This semester I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Ireland. Needless to say, the experience has been beautiful and amazing. In only 2 months I've come to appreciate this country and love it as my own. Here's a few things I've learned to value from my study abroad experience.
1. Going outside isn't so bad: Anyone who knows me knows I like to chill at home and while I love taking pictures of nature, I tend to stay away from it. However, in my time here I've had many opportunities to go explore Ireland and actually walk around and hike and really appreciate the beauty around me. Being out in nature has helped me to connect with Ireland and has made me appreciate the wonders of this world all the more.
2. Friendship: I'll be honest with you all, I am not the greatest person at making friends. I am sort of socially inept, yet I have somehow managed to make friends so yay for me! In these short months I've met people who I already dread saying goodbye to. People who make me laugh and fill my days with joy and love. People who drag me out of my room and have adventures with me. I've really been able to connect with people from all over and feel beyond blessed to have met the people that are now in my life. They are my family now and I am forever greatful to them.
3. Peace is achievable: When I left home I wasn't in the best place mentally speaking. I had a hard summer and quite honestly, depression was kicking my butt. I had all these hopes riding on Ireland and it being amazing and thank God that my good vibes were well received. I was nervous that being away and having to start all over would be hard and just worse for my mental health, yet from the moment I landed I was overwhelmed with peace and a feeling of freedom. While I still have had some bad days, overall I genuinely feel happy and at peace and that is a debt I'll never be able to repay.
4. Faith is everything: I've been Catholic my whole life so part of coming to Ireland was a bit of a spiritual journey for me. I joined the Catholic Society and through meetings and pilgrimages and even Mass I feel much closer to my faith than ever before. I cannot deny that it must've been Providence that brought me here because I've never felt closer to God.
5. It's okay to have fun and not just study: I am such a nerd that it hurts! I am in a constant state of stress and exhaustion and I often times forget to just take time to relax and unwind. Yes, it took me 20 years to realize that I need to take a break from my studies and GO HAVE FUN! It's nice to put my studies on pause without feeling irresponsible. So, nerds of the world: take a break, go for a walk, catch a movie, get some pizza, have a pint and just chill for a bit.
6. Do something out of the ordinary: you're far from home, there's a bunch of things to do you probably never thought of doing so pick one and go! I had the opportunity to go see Greyhound Racing and the winner was the dog belonging to the person who invited us, how cool is that? Also, we got to be in the picture so everyone in Ireland that follows the races knows my face and that's kind of cool, right?
7. Take advantage of culture: Go to art galleries, visit all the museums, go to the old castles, see a play for 25 euros in the front row (yes, that's happened - twice!), see a local film or go listen to traditional music. Don't let the opportunities pass you by. I've gotten to learn so much about my favorite Irish writers after visiting the Irish Writer's Museum in Dublin and have had the chance to visit the Abbey Theatre and see a musical there. I've also found one of my (new) favorite movies in an Irish film, so go out there and find something new to love. Also, I saw the Guinness Storehouse which was pretty cool so...
8. Homsickness: I've technically been studying abroad all my college career since I've been in the states and far off from my Puerto Rico, yet while the past 3 years in Ohio have filled me with a homesickness that's made my love for home grow even more, I've somehow barely felt homesick in Ireland. Perhaps it's the lovely and friendly people, or the constant rain and greenness that reminds me of home, but, in a way, it feels as if Cork really is home.
9. Travel opportunities: Be it in Ireland or outside, being here has given me the opportunities to travel to places like Gougane Barra, Knock, Ring of Kerry, Killarney, Cove, Mizen Head, Dublin, and pretty soon I'll be off to Germany and Italy! By far one of the greatest things from studying abroad is being able to travel and experience both tourist life, more traditional Irish life and simply travel abroad for a much cheaper price than expected.
10. Money talk: While I have been floored by how inexpensive Ireland is in comparison to Ohio and Puerto Rico, I've also had to be much more money-conscious. I've had to pay to do my laundry, do my own grocery shopping and have tried (and often failed) the temptation of splurging on books, clothes, and other fun stuff...but mostly books.
11. Independence and creativity: While I've had to be pretty independent in Ohio, I still never had to cook since I had Convo and the Nest, laundry was free, and if anything too bad happened or I needed something my mom or my grandma would just send me it. Being in Ireland has forced me to make meals for myself, but also to split costs by making meals with friends and taking turns. It's taught me to hand-wash clothes just to avoid spending 5-10 euros on doing laundry. To use home remedies when things go south and to get creative when all else fails - even if it's classing up my home-cooked meals to feel like I actually went out.
12. Pursue my passions: After a great exisitensial crisis of last year during Thanksgiving, I finally decided on a what I wanted my postgrad degree to be...but I had no idea where to even go! Then I came to Ireland. Being here has led me to apply for grad school abroad and hopefully continue to pursue my passions in Ireland.
Whether you've thought about studying abroad or not, it's definitely an experience like no other and you should definitely give it a shot. You never know what (or who!) you'll find.
