Galway, Ireland — One of the highlights of the last couple weeks was a trip to the Aran Islands, one of the most famous areas of Ireland. These three islands off the west coast are legendary for their harsh environment and stalwart residents. For centuries, a small group of courageous Celts have lived on these barren islands, making a living from farming and more recently tourism, as the popularity of their woolen crafts has grown internationally. We hiked up to magnificent cliffs, which had no guardrails, and we walked directly to the edge of a 700-foot drop!

The last week in Galway was the busiest one. I had papers and finals for my literature and theater classes, which I enjoyed, and a group of us attended the internationally famous Galway Horse Races. Even though we knew nothing about horses, the enthusiastic atmosphere was contagious. We went out every evening, enjoying the night life of Galway and each others’ company. Everyone was beginning to realize that soon most of us would never see each other again. This hits hard when you realize that the 30 people, whom you have gotten to know so well over the last few weeks, will soon be scattered across the country, connected only by Facebook and perhaps an occasional visit. Since it takes quite awhile for me to “warm up” to people and to get to know them, I was surprised how much I genuinely enjoyed getting to know everyone during the trip. I connected with people and discovered things about them that I think I would not have had the privilege to in another situation.

The month I spent in Ireland this summer was, without a doubt, the best of my life. I know that everyone says that, but all the clichéd praises about studying abroad are true. It does change you, challenge you and, inevitably, impoverish you. But when all the bills are finally paid off, the benefits far outweigh the downfalls of traveling abroad. Many of my friends felt homesick by the end of the trip, and they were ready to go home, but I only felt disappointed that the time had gone so fast. Five weeks was just enough time for most of us to get settled and really feel at home in Galway, before it was time to leave. Studying abroad for the summer session means that I will graduate on time, but I do wish I had more time abroad. I feel like I barely scratched the surface of the Experience. As the Irish say, I had plenty of “craic,” or good times, brilliant craic indeed.

I found myself in various situations that I would have avoided at home, but I embraced them as a chance to challenge myself. I surprised myself with my ability to cope with the unknown and deal with problems by myself. Basically, I learned that I can rely on myself to make good decisions and that I can handle myself in unfamiliar situations. Arriving home felt great. I had missed my friends and family but, as they say in corny movies, I left part of my part of my heart in Ireland.

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Galway, Ireland — Since arriving in Galway, I have had the opportunity to observe a more traditional form of Irish life. Galway is a beautiful port city of about 72,000 people and a nearly equal number of swans. The National University of Ireland, Galway is situated just across the river from the city center. We are staying in an apartment complex called Corrib Village next to the campus. It is a nice place, right next to the river, perfect for exploring.

Since classes started there has been plenty of work to do, but the instructors made sure we could have adequate free time as well. Unfortunately, it seems the best way to see Ireland is on tour buses, and so we have been spending a great deal of time on them, driving everywhere to different tourist sites. Ireland is a beautiful country, it really does look just like the postcards.

Since we are only here for a few weeks, many of us took the opportunity to travel on weekends along the coast. A daytrip to the Cliffs of Moher, 700 foot cliffs along the Atlantic coast, was fantastic, and we saw a great deal of the countryside on the way. We also got to run three times around a “fairy ring” and make a wish. These are man-made earth fortresses which are ringed by trees and are supposed to be home to the fairies who play a large role in Irish lore.

The violent political history of the country is still very much alive in the people’s minds. British colonialism is still a sore subject, this was apparent in the bitterness expressed by our Irish tour guides of British injustices against them. I highly recommend the film “The Wind that Shakes the Barley,” if you have the opportunity to see it. It is brilliant and controversial, a tale of the IRA in early 20th century Ireland.

We spent the next weekend in Belfast, which has been the site of many riots in past years. Nothing spectacular happened while we were there which I was disappointed at, but I suppose it was all for the best. We did however take a daytrip to see the Giants Causeway, a incredible natural rock formation. The stones are pressed into near perfect hexagons, stacked up to 20 feet high. When we aren’t traveling all around Ireland, we are out enjoying the town. The nightlife here is great, the people are nice, and we have a lot of fun every time we go out. There’s only three weeks left in the program and I am going to be very sad to leave this place.

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Dublin, Ireland — To begin my adventures in Ireland, I arrived in Dublin a day ahead of the main group. Two other girls had also come early, so we pooled taxi fare to the hotel and spent the day free on the streets of Dublin. I’d heard a lot about Dublin before I came so I was not surprised to see a city much like any big city at home, but with an unmistakable Irishness. The Liffey River separates the classy North side from the working class South side. Ancient churches are seen every few blocks next to modern buildings, beautiful art work is displayed everywhere, signs appear in English and Gaelic (Irish language), open air cafés make it easier to see friends and stop for a drink.

During World Cup season the streets are filled with team colors, and huge TVs in the pubs allow crowds on the street to stop and watch. Pubs in Dublin are like Starbucks in the U.S. – there’s one on every corner and most are busy at all hours.

My group spent four days seeing the sights of Dublin and a nearby county. Just a few blocks from our hotel was Trinity College, where we saw the Book of Kells, a gorgeously scripted copy of the Four Gospels. The library at Trinity College is one of the most impressive places I have been to yet. We also toured the W.B. Yeats exhibit and the National Museum of Ireland which were fascinating and helped us to really understand the country’s turbulent history.

Writer Paul O’Brien gave us a walking tour of Dublin and pointed out many details of the city that we otherwise would have missed. The novel A Star Called Henry is set during the 1916 uprising, and I was surprised to learn that the columns of the post office still have bullet chips from the soldiers firing on the rebels who took refuge in the building. Likewise, the statue of Daniel O’Connell, a Catholic leader, is riddled with bullet holes from Protestant protestors. The Irish were, and still are, passionate about their politics. In James Joyce’s Ulysses, a man strolls through downtown Dublin, starting at the Liffey River and ending at the National Museum. His route is marked with bronze sidewalk plaques, which quote the passage where the location is mentioned.

Busy day, busy night, and I finally got the jet lag slept off! Saturday we took a tour bus to Powerscourt Gardens and Glendalough Monastery. Powerscourt is an old family mansion famous for its stunning gardens, which reminded me almost of Versailles. The Glendalough Monastery was erected in honor of St. Kevin, who it was rumored would stand with arms outstretched in prayer until birds built nests in his hands. Both places were more beautiful than I can describe, and my pictures probably do not do justice either.

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Irvine, Calif. — This summer I am studying abroad at the National University of Ireland, Galway through the University Studies Abroad Consortium. Galway is a city on the southwest coast of Ireland. It’s not a huge international tourist hot spot like Dublin, but a more traditional Irish city. Galway is famous for the arts and its beautiful scenery. The locals even speak Gaelic, which is becoming less common. I am very excited about this summer for many reasons, not the least of all is experiencing the Irish culture, which I find fascinating.

My heritage is mainly Irish and my family is very proud of their roots. It will be very exciting to see the places where my ancestors lived. Who knows, maybe I’ll even meet some distant relatives. I will have classes five days a week – I am enrolled in Irish literature and Irish theatre classes, which will be intensive (lots of reading) but will provide insight into the Irish consciousness. I am excited to be going abroad because I believe that it is very important to interact with and learn from people in other countries. Especially these days, it is vital to be aware of the impression that other peoples have of Americans and how they perceive us, in order to improve international relations. It is also important to observe and appreciate the differences between cultures to realize that just because something is different, it doesn’t mean it is inferior to what we know.

In addition to classes, my program has arranged various field trips, including to the Aran Islands and the Arts Festival, which I am looking forward to. Biking is big in Ireland as well, and I plan to rent one and get around as much as possible to see the sights. I am staying in a student village with other American students from all over the U.S., and we will be attending classes together at the university. I am so excited to meet people from all over the States who are as thrilled as I am to have this opportunity. I would say that the only things I am nervous about are that I might forget something important (I tend to do that) or that I run up a debt using credit cards, because I know how easy it can be if you don’t keep track of expenditures.

I have traveled a good deal before and hopefully have learned some lessons that will be useful in keeping myself out of trouble. I also know many people who have studied or traveled abroad and everyone has given me great advice. I decided to study abroad this summer so I can take UCI classes during the year and graduate within four years. I am counting the days until my flight, and until then, I have a lot of things to do to get ready!!

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