Cavan

It was the summer of 2015. That was when Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” was taking over the airwaves, and when I couldn’t wait to be a barista at Starbucks, and I learned that relationships rarely work out how you think they will. That was the summer I went to Ireland.

This is the first of a few posts breaking down the experiences I had abroad and, as I’m sure is obvious, a rip off of the opening scene from Dirty Dancing, one of my favorite ridiculous 80s movies and second only behind Top Gun.

Oddly enough, after a brash decision to cut my long locks off into a curly bob that unintentionally resembles Jennifer Grey’s, I’ve been finding myself more and more relating to her character Baby and the experiences she has during a summer vacation. Not to mention that, because of said haircut, more than a few people in our study abroad group took to nicknaming me Baby- and it didn’t occur to me to mind.

The first place I saw in Ireland, and the place where some of my most precious memories are set, is the small town of Cavan.

This is the school building where I stayed with around 20 strangers-turned-friends, in a room that overlooked a soccer field and was surrounded by hills and cows. This is where we would trudge the long walking path back to after nights in the small town nearby that we would visit for coffee, or shopping, or traditional Irish music in pubs and pop music in clubs, and sometimes even late night pizzas. The many stairwells are always freezing but the showers, even though in the basement, always have hot water and the hallways are perfect for loudly singing Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance” after bonding with a new friend over their music. Or listening to another friend belt “I Will Always Love You”. Or just to Whip and Nae Nae in. Really the whole place is very musical, and that’s not even including the tear jerkingly beautiful harmonies we would hear during daily mass and adoration.

There’s a fire pit that begs to be used every chilly night, with the swing nearby and myriad of fallen tree branches to choose from for burning. The sun sets late and rises early and it is not even a little impossible to spend an entire night out by a fire learning songs on old guitars or seeing who can do the best cartoon impressions (it’s me, by the way, and anyone who disagrees can eat my shorts). While there aren’t that many hours of darkness in Ireland in June, the few that they do have are perfect for counting the stars from a laid out blanket, dancing in the headlights of a parked car, or lighting lanterns and setting them free -or in our case straight into a tree.

A friend with a soul as beautiful as this church encouraged me to think about angels in ways I had never considered before, specifically just how many can fit into a church this size.

The town itself was as welcoming as the people in it, and I’ve been spoiled by their kindred spirits.

Cavan was the backdrop to so much personal growth for me, but none of what I could have seen at the time. Becoming instant friends with the four other girls that I shared a room with, bonding over meals in the living room, and swapping stories with people from all over the country weren’t things that I knew would happen when I left for this trip, but they have regardless. I know people who do amazing things now and, through them, I know that I can do amazing things as well. Because of Cavan and because of the people that I met while I was there I know that I am a person capable and deserving of love. And I know that every other human is too. I know that the only separation from a person being a stranger and becoming a friend is a smile and a hello. This might be a large thought to put to such a small place but the space that Cavan takes up in my heart is huge.

It is possible that I’m remembering the Emerald Isle with rose colored glasses on, and it is possible that I’m being biased when telling you that Cavan is fantastic. But the one thing you can take away from my experiences there is that, even if it hurts you to go into something new, doing so with an open heart and an open mind leaves you open to positive experiences.

Recently for me, my life and my plans have taken a bit of a 180, and so leaving for Ireland felt a little bittersweet. Many aspects of my home life were changing, despite my attempts at keeping them the same, and I wasn’t sure what to expect from new people in a new place. As it turned out, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I learned that people who know nothing of my life at home can experience the same emotions I had been wading through, and I learned that doing things on your own for nobody but yourself isn’t selfish or bad but necessary to grow.

Cavan was the perfect setting for my personal growth, and now, being back at home, when I get discouraged with my current situation, I can have these memories in this place where I had the time of my life*.

*it is also possible that I was just looking for an excuse to use this gif, because I love this scene so much.