Greetings from Galway, Ireland! I’ve been here about two months now, but I’m just finally getting the hang of it. This week is the first week I haven’t needed to look at the location of my classes to find them—the campus is big and confusing, but beautiful. I finally know the bus schedule, I’m following my budget, and I’m being somewhat productive in the meantime.
I’ve been trying to take advantage of my location as much as I can (and cheap Ryanair flights). I’ve made it to Liverpool, Paris, and Prague so far. In November, I will travel to a couple of cities in Italy, and a week later, I’m visiting my friends in Cyprus, who are studying at the University of Nicosia this semester. Here in Ireland, I’ve visited the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher, and some little towns down south.
I’ve met people from far and wide—I have friends from Italy, Estonia, Sweden, India, and of course, Ireland. I’m most involved in orchestra society, but I try to attend as many random society and school events as I can. It’s a little harder to find my place than I’m used to. The student body is about seven times bigger than that of my school at home, and at times, it can be overwhelming.
I’ll admit, the thing I miss most from home is the seminar-like classes. The small clubs. The relationships with my professors. I didn’t know how much I thrived in the interactive, small-class size setting until I lived a month in a place where I’m relatively nameless. Still, the classes are all very interesting, and I’m enjoying myself more than I’m not.
There’s a consistent ache of homesickness. It randomly gets worse, and then better. A couple weeks back, my parents visited me, and when they left I had an especially melancholy week. But, I expected this, and I’ve decided that it’s a privilege to miss home and still be having a wonderful time.
I get to go back to the places and people I love so much at the end of all this. And, if the main source of sadness is the missing—and not the actual quality of life I have over here—then, I’ll take it. In the meantime, I’ll spend my time painting and writing on the Corrib river, or listening to Trad at the local bars.
Love, Ella