Starting to Fit In – Fund for Education Abroad

I write this knowing I will soon have to leave Ireland, and it has begun to weigh heavily on my mind.

I recently returned from a spring break where I spent a week in Benidorm, Spain, on the coast! What a fun and relaxing time it was! I did end up traveling solo for part of it, I flew from Dublin to Barcelona on my own. This was my first time traveling alone, and in a foreign country where I don’t fluently speak the language! I learned a lot about myself in this experience, particularly that I am actually capable of difficult things on my own! After this adventure of traveling alone, I have gained so much confidence in myself and my independence.

That isn’t to say I wasn’t excited to come back to Ireland and my community of fellow students from my college.

As I was riding the bus back to the western coast of Ireland, I looked out the window at the scenery and felt like I was returning home. I really do feel I have found another home in the local community I live in here in Tully Cross, Ireland. And I was welcomed back by everyone with a warm embrace and an ear excited to listen to my travel stories!

Here in Ireland, people seem to really value hospitality and kindness. They will go out of their way to make sure you feel welcomed and comfortable, but to also teach you about their own culture and life.

While I was speaking to one of my supervisors at the radio station I am interning at during my study abroad, he was so excited to hear that I felt as if I was returning home from my spring break in Spain. He later told our group that my sentiment of this community as a home had shown him how impactful this experience can be on us students, but also on the locals. He felt that all the hard work the community puts into the program had truly had a positive impact and effect.

It feels as if I have just found my place here in Ireland, that I have become adjusted to it as my new home. And sadly, I must leave soon. I plan to take some time to reflect on this aspect of my journey. I find it’s always important to take a step back and review what’s going on and how you are feeling about it! A lot comes at you fast while you are studying abroad.