Ali Gilleran
Contributing Writer
When I told people that I was studying abroad, they would always tell me how life changing of an experience it would be, but I never truly grasped what they meant until I finally stepped foot in Galway, Ireland.
The minute I landed in Galway, I was overwhelmed with intense sleep deprivation but all the friendly locals that helped me feel comfortable in my new home for the next four months.
I knew Galway was the place for me when, on the taxi ride from the bus station to my apartment building, the taxi driver, who said they lived in America for a few years, said that Galway was recently named the nicest city in the world.
The taxi driver was so proud to be from Galway and was genuinely interested as to why I was going to school abroad and where I came from.
After I met my roommates and we all took a somewhat quick nap, we went off to explore what Galway has to offer! We quickly found out that our apartment was just down the road from the main downtown section of the city, Quay (pronounced “key”) and Shop Street.
This would become incredibly convenient when it came to buying gifts for our families and friends and more importantly visiting all the popular pubs and restaurants that are unique to Galway and 20-year-old Americans!
The next week was spent exploring the city and trying to find the quickest route to campus or the best café that stayed open late and had free wifi.
Ali Gilleran/ Contributed Photo
This is when I felt truly blessed that I participated in the study abroad program, despite some of the stresses that came along with it.
I met some of my best friends that week or two and I would not have been able to go to all the places that I have been or plan on traveling to with them.
The most interesting part of attending a college in another country is meeting people from all around the world. Walking down the street or around campus, you can hear so many different languages being spoken and how curious people are of each other.
It is so much fun talking to an Irish or European student about simple things like what they call vacuum (Hoover) or how they can tell if someone is an American by what they wear.
Being able to get to know people my age from all around the world has truly opened my eyes and made me want to travel to their home countries and see the world through their point of view.
In my opinion, studying abroad is not just about exploring the one city or town that you will live in for the next few months, but it is about seeing the bigger picture, going out of your comfort zone, and living a different life than at your home college.
I have been very lucky to meet people who have a similar or even bigger itch to travel around Europe and even different parts of Ireland.
I have already been to so many breathtaking places such as the Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands, Belfast and Dublin and my traveling days have just become.
I have such amazing trips planned for the next two months and I cannot explain how amazing this experience is and how life changing living here has already been.
It is impossible to perfectly describe going abroad to someone because there is so much that goes into it, from getting lost in a city and having to ask for directions to participating in the culture and traditions that are native to the region.
The only way a person can truly understand and appreciate a country or a city is to spend four months or more living in that country and act like a native for even a little while.
I know I have only just begun my time abroad and I have so much more to learn and experience, but I would sign up to participate in the study abroad program for as many times as my bank account would allow.
I would encourage every single student to do some research and learn more about going abroad because no matter how many people or articles, like this one, talk about how “life changing” going abroad was, you will never truly understand what we mean until you have landed into your new home for the first time and have to take a taxi to your apartment.
Ali Gilleran can be contacted at Ali.Gilleran@ksc.keene.edu
