Before leaving for Ireland, I attended an “Arcadia De-Stress Before Departure” Zoom
session. Below is a digital recreation of my journal entry with some current-day reflections.

21 August, 2025
Question: What is one word that describes how you are feeling at this time?
My answer: Incapable

Okay, so that was probably a little dramatic. This reminds me of how I would feel before
starting a new semester at school. I would always feel like I was starting classes for the first
time, but in reality I’d done this multiple times and gotten through it just fine. Same with traveling
– When I was fifteen I travelled to Taiwan by myself. Despite this, I was still nervous. Even if we
haven’t done the thing we are embarking on right now, there are still experiences we’ve had that
we can pull from that can help us. We’re more capable than we think.

Question: Where is an area where you need to apply strength?
My answer: Trusting myself to figure things out

When thinking about long travel days and getting to know a new place, a great piece of
advice the session facilitator gave was to focus on the one next step ahead of you.

Question: What are your academic, health, financial, and relationship goals?
My answer:
- Academic: collaborate with others + show up as my authentic self + balance school with
yoga
- Health goal: soak up the location I’m in and work to create a safe space in my apartment
- Financial goal: be aware of what is an emergency purchase, need, or want
- Relationships: embrace the differences of others + don’t make assumptions
Looking back on this exercise now, I’m really glad I took the chance to do it. It allowed
me to take a deep breath, literally and metaphorically, and made starting a new journey much
easier.

21 November 2025
Question: What is one word that describes how you are feeling at this time?
Answer: Overwhelmed

Nearing the end of the semester, there is much to get done. It’s easy to get overwhelmed
by tasks and also by all the amazing experiences you’ve had in a short period of time. This is another time where it’s important to focus on the one next step and remind myself of the goals
I’ve set. When I first wrote down my goals in August I made sure they were more of mantras
than concrete achievements, so they’ve stayed relatively the same.

Another good reminder is asking for help when I need it from the network of people
around me: my family and friends, my home university, Arcadia Study Abroad and Arcadia
Ireland, and my internship and university advisors in Ireland.

Question: Where is an area where you need to apply strength?
Answer: Taking a deep breath and trusting myself that I will get the work done

At Torc Waterfall, Co. Kerry.

At Salthill Promenade, Co. Galway.