The Journey Continues

Making her way through the crowded train tracks, Erin paused momentarily to get her bearings. She needed to find platform six for the train to Galway which departed in 20 minutes. The trip to the train station had been easy, she'd hailed a taxi just to be sure she'd arrive in plenty of time. Now, standing amidst the bustling crowd, Erin found the second class train cars and climbed the steps. Taking a deep breath she gazed around, taking in quick sights of Connolly Station, making sure to take a snapshot in her mind. Immediately, Erin realized she would have to return to Dublin and explore it properly once she was settled in Galway.

Erin carefully pulled her heavy suitcase behind her and stowed it near the entry doors. Glancing around her, she found a pair of unoccupied seats, given the early hour of her arrival in Ireland, the train was mostly empty.

"I can't believe I'm finally here," she mused in her head. In spite of everything around her being completely new, she couldn't help but feel somehow deeply comforted by her surroundings, as if she was finally home at last.

As she arranged herself in her seat, pulled out her favorite novel, Jane Eyre, and prepared to reread it for probably the 5th time. Her mind drifted as she took in the busy platforms and the few travelers who had also arrived on the train.

Erin had lived a comfortable childhood, but much of her past was steeped in mystery. Erin had grown up in a very average way but just two years ago, on her 18th birthday, her parents had shattered her easy, simple world.

"Erin, we have loved you since the moment we first knew of your existence. What you don't know is that even though you are our daughter in every way, you were not born into our family," her mother had told her as gently as possible. At that moment, everything she had known, and believed about herself had crumbled.

Her mother went on to explain that Erin had been born to a young couple in New York. Her birth parents had been killed in a tragic car accident when they had gone out on a date night one autumn evening when Erin was only four months old. The couple had no living family to take care of her and she had been placed into the foster care system.

Just a few months later, Erin's life parents as she now knew them found her and adopted her. It was a completely stunning revelation though she had hints and suspicions throughout her life. Erin sighed and brought her thoughts back to the present. Her life had changed so much in the last two years and while everything she thought she knew was somehow shaken, she still had a happy life.

Finally, she heard a whistle from the conductor, and the heavy train shifted and began to slowly creep along the track, leaving the station. Erin couldn't help but feel that a new chapter was beginning in her life, one she hoped wouldn't bring any more uncertain and shocking surprises.

As the city slowly gave way to the lush, green rolling hills of Ireland, Erin could no longer keep her weary eyes open. She quietly drifted off into her dreams as her soul seemed to relax and become entwined with the peculiarly familiar landscape.