Now for the impossible task of lugging my luggage down the 8 flights of stairs thanks to the broken elevator. Thank you drunken fools. Both of my large suitcases weighed about 50 pounds each. Plus my backpack, and my carry on which was packed full, and then a bag of garbage. Needless to say, when I finally got downstairs with all of my belongings I was breathing heavy. The sun was rising over UCD, and I made my way down the street with my belongings, thinking the gate was closed so cabs couldn't get up to Roebuck. Turns out it wasn't closed, but either way, I called a cab instead of walking the mile to the entrance with all of my stuff. The operator told me that one would be there to get me in 15 minutes so I sat on the curb and soaked up the last moments in UCD-Belfield.
When the cab driver arrived, he got all my bags into the trunk and I said goodbye to the University College of Dublin. I told the cab driver I was going home to Chicago. He was quiet for about the first 10 minutes of the ride, but in true Irish fashion, that didn't last long. Soon we were talking about my time in Ireland, what I love and hate about Chicago, about drinking ages and hangovers, and life in general. We passed all of the things I saw on my very first day in Dublin-- the doors, the pubs, the Liffey. Things that have now become common and a part of my everyday. How soon we adapt to new surroundings. Soon we were pulling into the Dublin Airport. I paid the hefty 35 euro, and got out of the cab. The driver got my luggage out and asked me if I needed a trolley. I told him I'd be fine, but he insisted he would get me a cart. Glad he did. I wheeled my luggage through the airport and found the line to check in for American Airlines. I am pretty sure the only flight that AA operates out of Dublin is the one to Chicago so there was only one desk and it wasn't open yet. I made friends with a mother & daughter from Chicago in line and that passed the time until the desk opened up. I had to go through pre-security before checking in, an added precaution since I was flying to America. Safety first.
I got to the check in desk, paid for my extra luggage (all of which was miraculously underweight), and then headed through security. Through security and on my way to find my gate 313. I located it and had plenty of time, so I went to find the tax refund place. Honestly I only had about 12 euro in tax refunds but that's like $15 American dollars, so I went through the process of submitting all my receipts. Then I wandered through duty free for a while, got a Toblerone bar, and headed to my gate. I found a place to sit and read for a while. I got up to use the bathroom before we boarded and ran into Shannon and Katie who were also on my flight (original and new). They had to fly to Chicago and then fly from Chicago to Boston...seemed a little backwards to me but whatever.
We made friends with another student whose name I don't know, another Chicago boy. We all boarded and found our seats, mine conveniently located between an asian man with a diskman and an upper middle aged business man glued to his blackberry. 8 hour flight, and I wasn't really tired, so I read, listening to music, and slept for about 3 hours thanks to my Dramamine. It was all surreal, and when the Chicago skyline came into view, Dublin became another lifetime away. It was like I never left. Touchdown, and just like that, the adventure was over, and not even any RyanAir success music to signify it. I pulled out my American cell phone and turned it on...success. Within 2 minutes, I had notified as many people as I could text that I was indeed home. Instant communication to the outside world...definitely missed that. I followed the crowd towards immigration, waited to go through passport control, had the guy welcome me home and headed to the luggage carousels to grab my suitcases.
Through customs, with all my luggage and then out to free American soil. Welcome to the United States.
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