I definitely have thoughts about this, and they're not at all organized because it's late and I've spent all day reading and that tends to change the ways I think and express myself, but that is a me-issue and not a you-issue so here I go.

I think that even if you weren't going to Ireland, it would still seem like your older friends were leaving too soon, that the extra year would not be enough.

I think that you didn't really consider the ramifications about going to Dublin because they're really not that different from the ramifications of going to college in a different state: you're missing what's going on at home, you're far away, you're on your own, but at the same time you're never more than a phone call or email or plane ride away. The plane ride's a little longer, and the phone call might sound funny, and the culture shock is probably gonna be a little bigger, but I think that's basically it. It's just that now you've got two different homes you're leaving-- your home-home, where your parents are, and the home and the family you've made at F&M.

So yeah, it's big and it's scary but you're excited about it, and you will be fine, you will be better than fine, you will be AMAZING and Dublin will be AMAZING and those of us back here in the States will be super jealous of your extremely cultivated overseas-ness.

P.S. I'm around Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. When is good for you for the DVD drop (and possible hanging out, depending of course on your schedule)?