Amongst the Irish

Since returning to the U.S., looking back on my time in Ireland feels like remembering another life. It was an absolutely whirlwind of 4 months, filled to the brim with experiences I may never live again but I will be eternally grateful for. Study abroad is this bizarre period in which it’s so easy to get caught up in the fantasy of it all – oh, I’ll spend my birthday in Paris or take a quick weekend in Madrid to try real paella and then meet some friends of a friend in Edinburgh? Easy. Book a RyanAir flight and do it. It will teach you invaluable skills like how to adapt as well as a deep appreciation for how special all of these places are.

I chose to study in Dublin, Ireland because ever since my family took a trip to the Emerald Isle when I was 9 years old, it’s been a mystical place that I was sure I’d return to. And it’s true, the people are some of the best and most friendly you’ll ever encounter, you’ll learn to appreciate great beer, and you’ll leave practically able to quote Yeats to any passerby. But, as with any life-upending experiences, it is a mixture of highs and lows. Be ready for rain, and lots of it. Dublin can sometimes feel small and grey but there are so many adorable cafes and museums tucked within its winding streets, you’ll never be short of a new place to explore.

However cliché and pretentious it may sound, study abroad does change you. It gives you a perspective of yourself and your life that would be almost impossible to understand by staying still. Whatever your experience abroad, I can almost promise you’ll come out the other end infected with what they call the “travel bug” and soon be itching to get back on a plane and keep exploring.