{"id":533,"date":"2026-05-18T16:08:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T16:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/?p=533"},"modified":"2026-05-18T16:08:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T16:08:38","slug":"the-last-hurrah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/?p=533","title":{"rendered":"The Last Hurrah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hello &#8212;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I am leaving tomorrow. My suitcases are packed, they&#8217;ve been weighed oh too many times. My room is clean, the walls are bare. There are too many things in the pantry left to eat, but nothing to make an actual meal. The last bucket list items have been checked off the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In order to do so, I spent yesterday traveling across Ireland and back &#8212; going first to Kilkenny, then Dublin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wanted to go back to Kilkenny because it was my first real trip this semester and one of my favorite cities in Ireland. I went back to my favorite coffee shop, wandered along the streets I had before, and gave in to buying a shirt I&#8217;d convinced myself out of purchasing last time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was really fun to travel and end up in a place familiar. But, it also felt all wrong to be doing everything for the last time, instead of with a semester ahead of me. Bittersweet, indeed. Heartwarming or heartbreaking, I&#8217;m not sure yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kikenny-gardens-Large-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kikenny-gardens-Large-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kikenny-gardens-Large-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kikenny-gardens-Large-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kikenny-gardens-Large.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-coffee-Large-copy-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-coffee-Large-copy-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-coffee-Large-copy-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-coffee-Large-copy-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-coffee-Large-copy.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"669\" data-id=\"535\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-train-station-Large-1024x669.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-535\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-train-station-Large-1024x669.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-train-station-Large-300x196.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-train-station-Large-768x502.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-train-station-Large.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"537\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-river-Large-copy-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-river-Large-copy-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-river-Large-copy-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-river-Large-copy-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kilkenny-river-Large-copy.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final adventure on my list was the EPIC, Irish Emigration, Museum in Dublin. It was a very fun museum with interactive exhibits and a little passport you could stamp in each room! My favorite was the sports room where you had to place an air hockey mallet on a corresponding dot on the table to &#8216;unlock&#8217; the information. You then spun the mallet to scroll through the details. I thought it was very creative!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"412\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-sign-Large.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-sign-Large.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-sign-Large-300x172.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also liked the last room where you could add an ancestor that emigrated to a big board with all of the other museum goers&#8217; ancestors!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ancestor-names-Large-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-540 size-full\" style=\"object-position:50% 50%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ancestor-names-Large-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ancestor-names-Large-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ancestor-names-Large-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ancestor-names-Large.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I added my current best guess of my Irish ancestor who emigrated and generations later gave me my name. I&#8217;ve been ancestry hunting all semester and still no definitive conclusion on who James Kenavan\/Canavan&#8217;s father is.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\">This one was quite thought-provoking, especially because I keep wondering if Gerald (or whoever) Canavan felt like I do now about leaving Ireland all those years ago. Could I cross the ocean with just a suitcase and a dream ahead of me? Maybe. Maybe I already did.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-luggage-Large-1-576x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-541 size-full\" style=\"object-position:51% 64%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-luggage-Large-1-576x1024.jpeg 576w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-luggage-Large-1-169x300.jpeg 169w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-luggage-Large-1.jpeg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I hope Gerald found in New York what I found here. I hope he found a home across the ocean too, but I know he never forgot the land of a thousand welcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211; From Ireland<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ireland-never-leave-you-Large-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-542\" style=\"width:338px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ireland-never-leave-you-Large-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ireland-never-leave-you-Large-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ireland-never-leave-you-Large-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ireland-never-leave-you-Large.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello &#8212; I am leaving tomorrow. My suitcases are packed, they&#8217;ve been weighed oh too many times. My room is clean, the walls are bare. There are too many things in the pantry left to eat, but nothing to make an actual meal. The last bucket list items have been checked off the list. In&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ireland"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPIC-ireland-never-leave-you-Large.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=533"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":543,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/533\/revisions\/543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lindners.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}