The most important lesson I learned abroad was to be open to change. Not only was I living in a new place with new faces adapting to cold weather and shopping isles without mac and cheese and ranch dressing, but I had to be open to the possibility of returning home due to COVID-19. It was a hard pill to swallow, but I couldn’t ignore all of the good I had experienced already. Leaving was hard and sad. I had many trips booked through the next four months, all of which I would not be going on and not receive full refunds either. I had worked for 3 years to save up for my time abroad and all of the money and careful planning I had put into it had been lost in an instance. Through this difficult time, I understand that we can’t always be prepared for what life will throw at us. Sometimes we have to accept and surrender to the situation and find peace with what we do have. I returned home to a loving family, my boyfriend, my cat, and a whole lot of support from friends, family, and faculty. I made new friendships abroad that will last a life time. My best friend, Lars, from the Netherlands said I can come back to Europe and stay with him in his home whenever I return. It is things like this that remind me to be grateful for all of the experiences I did have, and for being able to come to the Emerald Isle at all. In my future career, I now know how much I value travel and working with people from all over the world, as their perspectives are different and eye opening. I know I want to do Peace Corps and continue showing appreciation to our Earth and all people living on it. Coming home was sad but I wouldn’t say it was a culture shock; I had only been in Ireland for two months so it felt like more of a long vacation rather than a semester abroad. One main thing I notice returning home is how much I appreciate the sunshine now. I used to be so eager to move somewhere cold, and Ireland’s winter certainly was that. Now I appreciate every sunny day (sun really does improve your mood!).
