As I sit surrounded by the chaos I\u2019ve created in my attempt to pack, I am forced to think on my identity – to commodify myself into what can fit into my father\u2019s old suitcase and simultaneously get me through just over three months. I have always had issues with change and a tendency to become overly attached to everything in my sight-line, so packing can often be difficult, but it\u2019s also old hat for me – a person used to packing up weekly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These conflicting aspects of my identity – the crotchety old man who thinks all smart tech is a personal affront and the wanderer with their little bindle – are very much at war with this whole study abroad thing. The idea of a whole new country with different money, laws, customs – it\u2019s chilling. But, my god, is it not everything I\u2019ve wanted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Experiencing the world is always interesting because of this. There\u2019s something fun about being both the pedal-to-the-metal, never heard of a map driver and the mumbling prayers, hands over their eyes passenger. However, if unchecked, this conflict can lead to indecision and isolation. This is my greatest worry for my semester – that I will stand in the way of this experience and miss out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I expect to meet others who feel similarly, but probably a greater number of people who are more confident and self-assured. Petal-to-the-metal, GPS on, prayer card in pocket driver – one more balanced than I. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, I\u2019m expecting to meet others with a familial connection to Ireland, such as myself, since it seems impossible to so much as spit without hitting someone of Irish descent. I worry though that this connection to the Emerald Isle will be a double-edged sword. A way to feel comforted by the new, but also an entitlement to the old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In America, it\u2019s easy to say I\u2019m Irish even with the many generations between myself and the land, but I have a feeling that won\u2019t slide in Ireland itself, surrounded by actual Irish people. It would be fun to experience Ireland alongside others who feel a connection to it, but only so long as no one (myself included) starts getting too territorial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope, from this experience, to meet people who walk the world differently than I do. Unafraid, thoughtful, self-assured. I have spent my life surrounded by people who lived fairly similarly, so I don\u2019t truly know the types of people I may encounter. But I want to know them all, and I\u2019m curious to see how this shared experience with vary between us – what will hit who harder and why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t have a firm grasp on my own identity or those out there, but I want to know. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As I sit surrounded by the chaos I\u2019ve created in my attempt to pack, I am forced to think on my identity – to commodify myself into what can fit into my father\u2019s old suitcase and simultaneously get me through just over three months. I have always had issues with change and a tendency to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-maynooth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18642"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18643,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18642\/revisions\/18643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.rollins.edu\/letters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}