They say your undergraduate years are the best of your life, where you become who you're going to be. As a senior who is still living at home and fighting the incessant drizzle of "what do you want to do with your degree?" with an umbrella of half-hearted hypotheticals, I now realize these were relatively high expectations for my college experience. As I type in between bites of instant noodles, I recall that in reality, most of my time off campus has been spent explaining to the angry public that they have to wait fifteen more minutes before they can sit down to order their mid-range sirloin, or too exhausted to do anything but watch reruns of Orange is the New Black. Who has time to find themselves? On social media, I watched my peers become immersed in Greek life, land internships, and travel the world. My junior year, I began to develop a nagging fear that when I hang my degree next to my high school diploma I'll look at the space between and wonder, Did it even count?
I had some connections with international students and one American friend in particular who opened my mind to the idea of studying abroad. I had never considered it. I guess I had thought such an endeavor was for those with more glamorous majors. And I've never been a fan of paperwork. But one visit to the advisors office told me this was easier and more do-able than I ever could have imagined. As I browsed the list of destinations, my eyes fell on an affiliate program in Limerick, Ireland, and I couldn't have been more sure of my choice. From the color of my hair to the folk songs I heard my father sing growing up, Ireland is in my blood. But I may never have another chance to see its culture, history and beauty up close and personal.
So there you have it! on August 27th, I depart to spend four months as an international student at the University of Limerick and travel throughout the country. I hear so many things from study abroad veterans, but what I hear more than anything is that this experience is bound to change me. I hope to be a clean slate for whatever the world will make of me, no tethers. And I hope to share what I learn with all of you! So stay tuned once a week this fall for the mishaps and adventures of a spoiled American in a world without roaming data or Walmart.
In a famous scene from my favorite movie of all time, a young man named Jack Dawson is asked if he finds the "ruthless existence" of a traveler appealing. To this he responds,
"Well,
yes, ma'am, I do... I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got
air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the
morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna
wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am
on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I
figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand
you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to
make each day count."
To
life. To ruthlessness. To making it count.
