At this time tomorrow, I will be flying somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean to begin my semester abroad at the National University of Ireland. The university is located in Galway, the country's "cultural capital" situated on the western coast of the country. I will be abroad for almost five months, from January 4th until May 28th, living in an on-campus apartment and attending classes as full-time student.
When I began thinking about studying abroad, I knew that I definitely wanted to go somewhere in Europe. With the part of the world I wanted to be in figured out, I researched my best options academically, financially, and, of course, socially. Ireland was a consistent contender in my search, and after many rave reviews from alumni and thorough research, I decided that a semester at NUI Galway was what I wanted to do. That decision was nearly half a year ago, and here I am, the night before my departure, hardly believing that my big adventure starts tomorrow. There are not words to describe how excited, anxious, and thrilled I am, amongst what feels like a million other emotions. These past couple of days I have been saying my goodbyes to friends and family, as well as packing up what I will need for the next 5 months...which, unbelievably, I managed to fit into this:
I was also seriously stressing about having my bags go over the 50 pound limit but luckily I am an expert packer and...
Within .3 lbs of the limit? Yikes.
I am keeping this blog for two reasons:
1. To keep my friends and family updated on my experiences throughout the semester.
2. To create a journal that I can later look back on.
I hope you all enjoy reading this as much I am sure I will enjoy sharing it. Happy New Year and see you in May!
Love and safe travels,
Haley
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