The first bit of my experience in Ireland has been an absolute whirlwind. Between studying and traveling, time has flown by! I’m incredibly lucky that the Maynooth campus is such a short train ride from Dublin, allowing for day trips to the shops or nights out in town. There has been much less of a culture shock than I was expecting, every person I’ve met has been so helpful and accommodating. And everyone here gets so excited that I’m from America! I have had more informed and insightful discussions about American politics and culture with Irish people than I have had with most people living in the States. The food here has been another huge surprise; I wasn’t necessarily expecting an abundance of vegan options, but I was definitely expecting some. Even though my diet has consisted of mostly pasta and falafel, I can’t complain, because groceries are SO cheap! Never in the States could I imagine going to the supermarket and paying less than 10 Euros on groceries to make dinner for six people. However, the groceries here have a refreshing lack of preservatives. While this makes me feel a lot better about the food that I’m buying, it does mean I have to go grocery shopping every few days, which probably levels out the initial cheap cost. Surprisingly, I feel like I’m too busy to get homesick. Having a few American friends in my dorm building definitely helps, our weekly “family dinners” are a great time to sit around and talk about the things we miss most that we can’t get here (mainly American foods- Jiff peanut butter, Taco Bell, un-flavored potato chips, etc). Finding a good group of friends has helped me adjust to life abroad a lot quicker- I have found it practically impossible to navigate the flustering and inconsistent nature of public transportation by myself. On the day I had been scheduled to report to the Garda station two towns over, I mistakenly got on an express train in my disoriented compulsion to be on time. After we sped past the station I was supposed to get off at, my anxiety turned to full blown panic realizing the train was headed straight for Dublin. After calling the office in tears to reschedule my appointment (which turned out to be an inconvenience to no one- the Irish have little regard for timeliness), I laughed with my friends about my inability to navigate public transport and they promised to accompany me to my new appointment to avoid any more stress. Despite the fleeting stressful moments that come with accumulating to a new culture, I am absolutely loving my time in Ireland and wishing I could stay here longer!
