July 20, The Last Day in Ireland

Today has been quite bittersweet for me. I am excited about heading home to see and hug my friends and family. I am looking forward to knocking some of the foods off of my dream list that I have been missing while here: Mexican food, Italian food, BBQ, ice. I am glad to not have to re-pack everything that I own every couple of days. However, I do not want to leave this country and all that it has shown me; and the weather today does not make leaving any easier. I think one of our waiters last night said it best when he stated "Ireland is always beautiful, but when the sun is shining it is absolutely magical." We had to leave the castle in Donegal early this morning so that we could have the car back to Dublin on time without incurring any further costs (but that is a different story). When we stepped out to load the car the sky was an unbelievable shade of blue. It was a beautiful day to drive, and as we drove the clouds grew into big fluffy white shapes. As John Mayer sings in his song 3x5, "mountains in the sky are next to mountains anyway."

This photo has not been enhanced, that was really the color of the sky.

Our route took us through the southern edge of Northern Ireland for about an hour of our four hour trip, and it was magnificent. A large portion of that had to do with the shining sun, but the landscape was stunning. We did not have time to really stop and soak in the surroundings, but Rachael did snap some pictures while I was driving. Looking back at the map now, we drove along the south side of what is called Lower Lough Erne. Again, the landscape looked completely different than the area we had just left, less than 100 kilometers behind. As we drove, Rach and I had an earnest conversation about the possibility of changing our plane tickets and squeezing in one more day, but ultimately decided against it.

The last few days have been an extraordinary conclusion to an unbelievable month of growth, learning, highs, lows, and impact; and I am typing this with tears in my eyes. I am so grateful. This has been an amazing experience and I appreciate having had the opportunity to live it. It has made an indelible mark on my life, and there are so many people that I want to thank for the role they played in this adventure.

The Community Foundation and the R.E.B. Committee for funding and supporting teachers in their quest to grow and experience things that are far beyond the financial grasp of most teachers.

My parents and family for supporting me and encouraging my pursuits, even when they did not understand what exactly it was that I was doing.

Jim McClung for opening my eyes to the world intellectual disabilities and cultivating my desire to explore a life of serving others.

My Camp Rainbow Connection family who welcomed me at the age of 15 and have provided me with support, guidance, encouragement, and an outlet for ideas ever since then. Martha Stokes for working so hard to maintain and promote this ministry, and her personal support. Bill and Ann Burch for planting the seed of exploring L'Arche.

Stuart Nabors and Alison Marchetti for their support and assistance in editing and proof reading my R.E.B. application forms.

The faculty and administrators at James River High School for supporting me and my students.

My students and their families.

The breakfast club: Jenette, Chef, A'Leigh. Thank you for absolutely everything. You guys rock.

All of my friends for being there along the way.

Please know that this post Is not the end of my blog. In fact, it is not even the end of my R.E.B. experience, as I still have two more major conferences to attend during the next school year. I plan to continue to write and update this site consistently to reflect my experiences, so please keep checking back, or join as a follower. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Mom and dad, we found an Esso station, but the Burger Chef proved to be more elusive.

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