After 18 years of living in the same town, the same house and spending my days in the same school system, I left for college. I loved high school, so college had a lot of living up to do. But, like most college students, I have fallen in love with my school. In spite of that, after a year and a half at school, I decided that it was time to expand my horizons once again. I committed to studying abroad in Limerick, Ireland, for the spring semester of my sophomore year. For four months, I will leave my beloved homeland behind and become the adventurous world traveler that every college student these days dreams of. While I am extremely excited to begin this new journey, saying goodbye to America has been pretty tough. Here’s what the process has been like.
The Initial Excitement
Wow! I really did it! After the relatively simple process of deciding to study abroad and filling out the application, I received confirmation that I was approved to go to Limerick. The news was pretty surreal. The possibility of being able to explore a totally new country and culture was suddenly a reality. Of course, many excited texts and calls were made to my friends and family. I would soon become a world traveler!
The Moment(s) of Panic
Oh God. What have I done? I can’t possibly leave home, school, my friends, family, boyfriend and especially not my dog! Four months is a long time! What the heck even is a euro? How could I have thought I could do this?! When I bought my flight ticket, the sleepless nights followed. There was so much uncertainty, it seemed almost silly to leave behind the comfort I had created for myself in America. But despite the many, many moments of doubt, it was still impossible to forget my desire to see the world.
The Heartfelt Farewells
One of the hardest parts of studying abroad was saying goodbye to my friends and to my beloved school. It was so strange to pack up all my things in December, knowing all my friends would be returning in January without me. However, we convinced each other that one semester wouldn’t change our special friendships.
The Despairs of Packing
Are you seriously telling me that I have to fit everything I need to survive for four months into two 50-pound suitcases? I can’t bring six stuffed animals, 12 pairs of shoes and my entire scarf collection? Well, this really stinks. I’m still convinced I’ve forgotten something incredibly essential at home and do not even ask me how I plan to fly home in May with all my new foreign purchases. Perhaps the Europeans can shed some light on it for me.
The Airport
This is it. I felt like I was the center of some sick tug of war game. America versus Ireland. The teams were neck and neck. Saying goodbye to my loved ones was incredibly difficult, especially since the complete strangers around us were definitely judging. You know what they say: airports are the greatest places to people watch. And man, we were probably a great show.
As I begin this new chapter of my life, I am beyond excited to share all my adventures and insights with my beloved friends and readers. Thanks for making the goodbye so hard, America. See you in 16 weeks.
