go through a metal detector and was given a lanyard. Eamon then had to escort me into the building, radioing when he was opening the door and then he had to sit with me in the room throughout my entire time in there. I was surprised my new friend did not have to come into the bathroom with me. To say that security at the American Embassy was overkill compared to the Irish Parliament would be an understatement. The woman who helped me get my passport just so happened to be from an island near Inishturk in Mayo so she was surprised to learn that I may have lost it out there. Eventually after filling out a few forms and learning more about my shadow Eamon, I received my emergency passport and was now free to head back to America, my unintentional plan to stay a little while longer had not worked. Eamon led us out, but apparently I had walked to far ahead of him as he was closing the door and at to sprint to get back by my side. I was given my iPod and cellphone back as I left and after bidding farewell and g'luk from my new friend, I ran to Kevin's car and we headed back. On our way we passed by Stephen's Green, the Grand Canal, Grafton, Trinity, River Liffey, but I could not help wish that I had had a proper good-bye to the city that had become my own. Maybe my mishap and the rain on my last day in Dublin were both supposed to happen so as to stop me from saying good-bye, but allowing me to know that I would be back and did not need to cry and trudge around the city. I will be back.
When we returned to Kilcock, I was wiped out and ready for dinner. I played with the girls for a bit and then had my final dinner in Ireland. After dinner, Erin and I ran to Tesco in Maynooth to get some Moro bars to bring back home. On the way, we had to pass through the main street of Maynooth and I was able to see the Roost, Mantra, Brady's, O'Neill's, the Happy Hound, the Laundrette, Bagel Factory, Lotus, Supermac's, Mizzoni's, Dunnes, and Maximus all again. I was able to say my good-bye to the 'Nooth, but it was all so different during the summer-it was almost dead. When we made it back to the house, Luke had called over and we enjoyed a cuppa, so though he was off and the girls went to bed. Erin and I watched a movie and then I headed to bed to prepare myself for the morning. I was relieved to not have to worry about getting up early and heading into Dublin to get my passport.
In the morning I woke up with a pit in my stomach and a broken heart, I never knew how soon my journey which started in January would end. Time had flown and as I brought my suitcase down the stairs, I was overcome with a desire to go back to the start. I got ready with my Mayo jersey and then had my final meal. Eve told me that I was flying back to America that day and I couldn't help but feel her grief as well as mine. Kevin was running late so Erin, the girls, and I loaded my stuff into the car and headed for the airport. On the way, I enjoyed listening to the girls belt out Lady Gaga and other popular music one last time. All I could do was laugh and enjoy the moment. Before I knew it, we were pulling up to the terminal and I was getting out of the car saying good-bye to Erin, Hannah, Eve, and Ella. They had become my pseudo family during my time here and I couldn't thank them enough for all that they had done for me. I sobbed as I hugged them each good-bye and turned to walk inside to check-in.
I forgot about the potential of having to pay for overweight luggage and as I put one of my bags onto the belt, I was told that I would need to pay 40 euro. Oh dear, here came the tears. I asked if there was anyway I could give them a credit card number, but they could not. More tears came and the woman I was working with took sympathy on me, but her co-worker did not and with only 25 euro on me, I frantically called Erin. She was already on the highway back so it would be some time for her to turn back. I thankfully remembered that I still had 100 Norwegian Kroner on me and so I ran to convert them, but that only gave me 10 euro. With only 5 euro to go, I grabbed my plastic bag full of change that I had been carrying with me and counted out 5 more euro. Thank the lord. This whole losing the wallet deal was not working out too well. However, the woman informed me that she was not able to accept cash so she sent me over to another desk. Thanks a mil for telling me earlier...I then left my bags and ran to get my boarding ticket. Finally I had in my hand and then made my way to security and my gate. I was beyond ready to just get home and end this traveling chaos. When I made it to my gate, I realized that I had to go through customs there in Ireland so I filled out a customs form and then went down some stairs and was released to my gate. One of my housemates from Dublin was also leaving about the same time on a different flight and after searching her gate with no sign of her, her surprise arrival at my gate was exactly what I needed. I had been so stressed out trying to get my bags onto the flight and with the stress of leaving, I needed a friendly face to make my laugh. However, our visit was too short and parting from her was just another notch on my long good-bye belt. Soon I boarded my flight and as soon as my plane left the ground, my seven month adventure ended and things for me had changed, utterly changed...
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