So you had a fantastic craic on the Emerald Isle and now you’re back, able to withstand any weather conditions and drink all the lads you know under the table. Though you’re grateful to be back to the land of iced coffee and bagels, you probably brought back more from the homeland than you even realized. For those of you who spent a semester in Ireland, here are a few new quirks you may have developed:
1. You still refer to “bars” as “pubs.”
2. And whenever a pub—er, bar—has a live band, you always ask them if they know “Galway Girl.”
3. If you get a Magners, you tell everyone who will listen how it doesn’t even compare to the sweet, sweet nectar that is Bulmers cider.
4. You can down a pint of dark beer like water.
5. Rain (or any natural elements, for that matter) doesn’t even faze you anymore.
6. You still expect everyone you encounter on the street to be super friendly…
7. …and all your cab drivers to be talkative, even though in America they’re more like this:
8. Instead of pancakes and bacon, this is now your breakfast of choice:
9. And coffee doesn’t even taste right anymore without some Baileys.
10. You’ve also experienced a weird desire for Guinness Stew…
11. …and whenever you order soup, you always hope for a couple pieces of that delicious Irish brown bread.
12. You still refer to everything as “grand”…
13. …and tell people “Thanks a million!” when they help you out.
14. Even though it’s good to be back, you’ll always miss those rolling green hills.
Sláinte, Ireland!