The First 48 Hours Part II

The wave of regret didn't last long, but it did last long enough to scare me. What was I doing? I knew no one in Ireland and was living with roommates from 4 different countries! I found myself wishing I had traveled with a college buddy or that my school had some sort of orientation/immersion program so that I could meet people. I was left completely on my own.

I spent those next hours alone in my cold, depressing flat figuring out how the hell I would survive the next 5 months. I tried my hardest to push the negative thoughts far far in the back of my mind. I focused on the positive. I was in Ireland. I knew no one, which only meant I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I was going to meet people and see things and have the time of my life. That was my dream and there was no reason for it not to come true.

Eager to start off on the right foot, I took my positive thoughts outside of the Corrib Village gates and took a rainy walk into town (I also needed food...). This was going to be my new home and I wanted to love it. Along the way I met some American girls who were moving into the flat above me. Desperate for any friends, I immediately latched on to these girls. Soon after I realized that they weren't exactly people I'd like to hang out with ALL the time. Would I have to settle for this? So-so friends in a crappy flat and rainy city?

I would not have to settle. Galway had other plans for me. And those plans resided in the College Bar on campus where I ran into my Shannon Airport buddy Will. Will had other friends to introduce me to, friends who also lived in Corrib Village. With a guinness in hand I was saved! I had friends! Friends that I liked and immediately had fun (a little too much fun...) with. Those friends that more and more new friends. Friends that are now some of my best friends and who I owe my entire abroad experience to.

Slainte! I was on the road to the best months of my life.

The First 48 Hours Part I

These crucial first hours in a foreign land are always the hardest - and most exciting. My 48 hours took place in early January - a month where Ireland experiences little sunlight. I knew no one as I anxiously flew across the Atlantic on AerLingus. Despite being alone, my spirits were soaring.

Touching down in Shannon, the morning welcomed me with darkness and wetness - a trend that would continue throughout my stay in Ireland.

It's easy to spot out Americans abroad - especially college students. Just look for a baseball cap and north face and BINGO, hello Americans. Those clues are what clustered me in a group of jetlagged Americans in line at customs, ready for our very first passport stamp!

Galway is not necessarily close to any airport. Thus began my first of many rides on Bus Eirann - Ireland's version of Greyhound. The 2 hour ride from Shannon to Galway City consists of a long winding road through lush Irish countryside full of sheep. It is a ride that I would experience many times in my stay. That first ride, however was a blur. I was tired, dirty, and distracted by all the new people I was meeting.

I got off the bus in Galway in the rain (shocker) and was lucky to find a nice boy who was living in Corrib Village (as was I). We cabbed it out there and I was immediately disappointed to realize that I would be living on the outskirts of the city centre in a fake village with "first year" students.

The disappointment continued when, upon arriving at Corrib Village I was told that I would be living alone for 2 weeks until my 4 foreign roommates moved back in. I sadly dragged my heavy belognings to 105.1 Corrib Village, looked around at the outdated, cold, empty flat and felt a wave of regret.

Studying Abroad: The Choice

Why do so many students choose to study abroad in Galway every year? Why not the bigger more widely known cities like Dublin or Cork? Because the west is the best! My study abroad choice was easy. I wanted to be in Europe. I wanted to be in an English-speaking country. I wanted to immerse myself in the country I was studying in. I also loved the ocean and I loved to party. My options were limited to Ireland and Great Britian. I loved London - but had been there before and the pound would never allow me to surive on my budget! Ireland was a place I wanted to connect with. It had beauty, culture, and a drinking culture I could not refuse. Having ancestors from unknown counties in Ireland also helped persuade me to go. That added a touch of romance and intrigue to my choice - I would be living on land that my relatives had walked and struggled on in centuries past. Galway fit the bill entirely. They even spoke Gaelic there! Dublin was too international and Cork was at its heels. Having gone to school in New York City I wanted a change. So I traded the big city for a small town and never looked back.

Many people recommended Galway to me - they shoved pictures in my face and would not shut up about how wonderful it was. The city pride impressed me and it was obviously contagious. I caught the bug, booked a flight, and hopped on a plane to Shannon.

How did you get to Galway? Was it an easy choice or a risk?

I want to know - and so do others. Thanks a million!