Since this will be my final blog post I’d like to talk about my favorite memories and experiences from my time in Galway and what life was like after returning home.
I am extremely grateful for my time abroad. It was such a wonderful learning experience and the only thing I would change about it is that I would have liked to stay in Galway until May, as it was originally planned. My favorite part about being in Ireland was that I had to take care of myself, and be truly independently, for the first time in my life. I have always been an independent person, so I really enjoyed making my own decisions about what to eat, when to do my laundry, how to spend my money, where to go, etc. This was the first time that I didn’t have a parent watching my every move. While I am on my own at SU, my family is only an hour away, so they don’t miss that much 😉. I think every student who studies abroad learns a lot about themselves as an individual because when you are abroad you spend a lot of time with yourself, uninterrupted by the distractions of life at home. The most valuable experience I had during my time in Ireland was the weekend I spent in Connemara learning Gaelic from people who speak the language every day. As I said in previous blogs, I took a beginners Gaelic course at NUIG to learn a bit of Ireland’s native language. Students in this course were able to take a trip to an area of Connemara where Gaelic is everyone’s first language. There I stayed with a host family and got to see how their house was run and the types of customs and traditions that were important to them. This weekend trip was where I learned the most about Irish culture. I saw traditional Irish song and dance performances and attended Gaelic classes taught by native speakers as well. My trip to Connemara was extremely educational in a multitude of ways and I am very glad I had the opportunity to go on that trip. After returning home to the US I didn’t feel too different. I definitely feel that I have grown as an individual, but I didn’t experience any major personality changes. I miss Galway immensely, especially since I had to leave in such a hurry and didn’t get to have a proper goodbye. The most irritating part about returning home is that you have to tell each and every relative about everything you saw and did during your time abroad, as well as go through your hundreds of pictures multiple times. However, you can’t complain about having to retell your story because studying abroad is such a unique opportunity and your loved ones only want to show you their support. Choosing to study abroad for a semester was one of the best decisions I have made in my life and I highly encourage any student thinking about studying in Galway to do so. If anyone ever has any questions about Galway or doing a GO Long please do not hesitate to reach out to me!
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