Arcadia Ireland

Rule number one: Do not put fingers in lambs mouth. Little did I know that the sign that stuck out so brightly against the stone of the lambs enclosure on my first trip to Ireland would become the first of many rules that I would discover when studying abroad. There are some obvious reasons why you should not put your fingers in a lamb’s mouth. I’m sure you can imagine why, but after a quick Google search, there are even more reasons than I thought. Confusion, distress, diseases - there are more negatives than positives to putting your fingers in a lamb's mouth.

So, what does this have to do with studying abroad? Well, sometimes, studying abroad can make you feel like a lamb and someone else is putting their fingers in your mouth. Confusion, distress, even disease sometimes, no matter what, being thrown into a new environment can be scary. It can feel as though you are standing on weak legs and looking for someone to shuffle you in the next direction. But, studying abroad is also a once in a lifetime experience, where you meet fellow lambs who are just as nervous as you are, and who will let you lean on them when your legs are feeling weak, and who will protect you from greedy fingers, and will navigate the confusion and distress and even the disease with you. Now that you’ve imagined yourself as the lamb, maybe my first rule makes a little more sense. And, if you want to hold a baby lamb, there’s a farm in Dingle, Ireland, called “Hold a baby lamb farm.” It’s taught me some important lessons while holding baby lambs, so maybe it can do the same for you. But regardless, do not put fingers in lambs mouth. 

Rule number two: Never say no to a cuppa. My first week in Dublin, I was told that saying no to a cuppa was a grave offense and I might not be invited back if I declined. I listened to that and then promptly forgot, as we went off to play Gaelic Games. It wasn’t until my roommate offered me my first Irish cup of tea that I remembered those words. And I realized why I should never say no to a cup of tea, other than the fact that Irish tea is delicious. My roommate went through the ritual of preparing the tea, boiling the water, grabbing the packets of Barry’s, readying the milk and sugar, and pulling mugs down from the cabinet. And as she did this, we talked and caught up, and then when the tea was ready, we sat and talked some more, hugging the mugs with our fingers. I found that even with how quickly abroad seemed to be going, and believe me, it goes quickly, having those moments of tea and conversation (tea and tea, if you will) showed me that time slows down with tea. Waiting for it to steep, stirring in the sugar and milk, then waiting for it to cool down, time was on tea’s clock. Studying abroad will go fast, and each week seems to pick up speed, but drinking tea with my roommate always allowed me to enjoy the moment, and swap stories and laughter. So, rule number two: never say no to a cuppa. 

My third rule is less of a rule and more of a quote, but something to live by nonetheless. One of my favorite authors, Paulo Coelho, said, “If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” After stumbling upon it accidentally while abroad, I scrawled it out on a sticky note and stuck it to my wall, right above my desk. It was a quote that had stuck with me throughout my entire time abroad, and all my travels during and after. Personally, I have never been good at saying goodbye, which is fitting for why I chose to study abroad in Ireland (after all, there’s nothing easier than an Irish goodbye). Goodbyes have always been kind of the worst for me, and they’re something that I do not enjoy doing. Studying abroad forced me to face saying goodbye head-on. At first, it was goodbye to my home, family, and friends. Goodbye to my pets and Dunkin Donuts, and driving on the right side of the road. Then, suddenly, it was time to say goodbye to Dublin. Dublin, which had become my new hello, with its lights and chatter and pubs, with the harps and toucans sprawled along the walls throughout the city, swearing Guinness is good for you. With the double-decker buses speeding past, kicking up the smell of the city and Irish air, Dublin was the reward of a lifetime. And I’m so happy that I was brave enough to say goodbye to everything I knew. When you are brave enough to say goodbye, be ready to embrace the reward of a new hello. 

Three rules: Do not put fingers in lambs mouth, never say no to a cuppa, and be brave enough to say goodbye. Though they seem a little silly now that I see them written out side by side, there’s no refuting how true they are. Studying abroad can seem like an intimidating experience, where there are no safety blankets and you’re thrown into a new country. But, once you’re there, it’s about as intimidating as a lamb or a cup of tea. You will meet people who have lived a much different life from you, and you’ll attend classes with totally new perspectives. Just make sure to figure out your own rules, or remember these, if you’ve found them helpful. You never know when an opportunity might present itself, and you have to remind yourself that your fingers do not belong in a lamb's mouth.