Any good writer will tell you that before sitting down to write, you should have a goal in mind and a direction you want to head with your writing. I don’t have any idea what I’m about to write, I’m mostly just thinking out loud. It has been a while since I’ve written one of these, and honestly I don’t know if anyone reads them, but I figured I should sit down and at least record my thoughts.
The last few weeks have been pretty hectic, not necessarily bad – I’ve actually done lots of fun stuff. I’ve became better friends with the international students on campus, I was able to finish tied for 2nd in my final golf tournament of the year, and coaching at Holywood GC is going very well. It has been stressful, though. I was finishing up my interviews for a job that I really wanted, and waiting for their response was a killer. I am happy to say that I came out victorious and will be working in Dubai starting in September. I am really excited and I really wanted the job, it will do wonders for me both culturally and for my career. However, it will mean going even farther from home. I’m not the kind of person who ever gets homesick, and I don’t necessarily want to ever make a permanent return to my hometown. Being on literally the other side of the world will be a huge challenge, I’ve been lucky that balancing my home social life hasn’t been that tough while in Belfast. I can still text no problem, and keep up with social media and whatnot but that will be way tougher in Dubai. I’m sure I’ll figure it out and be fine, but it is definitely something to consider.
My time here is winding down. I’m getting to the point where everyone is asking when I’ll be headed home, and my fellow scholar-turned-close-friend Michael Riopel is headed home tomorrow. He has some great things to get back to and I’m happy for him, but I (and everyone else) will miss him this final month. Kollyns is leaving in a few days as well, and I will definitely miss her as we’ve always meshed perfectly with similar senses of humor and laid back but positive attitudes. It seems strange to see both of them go – it feels like just yesterday we all met for the first time.
Perhaps more than any single person, I’m going to miss coaching the juniors at Holywood Golf Club. I’ve formed such great relationships with all of them. I know coaching carries a strong degree of responsibility and requires being professional, but I honestly look at them like they are little brothers and sisters that I truly care for, much beyond golf. They’ve made my time here truly fantastic. We do so much coaching at HGC – we have devoted almost every weekend for 9 months to that program. Not having weekends to ourselves can be tough, but sometimes there is no place I would rather be, and I know for a fact when I go home I will feel like a piece of me is left behind at Holywood. I don’t know how, but I’m going to do my best to keep in contact with the program and stay updated on all of their inevitable successes.
I sat down at my desk 15 minutes ago with no goal, but I’m glad that’s what I did. The taste is a bit bittersweet, and although this type of blog would usually be reserved for the final one before I go home, I think getting these thoughts out into the open with another month remaining will help me savour and appreciate everything before I go. The air feels heavier than it did 15 minutes ago, but sometimes that is for the best.
