July 19, 2009
I woke up, again not very early, and sadly prepared to leave Inis Meáin. As soon as I went downstairs, I was ushered into the breakfast room by Maura. I had a delicious breakfast, said many thanks and goodbyes to the Eogans and Maura, and carried my luggage out. Sean drove me to the small airport and told me, that if I were to ever return to the island and stay at Ard Alainn, I need not worry because he would be there to pick me up from the port. I laughed, thanked him, and watched him drive back up to Ard Alainn.
Because the islands are a popular destination, there are small flights that run to and from the mainland. The flights are tiny – they can seat about 12 people, including the pilot. I waited around for a while for the flight to arrive and once our luggage was boarded, we were seated. I got to sit right next to the pilot in the cockpit and it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I was espeically careful not to touch any of the switches or buttons.
The flight is less than ten minutes to and from the mainland. But while in the air, we all had fantastic views of the islands, the Burren, Galway Bay, and Connemara. The Cliffs of Moher would have been visible it had been a clear day.
I would have liked to just fly around for the aerial views, but we landed soon afterwards. The company does run scenic flights of the Cliffs, Connemara, and the bay, but I didn’t have time. Next time I go to Galway, booking a ticket on that flight is definitely on my list of things to do.
So I waited around for a bus to Galway and since I was the only passenger, I chatted with the driver about my stay and travels in Ireland. I was stuck in Galway for about two hours till my train, so I took a quick bus tour of the city. I had already seen the entire city when I came during the July 4th weekend, so I was a bit bored when I was there.
I finally boarded my train and arrived in Dublin in the evening. I was a bit bummed that I wasted the entire day in transit, but I needed to go home early enough so I could catch some proper rest.
Considering that it was the first trip that I had ever planned all by myself, I’ll say that I did a decent job. Frankly, I was a bit worried to be traveling by myself, but it all worked out perfectly in the end. The islands are a good place for some quiet and peaceful time, and I was happy to be away from the noise and traffic of the city.
As soon as I left Inis Meáin, I began to miss it terribly. It is truly a place where time does stand still. People don’t look at the clock (although they do bother keeping one) and one wouldn’t notice how time passes until the sky changes colors.
It's also peacefully quiet and the silence is only punctuated by the occasional sheep. I loved how much I could just sit and hear myself think. I loved that I could suspend thought as well, as if it were something too bothersome. I could just sit and be, and for a brief moment in time, I was without identity or responsibility.
If I try to describe the time I spent on the island, I can only narrate what I did. I cannot explain how I felt. Any picture of Inis Meáin is incomplete without actually experiencing a day on the island. And even what little I saw is hardly representative of the daily lives of the islanders.
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