Although I’ve been in Ireland for over a month, I feel like I’m still going to need to be pinched when I get off the plane in Philadelphia. It’s almost like I’ve been in a dream this whole time and it won’t feel real until I’m looking back on it. Before this trip, Ireland was but a dream in my mind. Ever since I was a young girl I imagined going to the Emerald Isle and discovering where my family came from. This trip was a long time coming for me and I have been fortunate enough to be able to experience something I never thought I would. After being here for the first time, I’ve discovered so much more than my heritage. I have been able to discover who I really am.

Seeing where part of my DNA lived here in Ireland was absolutely indescribable. Ireland is a country of such history and it’s crazy to think that my relatives were a part of that history at one point or another. Traveling to many different places throughout Ireland I felt sincerely welcomed by everyone especially after introducing myself as Sionainn (Shannon) Haugh.  The locals of Ireland that I encountered and had true conversations with throughout Ireland were so intrigued by why I chose to come to Ireland, where my family was from, and what it is like to live in America. I always felt at home here, which has been very comforting. Exploring places around the Emerald Isle I became so cultured and I will now be able to tell someone when asked about the country more than just, “they have Guinness there.” Not only was it fun learning about the culture of the Irish people and its history but I had even more of a rollercoaster ride learning about myself.

My outlook on life has completely transformed since being here. I know it sounds cliché, but Ireland really changed my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Prior to my journey in Ireland, the littlest things used to really piss me off and now I feel less reason to worry or be annoyed. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can truly grasp the things in life that really matter and take in everything that’s so beautiful happening around me. All of these realizations started to really hit me when I went to Cliffs of Moher because of something that was given to me before I left for my excursion through Ireland.

My grandfather was a very important part of my life and when he passed away it was my mission to make it on a journey to the “motherland” to see everything he had always talked about in his stories. Before coming on this trip, my grandmother gave me a photo of my grandfather on the Cliffs of Moher exactly 30 years ago. The picture is something so very special to me so I decided to recreate it. For me, the picture encompasses everything I’ve become since being here. I have such a bigger appreciation for life and I am so lucky to have such strong roots and family values. While I was looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean, I thought of my grandfather and how he had been at the same place 30 years prior. I got the chills just then, not because of the windy, brisk weather but because I discovered right then and there that nothing in the world at that exact moment mattered at all. It was just the sea, me, and my grandfather’s spirit making sure I knew that everything from that second on would be okay.

For the first time in my short existence I can really say that I am completely content with my life and myself.  I worry less about the little things and see more of the big picture.  I realized in studying and traveling in another country that the world is so much bigger than me.   This trip has been a way for me to step out of my comfort zone and really find out who I really am. I’ve never gone more than two weeks without seeing my parents before coming here and it was a challenge for me to live completely on my own, make my own decisions without any guidance, and become an adult (officially). Although I’ve missed my parents terribly, this experience has taught me more than any class could ever teach me.

Leaving this crazy, wonderful place will be one of the hardest things I ever do, but that’s also what I said about leaving my life in Philly and coming here. A part of me will always be here in Ireland with my grandfather but I am excited to see where the next chapter in my life leads me. Not only will I be bringing back a bottle of Jameson and a wool knit scarf but I will be coming home with a backbone, a smile, and a different outlook on life.

-Shannon Haugh

It’s my birthday, May 19th and I’m on the way to the airport to catch my flight from Philly to Dublin. My mom and dad are in the front seats driving me there. I see my mom look at me through the rearview mirror and I quickly look away because I feel like I might cry. All I’ve been talking about for the past 3 months is how excited I am to finally leave the country and be out on my own. I can’t let them know that now I’m scared and I don’t know if I made the right decision. I’ve never been away from my parents for longer than 3 weeks. How can I manage for 6 weeks in a completely different country?

For as long as I can remember I’ve been telling my family that I want to travel. I always say there is no way I can live in Pennsylvania my whole life, I need to get out. It’s not that I don’t like it, I just want to see what else there is. So after all the preparations were made for my trip to Dublin I immediately began making arrangements for my future endeavors. In the spring semester of 2014 planning on working for the Disney College Program in Florida and then I want to complete another study away program in Los Angeles the following fall. Each of these programs are 3 months long but during my whole jumbled preparation process I never really thought much about being away. I just have this urge to experience everything I possibly can while I’m still young and not tied down by a job or a family of my own and that drive prevented me from thinking about the downsides of traveling.

It wasn’t until the day of my flight out of Philadelphia that I realized how hard it would actually be to leave all my loved ones behind. I was so caught up in the excitement that I didn’t take the time to sit back and think about what leaving would actually mean for me. I’d be missing most of my birthday, Father’s Day, family reunions and parties. Not to mention the fact that I would also have to leave my pets behind. Since I put all of these thoughts to the back of my mind for so long, on the day I was leaving the realization hit me like a brick.

After choking back my tears and saying goodbye, my life became a blur. Everything began happening so fast. Before I knew it I was in Dublin with 17 strangers. It could’ve been a new season of MTV’s the Real World. I don’t know how many times the opening monologue ran through my head, “This is the true story… of 17 strangers picked to live in Dublin for 6 weeks…find out what happens… when people stop being polite… and start getting real. The Real World Dublin”. None of us knew anything about each other or the city we were thrown into. Suddenly we were expected to live here and interact with one another.

The first week was very difficult. I was extremely jetlagged and having never flown before I had no idea what that was like. Getting up for early classes while trying to recover from jetlag, make new friends and explore the city, was nearly impossible. During this time those thoughts kept coming back into my head; “I wasn’t ready for this”, “I’m not going to be able to travel like I always said”, “I miss my family”, “I’ll be in the same place forever”. After a couple weeks of this internal struggle I finally snapped out of it.

Howth is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It is only a 30 minute bus ride outside of Dublin but it is like a different world. Standing on top of Howth’s Head you can see for miles, from the tall buildings of Dublin to the beaches of Malahide. We traveled as a class to Howth to hike the beachside cliffs from the top of Howth’s Head into town. We began walking the trails and climbing around on the cliffs when I noticed our teacher, Darren, walk down a less trodden path and disappear. After a few moments I decided to follow him. When I found him, he was sitting in a clearing on the side of the cliff that had one of the most breathtaking views I had ever seen. I just sat down there while the rest of the class wandered in and I clearly remember thinking, “This trip is the best decision I have ever made.” That epiphany caused the rest of the program to fly by. Once again everything was a blur but this time it was exciting. I explored the city, I explored outside of the city and all the corners of Ireland. I went everywhere I possibly could and took every opportunity given to me.

It’s ironic that after all of my worrying it’s now my sixth week in Dublin and I’m not ready to leave. This just wasn’t enough time to do everything I wanted to do and see everything I wanted to see. I wish I wouldn’t have let myself get so stressed out and waste time worrying about coming here instead of enjoying my last day with my family and friends. But at least now I know that when I leave again it won’t be so hard. I can make the best of it. The most important thing that I got out of this trip was proving to myself that I can do it. I can go out on my own and experience a new place without constantly feeling homesick. I love my family and I love my friends but at some point everyone has to leave the nest and for me, Ireland was that time.

-Allison Miller

After successfully battling the gale force winds on the Cliffs of Moher, our group found a small alcove that protected us from the gusts, while providing a view of my new favorite scenery. I’d been away from home for 4 weeks and along with the home sickness that was starting to settle in, I was dwelling on a few negative aspects that had plagued the trip.

Ireland had offered me so many new and exciting experiences that I was afraid that the memory would be tarnished by concluding it with a bad mood. I sat there watching the waves burst against the cliffs, sending a mist into the air that drifted past my face and left a slight dew on my beer bottle. At this moment I closed my eyes and thought to myself, “Why did I come to Dublin?”

I feel that when people travel they expect things to be instantly amazing. For every trouble they have back home they assume that only greatness lies ahead when they are in a new place. Realistically, I’ve run into the same problems in Dublin that I might run into anywhere else. I’ve run into a few disgruntled servers, some drivers who like to announce their road rage and I haven’t gotten along with everyone I’m traveling with on every occasion.

I was 3000 miles away from home in a new culture and I was worrying about assignments and uncivil relations with neighbors whom I had no obligation to even talk to. I still missed home but I missed it for the same reasons that I’ll miss Dublin. When you go somewhere new you tend to leave pieces of yourself in the moments that made you feel alive. There’s the feeling of when I plop down on my bed, the sensation of holding my guitar in my hands and the view of the river from the path at Fairmount Park. These are the things that make me feel at home.

Dublin gave me the rare opportunity to experience my life with a clean slate and an opportunity to grow. I often become complacent with the scenery around me but the view down O’Connell St in the morning is a scene that I’ll miss when I leave. I remember how jet lagged I was on my first day in Dublin that I didn’t even notice the several hundred foot spire in front of me,  capturing the sunlight and reflecting it on the landscape of historical architecture.

Toward the end of my visit I took a final look down O’Connell St. It was visually the same as day one, but it had a greater significance. Now the monumental spire of yesterday is the sculpture that no Irishman actually wanted. It’s a nice work of art but the Irish wanted something that represented them as a people. To many locals, it’s a pole in the middle of the road.

On your first day in the country you learn that the heart of the people lies in the pub. It’s where friends meet and families come together. Temple Bar is a nice spot to hang out if you’re visiting Dublin as a tourist but when you’re taking up a residence in the city for a few weeks you begin to learn about the real pub culture. My favorite had to be Gravediggers. Just outside of Prospect Cemetery is a local legend called John Kananagh’s. It received the nickname Gravediggers because the family that owns it used to dig the graves in the cemetery.

When standing in front of the pub there are two front doors. The right side will bring you to the lounge area but the back alley treasure lies just inside the left door. For every dream you might have had of an old Irish pub, Gravediggers delivers. From the bar to the floors, every plank has remained unchanged since the building was constructed over 200 years ago.

Two things made this my favorite place in Dublin. First, the staff is absolutely amazing. From the moment you walk in the door you feel like you just walked into a family event. You’re hearing stories, sharing jokes and getting angry at politics that you don’t even understand. The second thing comes from a famous quote that I’ve heard all over Dublin: “The Guinness tastes better here.” I feel shame pouring from my Irish blood when I say that I don’t like Guinness but when I got my pint in Gravediggers I swore that it was a completely different beer. It was smooth and gave a refreshing sensation in every sip. When I make my way back to Dublin I’ll be sure to stop by again.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed my education in Dublin. Darren Kelly is an experienced Dubliner who toured us around the city and introduced us to some of the darker sides to the city. We learned about the rise and fall of the Celtic Tiger and the ways the people have grown through their various stages as a young country. Every walk we took through each neighborhood gave me a closer understanding of the events my ancestors would experience on a daily basis.

As I opened my eyes again a fresh gust of wind blew through my nostrils. The cliffs were still as beautiful as before but now I felt like a small weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I realized that on any given occasion I was letting myself get upset and I was the only one to blame. I then saw how much I loved Dublin. It’s a great city filled with great craic and even better people. From my roommates to the Italians living next door, the companionship made my experience memorable. I look forward to a day when I can return to Dublin. When that day comes, I hope that I’ll be able to share the moment with people who are half as amazing as the ones I’d met during this visit. Slainte!

-Joe Rega

I made the decision to go to Ireland, as I make many of my decisions, on a whim. I’ve always had a passion for adventuring, but it had been a while since I’d gone anywhere outside of my own little bubble. I had been so wrapped up in school and work that I’d forgotten how much I loved to leave everything behind and just go somewhere on my own. I wanted to study abroad and, when it became apparent that a full semester abroad was not a plausible option for my academic career, I started looking into summer programs. The two summer study away options in my field, the school of Media and Communications, were London and Dublin, and, since the Dublin program was less expensive and met more of my graduation requirements, I went with that one.

Up until the moment my flight left, I was fairly certain that this trip wasn’t going to happen. I had been constantly receiving emails telling me that I had missed a deadline for some important paperwork, I’d discovered that my old passport I needed to renew had gotten lost in the mail, and I was struggling to save up enough money at my dead-end job to afford the basic expenses of living in Dublin for six weeks. I thought the whole program was some kind of twisted joke right up until the moment when the plane took off.

When I was finally in the air, I realized that this was actually happening. I was actually going to be in Dublin for six weeks. And then, finally, the excitement set in. Six weeks of not having to worry about my job. Six weeks of exploring a new country. Six weeks of interacting with completely new and different people. I couldn’t wait.

I finally arrived in Dublin and, despite being exhausted from many hours of travel, I was ready for adventures. My first few days in Dublin were occupied by classes and getting lost on the way to classes, but the first weekend came around and I was ready to explore. My first Saturday in Ireland, I took a day trip to Kilkenny, where I walked through a castle, wandered through the town, and found a fantastic pub called “Hole in the Wall,” which, quite literally, was a hole in a wall. This pub was full of Irish history and the bartender was happy to tell us the history of the pub and discuss international politics with my traveling companions and me. The next day of that weekend, I traveled with a few classmates to Dún Laoghaire, a seaside town near Dublin where we walked along the beautiful coast and got fish and chips for dinner. Nearly every weekend during the trip, I went on some kind of adventure. I hiked the Slieve League cliffs in Donegal, had a pint at several of the many pubs in Galway, biked the entire island of Inishmore, saw the Cliffs of Moher, wandered the gorgeous hills of Howth, and went on many more adventures around Ireland.

Over the course of this trip, the love for adventuring I’d once had and lost was finally rekindled. Being in Ireland for such a short amount of time pushed me to take advantage of every opportunity so I could see as much of the country as possible. Even though I didn’t put much thought into the location of this journey, I fell in love with Ireland and the adventurous spirit it awoke in me. I hope to take this spirit home with me, because there are many parts of my home country that I always intended to see but still haven’t visited. I’ve always been fairly independent, but this trip has completely eliminated any lingering fear I might have had about adventuring by myself. I’m confident that when I get back to the US, I’ll finally start taking those weekend trips I’ve been putting off, and finally get to explore the land I’ve called home for my entire life.

-Jenny Hackbarth

I left Philadelphia on May 19th –a short time ago, but only if you measure in terms of weeks. With a thirst for adventure and a desire to leave everything behind, I was ready to experience a new environment, a new life.

Since high school, I have always dreamed of studying abroad in London or Rome. Dublin had never crossed my mind until I saw it listed as an option this past year. Since I love folk music, beer, and national parks, I stereotypically thought Ireland would be the perfect fit for me.

When the time came, I arrived in Dublin with the idea that being far away would help me forget all the struggles I was dealing with at home.  For the last five months, I hadn’t been feeling like myself. My friends told me I’d forget everything and be back to normal once I left the country.  That wasn’t the case.

Being in a new country with 17 people I had just met wasn’t helping me feel like myself again.  If anything, I just felt more lost and confused. I liked the others students, I liked the city of Dublin, but I didn’t feel at home, nor did I feel the inner happiness I had expected.

Our class excursion to Howth was a turning point in the trip. On a beautiful, sunny day, we took a bus with our teacher, Darren.  I didn’t know anything about Howth but I was excited because I was told we’d be hiking. As we hiked to the top, I was in awe at the beautiful view.  For the first time on the trip, I felt at peace with myself. I didn’t have an urge to call home; I didn’t dwell on what happened in the past. All I knew is that I didn’t want to be anywhere else but there. In that moment, I realized I made the right decision coming here and I was proud of myself for taking the leap. Ultimately, I rediscovered my passion for nature and the outdoors; something that living in Philadelphia has made me forget.

Visiting Wicklow National Park was another highlight of the trip. I have never seen so much beauty in one place.  I decided to wear rain boots that day so hiking to the top was a bit of a struggle but I was determined to get there. As I reached the top, struggling to catch my breath, I realized just how therapeutic being outdoors can be. There is no better time to clear your mind than when you’re at a beautiful spot like this. I immediately thought of the quote by Lord Byron: “I love not man the less, but Nature more.”

Regrettably, I took the first few weeks for granted. I worried too much about what was going on back home and let the time pass me by. While I don’t know if I am a new or a better person after studying away, I do know I now have a different outlook on life. I realized you can’t run across the world to forget about your problems. You have to accept them and find something you’re passionate about to find inner happiness. For me, being close to nature has helped ease my mind. I can’t change the past, but I can decide where I go from here.

– Erika Ayres

I have always been a “go with the flow” kind of girl. When asked if I want to walk around Philadelphia, go to the mall, or see a movie, I always without hesitation say yes. However, when I am outside of my normal surroundings, with no sense of direction I unfortunately allow my anxiety to take over. My biggest crutch in life has been my fear of the unknown. For a while now I have wanted to concur my fear of the unknown and finally push my anxiety back into the closet.

I knew my best bet to beat this fear was to force myself out of the country without my family and close friends. What I love about Temple University is their drive to get students to study abroad. I attended a number of study abroad fairs, narrowed down my choices, and finally decided on the School of Media and Communications Dublin Summer Program.

On May 20^th I arrived in Dublin, Ireland. Upon arrival I had no idea where I was living, who I was living with, and where I was taking classes. As you can imagine my anxiety was through the roof. With no IPhone to the rescue I was forced to find my way around this unknown city. I made it through the first day, only to find myself in my room, overwhelmed, longing for Philadelphia.

As the first week ended, I noticed I was doing a pretty good job of avoiding areas that I considered “unknown.” It hit me that I only had one month to explore Ireland so I decided to take some advice that Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” On the days that I would walk home from school I would swallow my anxiety, turn down an “unknown” street and to my surprise my anxiety stayed neutral. Eventually I was wandering around Dublin with no problem.

As our first three day weekend approached, a couple of my friends and I decided to plan a two-day trip to Cork, Ireland. I remember almost backing out because I was unsure if I wanted to leave Dublin and be in another “unknown” city. I gathered up my courage, got onto the bus and started my adventure to Cork, Ireland. The trip was problem free, and we made it safely back to Dublin. As my Dublin experience continued I was beginning to realize that being in an “unknown” area really is not that scary.

Each weekend I became more and more comfortable leaving Dublin and experiencing the “unknown” cities and towns Ireland has to offer. This six-week experience in Dublin, Ireland has taught me that not everything “unknown” is scary. That sometimes you need to face your fears in order to get the fullest experiences out of life. Ireland has influenced me to try and travel around the world as much as possible because sometimes the most “unknown” places can end up feeling like home.

– Michelle Barry

I always knew that I wanted to study abroad; the question was just where would I go.   As someone who was bitten by the travel bug early in life, the possibilities seemed endless.   Ultimately, I chose to come to Ireland, based solely on the brochures that I was given.  My family is of Irish ancestry, but that did not have much of an influence on my decision.  I initially expected to miss everything about the United States.  Boy, was I wrong!

I never expected to fall in love while I was here.  This love is not felt for a person, but for a place. On my first full day in Dublin, I looked around and realized how at home I felt, even though I had been in Ireland for less than 48 hours.  It was at that point when I realized I would not want to go home when this semester was over.

As the days went on, my bond with Dublin only grew.  When we would take weekend trips to places like Cork or Galway, I would become homesick not for Philadelphia, but for Dublin.  Dublin has everything I could ever want in a city.  It is near the beach, but also the mountains.  There is always something different to do in the city on any given night.   Contrary to popular belief, the nightlife here is not limited to the pub scene.  You can go to the theater, go on one of the various walking tours, or simply wander the city with friends.

Dublin is also a very historic city, much like my hometown of Philadelphia.   It played a large part in the revolution of Ireland, much like Philadelphia did in the American Revolution.  Strangely, I do not feel a connection with Philadelphia the way I do with Dublin.

I will be graduating in May, and have been struggling to find a city that I could start a life in.  I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and have been desperately trying to leave for the last five years.  New York is way too expensive, Washington DC is too political.  Boston was too cold, and North Carolina didn’t have enough of a city vibe.  This is the first time I actually felt passion for a city.

I could leave Philadelphia at any time without looking back.  But, I know when I leave Dublin my friends will have to physically drag me on to the plane.  The thought of leaving, even for a short while, breaks my heart more than words could even describe.   I even went as far to place a lock on the Ha’Penny Bridge, symbolizing me locking my heart to Dublin forever.

Dublin is essentially like any other major city.  It is not what it is made of that makes me feel such a love for it, but instead, it is the feeling of the city.  There is nothing specific that I can pinpoint that causes me to feel this way.  Just walking around the city makes me feel whole, like there was something I never knew I needed before in my life.  Dublin is something I never knew I always wanted.  Before this trip I would have been content living on the east coast of the United States my entire life.

During my time here, I realized that I would love to live in Dublin for at least a few years.  I found that it is actually pretty easy for an American to get a visa to live here.  Upon my graduation in May, I will be returning to Dublin.  This love affair has been unexpected, but I do not want it to end.  My only hope is that when I return, I will still feel the same way.  On June 28^th, when I get on that plane to go back to Philadelphia, it won’t be goodbye; it will only be see you later.

– Caitlin Reis