Homesickness. I was not prepared to deal with it. By Wednesday it had hit me like a Category 5 hurricane. It was miserable. The first night at UL I was skyping my mom and my boyfriend crying, saying I wanted to come home and that I didn't want to be here. By this point, I had been through long days of orientation in a large city. I hate orientations and I hate big cities. The only people I knew were Ryan and Andrew, and while we're close now, we hardly knew each other and each of us were extremely shy. No friends and thousands of miles away from everyone I knew.
The first day of orientation didn't make me feel much better - I flew all the way to Europe to go to a different university? That was not what I really imagined when I dreamed of studying abroad. If all I was going to do was study, then I should be doing it back home, where I know what to expect, where I have all of my friends and family, and where I can take classes that I need, instead of only a few.
I then made some great friends. The following day of orientation I learned about an Irish Traditional Music and Dance class that I could take. The International Society and other clubs and societies made presentations. I realized I could travel Ireland. I could have fun. I could see the Emerald Isle.
Then, I got to see Ireland. I really got to experience it. And though it was cold and damp and windy, for a long moment, the thought of leaving this breathtaking place was unimaginable.
So, to all of my readers who are going to go abroad, I have a few tips. First off, try not to compare new things to how they were back home. It's a different culture, just accept it. Neither way is better, just different. Secondly, homesickness will probably hit. It may hit at different times and at different degrees, but I promise that if you push past it and experience your trip like it's meant to, you'll have the time of your life.
Until next time,
Love and Peace!
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