Ireland and Switzerland

By:

Jenine Jarrar

Published:

Countries

Demographics

Majors

Regions

Jenine Jarrar

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hello! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> James Madison University <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2023 <i>Destination city & country:</i> London, England <i>Program provider:</i> JMU <i>Major/minor:</i> English / Creative Writing & British Communications <i>Demographics:</i> Middle Eastern/North African, First woman to attend college in the family <i>Future career aspirations:</i> My future goal is to become an editor of children's literature! <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> 1. Immerse myself in the communities and culture of a new place. 2. Visit historical sites, such as Shakespeare's Globe theater! 3. Learn new things about my British literature course curriculum through my surroundings.

The past two weekends, I travelled to Ireland and Switzerland. There were vast differences between the two countries, and it was wonderful to travel outside of the United Kingdom for a little while. In Ireland, I took a day trip to the village of Doolin, Cliffs of Moher, and The Burren. This was some of my favorite scenery that I have gotten to see in Europe so far. The cliffs were breathtaking, despite the windy weather. I was able to go watch a traditional Irish dance show at Firkin Crane while I was there, and it was wonderful to engage in the culture in this way. The highlight of that trip was definitely The Burren and its unexpected beauty. It wasn’t one of the places on my To Do list at first, but ended up being my favorite. I plan to go back to Ireland in the coming years with my family, who are of Irish descent. I am excited to share with them all that I saw while I was there.

Next, we went to Zurich and Lucerne in Switzerland. The highlight of that trip was probably the hike up Mount Rigi. It was freezing cold and we were slipping down the mountain, but it was one of the most fun moments of my time here so far. I appreciated the incredible mountain scenery in Switzerland and how it contrasted the type of beauty we saw in Ireland and the Highlands. Switzerland also wins the award for some of the best food we have had. The fondue was incredible and authentic.

After these last couple weekends, we now don’t have any other travel outside of the UK planned. We are coming up on 2 weeks left in the program, and it is crazy to think how fast the time has flown. In this last time here, I will focus on enjoying the little things and savoring every moment. I am excited for what is to come!