Student Bloggers

It’s the first week of March, and somehow, I have been in Dublin for two months. Although I’m not quite halfway through the program, which officially ends May 25, I am more than halfway through the Trinity semester; my last paper is due on April 18. Dublin now truly feels like my home, and I’m happy it will be for at least two more months.

Considering how long I have now been here, it’s astonishing how much I still haven’t done in the city. In one of my classes, our professor asked the class how many of us have visited at least a few of Dublin’s many museums, and of a twenty-five or so person class, only about 2-5 people raised their hands for each museum he named. As a visitor to Ireland, I was particularly ashamed of not having been to these places, particularly because, as our professor pointed out, they are free, which is rare for museums. I also haven’t visited Dublin Castle and countless other places in Dublin. As I said in my last post, there’s still much of Dublin I haven’t seen.

But I’ve also had so many unforgettable experiences in my time so far, in and outside of Dublin. I played in great sessions and attended many amazing concerts, including a particularly fun one featuring the Irish traditional/pop/Indian music of the band Jiggy. Last weekend, I also went on a memorable program trip to both various Game of Thrones filming locations and the famous geological formation, The Giant’s Causeway. That trip may have been cloudy and freezing, but like so many experiences I have had here, it brought me closer to both the island of Ireland and the people I shared the experience with. And of course, it was incredibly beautiful.

Even unwanted experiences have brought me closer together with the people I’ve met. I would have loved to take a short trip last week, which was Trinity’s reading week (we had no class), but instead of the relaxing, travel-filled week I had imagined, I was stuck in my flat while Dublin had its first actual snowstorm in years, thanks to Storm Emma. Even the Killary adventure weekend, scheduled for this past weekend, was canceled as much of Ireland shut down over some wind and the few inches of snow that actually stuck to the previously unfrozen ground. Although I was disappointed about the trip being canceled and quite bored being stuck inside for much of the week, the experience did bring me closer with my flatmates. Believe it or not, being stuck in a flat all week with the same people will do that.

Going abroad, one thing we were told is to involve ourselves in student clubs and societies in order to make Irish friends. This is one thing that I’m still struggling with (again, see my last post). While the societies I have joined have introduced me to new people, they still haven’t become my friends over the last two months. In one case, I have attended a society event only once, and consequently have failed to make any lasting connections through it. Over the next two months, I hope to not only attend more society events, but make a conscious effort to become closer to the people I have already met.

Maybe the most important lesson I’ve learned from abroad so far is that while I’m always striving to get the most out of the experience, I also need to be happy with what you have. I think this is a lesson I’m having to continuously learn, not only abroad but in my everyday life. Just because I have goals for the future and could do things to improve my experience doesn’t mean I’m not having a good time, or I that I shouldn’t be thankful for experiences I’ve had and a having every day. I can’t forget that studying abroad is an extraordinary privilege, and that every day is its own kind of new adventure, even the ordinary ones. Flipping this realization on its head, I realize that the attitude I have while abroad, the one that says, “go try that, you’re only here once” shouldn’t be limited to being in foreign countries. At home, I’m often too comfortable with what I have, and don’t try to seek out new experiences as much. It’s true that I’m only abroad once, but it’s also true that I’m still young, which is also all to temporary. There’s so much I haven’t seen and done, here in Ireland and everywhere.

So reflecting on my time here so far, I would say that I’m thankful to have had the experiences I have had, and excited for many more to come. Even though every day maybe isn’t how I imagined it being, it’s wonderful to feel at home here, across the sea from everything I have ever known. Dublin is a unique and vibrant city, multicultural, new, old, rich, poor, falling apart and full of history, and Trinity is equally full of history and life. So here’s to two months in Dublin, at least two more, and the many memories of my time here I have made and hope still to make.