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a) How have you changed personally?
I have become more open to adventure.  I have realized how much more I want to travel and meet new people all around the world. 
b)    How has your professional/academic goals changed?
Right now I am thinking about getting a work visa so I can work over seas.  Before studying abroad, I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh and find work after school.  However, I would like to experience working in a different country for some time. 
c)     What self-discovery surprised you?
What surprised me was how good I got along with everyone in the house. I am a very friendly person, however living with new people can be a challenge for me.  Having my own room definitely helped, but I made some life long friends while traveling abroad.
d)    How did you navigate through your fears and apprehensions that you had prior to studying abroad?
One big thing I was worried about was money.  With the exchange rate I was afraid I would not be able to go to all the places I wanted to visit.  Instead or trying to take many trips, I picked my top two destinations and spent a couple days there doing everything I wanted to do.
e)    How has studying abroad impacted your view of the world?
I realized just how big the world is. It is easy to forget when you are always in one spot, but traveling opened my eyes to the amount of places I still want to visit.
f)     Single greatest benefit of studying abroad?
Getting to meet the people I lived with. They made me feel at home and made my experience a lot much better.
g)    What was your favorite experience and why?
My favorite experience was traveling to Scotland.  It was most beautiful country I've ever been to and I would even consider living there after I finish school
h)    What advice would you give to future participants?
Make as many friends as you can possibly can. It will motivate you to not only go back to visit, but it will also motivate you to travel other places to make more friends.
I) Would you study abroad again?  Where?  Why?
Yes.  Either Thailand or London.  I've always wanted to visit both these places and being able to live there for an extended period of time would be amazing.

 

Weekday

On a normal school day, I wake up, go to class, come home and go back to sleep depending on how late I stayed up the previous night.  Later I may go to a pub and have a drink or two with some of my housemates. 
Any other day, I wake up probably around noon and either make myself something to eat, or go get something to eat if I don't feel like cooking.  Then, I come back, take a shower and  I may do some homework or watch a television show on my computer.  Later on in the day, we might go to a pub and hang out for a couple hours before going to a night club once the pub closes. 

Purschases, People

What is the most interesting thing you’ve purchased abroad?  How are you adjusting to using a different currency and keeping within a budget?
The most interesting purchase I have made is a beautiful scarf from a boutique in Scotland that I plan on giving to my sister.  My sister and I where tons of scarfs, and although I wanted to keep it for myself, I knew as soon as I seen it that she would love it.   It was not a big purchase, and to anyone else it might not even be interesting, but because we both love scarfs and I purchased it in Scotland, I know she will love it just as much as I did. 

Explain the best way you have found to meet the local people.
The best way to meet local people is at the local pubs.  The Irish tend to go out on weekdays and go home and do homework on the weekends.  Certain pubs are popular on specific days, and it is the best way to meet and mingle with other students. 

Studies

Although I enjoy all of my classes, as of right now my most interesting class is my Age of Romanticism course.  When I first began, I was worried I would not like the course, but it has slowly become one of my favorites.  We talk about writers in the romantic era and depending on what time period they are in, what events could have possibly influenced their work.  While studying different writers, we also go through important times in history, and because history is my least favorite subject, being able to learn about important times through literature has helped me better understand Irish history.  As far as studying, my favorite place to do work is my room.  Back at home, it was hard for me to concentrate and study in my room because I had a roommate who might not have been studying at the same time.  However, not having a roommate makes working in my room easier. 

Language

Miscommunicating with my teachers and peers was one of my fears before arriving here.  I was afraid that I would not be able to understand their language/slang as well as their accents.  However, I have realized that communicating is a lot easier than I thought.  Sometimes their accents and how fast they talk make it hard to understand, but generally, the way they talk is not much different from us.  When used in a sentence, I can guess what some of their slang words mean and can relate them to the slang words we use back home.  For example, "what's the crack?" is equivalent to asking someone "what's up?".  Although the majority of the population speaks English, there are also some who still speak Gaelic. It is a very interesting but difficult language to learn. In Irish Experience, we have learned some phrases we can use in our everyday conversations, but I have not yet met anyone who speaks Gaelic, and I am sure I would not be able to pronounce anything correctly.  Overall, aside from the accents, I have not had any problem communicating with anyone.

Landmarks

Carlow is full of historical landmarks, including the very building we attend classes in. One of my favorite places is a landmark we have learned about recently.  During the Carlow rebellion, there was a brutal battle that took place on the street adjacent to our school, named Tullow Street.  Hundreds of people died on the street I walk up and down almost everyday.  It is amazing living in such a historical town and learning about the history that surrounds us. 
As far as my favorite field trip, it would have to be the trip to Glendalough.  The scenery was absolutely beautiful.  We seen forests with beautiful trees and walked to the top of a waterfall.  We learned legends of the rivers that flowed through the county and what monsters where suppose to have lived there.  I usually do not care much for nature, especially when I am back home, however, Glendalough was not like any other part of nature I have seen.  Overall, it is, so far, one of the most beautiful places I have seen since I have come abroad, and it is definitely a place I would revisit. 

Food!

The two main differences between Irish food and American food are the portion sizes and the amount of preservatives put in the food.  Because the portions at home are so big, the portions we get here seem small, but I believe they are the right amount of food we are suppose to eat.  They also put less preservatives in the food which makes the food fresher, but it also goes bad faster.  I find myself having to go shopping more often here than I did when I was home.  Most of my meals are eaten in our kitchen because going shopping once a week is cheaper than going out to eat everyday.  Since I have been here, I haven't really had any traditional Irish food. However, when we were in Paris, I had a falafel and it was the best thing I've eaten since I have been away from home.  I am a little scared to branch out and try new food, but I am sure I will before leaving.