18 January 2015
For my last day with my home stay family, I soaked in the quiet morning of a room of my own as much as I could before moseying to the kitchen for breakfast. It was bittersweet to think that today my weekend was coming to an end. On one hand, I would greatly miss my temporary room, the comforts of a home, and my wonderful host family. On the other hand, I was rejuvenated and ready to return to Galway. This was just the weekend I needed to get a taste of home when I craved the comforts of my own home and family so much.
To end our stay, we relaxed throughout the morning until making a trip to the grocery to gather the items we needed for an Irish fry. My host family wanted to send us off with a traditional Irish meal and full stomachs, so they planned to feed my roommate and I a variety of Irish breakfast foods. With groceries stocked for the fry, my hosts made our meal while we relaxed in the sitting room.
Everyone gathered in the kitchen to eat the meal before my roommate and I departed for the bus back to Galway. The Irish fry consisted of potato waffles, toasted bread, rashers, sausage, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding, and a fried egg. The meal was delicious and the perfect send-off for my roommate and I.
Our time quickly came to an end and we rushed to gather our bags and get to the bus. As I boarded the bus, I thought about how I could not have asked for a better experience. It was everything that I had hoped for and then some thanks to my hosts kind generosity, wonderful meals, and Irish hospitality.