Student Bloggers

January 6, 2015: Today, I will be in Galway! I awoke to my early morning alarm thrilled to be traveling to my new home later this afternoon. To end our orientation, the Cork and Galway Arcadia students met for a final time in the Wood Quay venue to go over home stay information, housing information, and academic information. Before I knew it, the orientation was over and we were loading the bus for our destinations. I excitedly took a seat, put my headphones over my ears, and watched the city pass out of sight until I could see the rolling hills of the Irish countryside. For the next two hours, I watched out my window as the bus ride revealed the beauty of Ireland. We passed rolling green hills with stone fences, sheep, horses, cows, spouts of random rain, a beautiful sunset, small towns, and even two rainbows. It was everything I imagined Ireland would be.

As the edge of Galway city came into eyesight, the sleepy bus filled with students became a haven of excitement and chatter. I wished I felt their excitement, but instead I was overcome by an odd feeling of fear. For the first time, I was realizing that I will be living in this new city for the next four and a half months.

The bus continued into the city and winded down tiny colorful roads before coming to a halt. To my right, was my new home for the next several months: The Niland House. The landlord and apartment manager greeted the mob of students and led us up the stairs, one apartment at a time. When it was time to meet my apartment, my roommates and I waited for the door to open. For the first time since arriving in Galway, I felt a spark of excitement. When the door to our new apartment was pushed open, we all hesitated until our luggage was pulled inside the tiny hallway and the manager waved her hand to encourage us to walk inside. The landlord and manager both walked into the living room, took a seat, and asked what questions we had. The immersion system was the first thing on our mind, and I stepped forward to ask about it. We were told during orientation that we would have an immersion system for hot water. In order to take a shower, wash dishes, or do anything requiring hot water, we would need to plan 30-45 minutes in advance and turn the immersion system on to heat up. And though we had a washer, we would have to air dry all of our clothes. The heating was also another question we asked the manager. Since heat is so expensive in Ireland, and in Europe in general, we would have to be very careful to use it only when necessary to keep costs low. On the plus side, using heat at night is half price! Though I knew Ireland would be different from America, I never imagined there would be so many differences in the living accommodations, alone. It will certainly be a learning experience.

Once they both left us to our new apartment, all four of us claimed our rooms. I chose my room at the end of the hall based on the beautiful view I would have of the dock through our big window. It was such a good feeling to start unpacking my suitcase and situate myself in my new room. As I looked around the rest of the apartment, I realized that I was certainly not in America anymore. The walls had scuffs, chipped paint, tape left hanging, and areas where water damage had turned the color of the walls and ceilings. The rooms were tiny with no wiggle room for anything more than two beds, two nightstands, and a desk sandwiched between two tall closets. My roommate and I had to take turns passing one another through the tiny walk way between our beds and closets. I walked through the apartment to notice the loud squeaking and hollowness of the wood floors. And the kitchen supplied a mini refrigerator and mini freezer turned into one machine which was somehow supposed to support food for four girls. But despite the old, creaky, and rundown apartment, I was relieved to be settling in and eager to start my life in Galway.

Once we all completed some unloading of luggage and exploring of our apartment, the Niland group of Arcadia students decided to go to dinner, shop for some apartment necessities, and explore the town. I had mixed feelings the entire time about the city. It was beautiful and lively, but not the city I thought it would be. I can’t pinpoint exactly what I had expected, but it was not the city I was seeing. As the huge group of Americans walked down the streets laughing and skipping at the new surroundings, I forced myself to fake excitement though I was insecure, uncertain, and somewhat disappointed inside.

Eventually, the group decided on dinner at the one place that could accommodate our group of 10: McDonald’s. Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, I did spend my first meal in Galway at McDonald’s.

When we finished our meal and shopping for linens, the group and I drifted back to our apartments in the Niland House. Still feeling an odd feeling of disappointment and unhappiness, I knew the last thing I needed to do was sit in my apartment. After asking a few of my newfound friends to explore the city some more, we decided to do as the locals do and go to a pub. Taaffe’s was recommended to one of my friends as a hotspot to go in Galway. The small pub placed in the heart of Shop Street. The inside was tiny, but bustling with local and travelers alike. When we found a seat in a corner, we conversed to know a little more about one another while listening to the music and chatter in the background. There was something about the casual, lively vibe of the pub that soothed me as I sat back and listened to my new friends talk about their hopes, goals, and plans for the upcoming semester. This is it, the beginning of so many adventures during my semester in Ireland.