First Week in Ireland

   I made it! My first day was pretty normal, got off the plane, unpacked and then napped. It was so nice having a group from the college come and pick us up from the airport. As orientation started, the days got more and more busy. Each day, there are different things we are supposed to go to just so we get accustomed to the college and it's ways. The international population is quite big here and I only hear positive comments about this school and how well they work with international students.

   My second day here, jet lag caught up with me and I ended up missing a couple days of orientation. I was emailing the international office the whole time and they were more than helpful! Tonight is our first international party at one of the clubs on campus-I hear it's a lot of craic (fun). Tomorrow I will be hopping on the bus the campus has arranged and go into the city. There I will go to the local milk market and shopping centres to get bed clothes, towels, groceries and anything else I may need. One important thing to remember if you come here, Irish stores do not give out bags with their groceries like they do in America, so be sure to bring your own!

   Today, I signed up for the International Society and requested membership in the archery club and the skydiving club. This college has a million different clubs and societies you are able to join and they do loads of fun activities! The city is quite small, but there are tons of little shops you are able to go into, all which are very reasonably priced. There are buses that go to the city quite regularly and it's very easy to catch one on campus. There are also various stores within walking distance of the campus that will come in handy as well.

   This weekend, I am signing up for my classes, however, they will not be made final for another two weeks. This allows international students to make sure the classes they chose work well in their schedule and are the classes they were expecting. The classes do not meet every day, which is weird for students at Upper Iowa University, but it's all part of the experience! I cannot wait to get going with my semester and have a grand time!

Packing For Four Months

   As I came to the last few weeks in the United States, I figured I should start packing. I had looked at many different blogs that have included a light packing list, but I still felt very unsure on what exactly to pack. The two packing lists that helped me the most were Study Abroad Packing Essentials and The Essential Study Abroad Packing List: Ireland Edition. 

   In the Study Abroad Packing Essentials list, I noticed it suggested two suitcases. This absolutely blew my mind. How was I supposed to pack for four months in just two suitcases?! I'm one of those packers that when I go for a week long trip, I have a day outfit and night outfit for each day, while I will wear my jeans multiple times. As I read both blogs, plus many more, I noticed a pattern. Layers, layers, layers. Ireland is a very rainy country and even though they don't have as harsh winters as Iowa has, it is still chilly. I also read that if you pack shorts, they will stay in your drawers in your accommodation. 

   When it seemed time to begin, I grabbed one large suitcase, one medium suitcase and my roommate. We went through my closet, section by section, and grabbed all the nicer, plain shirts that I have. We then looked at my cardigans and nicer sweaters and decided what shirts I could wear with more than one outfit. If there was a shirt I could only wear with one cardigan and one pair of pants, it went in the "no" pile. After about an hour, we came up with this list:

• 6 Plain print shirts (no words) 
• 4 Cardigans
• 3 Pairs of jeans (no holes or tears)
• 3 Casual dresses
• 1 Nice dress
• 5 Exercise outfits (only if you really plan on working out, don't waste the space)
• 2 Pairs of nice heals (for presentations or nice dinners with friends)
• 1 Pair calf high boots 
• 1 Pair good rain boots
• 1 Pair good walking shoes (again, only if you plan on hiking)
• 1 Pair tennis shoes
• 2 Pairs of flats (I chose one cute pair that goes with many outfits while also a pair of black ones)
• 2 Weeks worth of undergarments 

• 1 set of personal items
• Makeup that I prefer
• Shower essentials
• Outlet adapter

   I read many articles that said to leave behind my hair tools such as straighteners, curling irons and blow dryers, however, I do not plan on doing this. Sure, I have set aside more money than we budgeted for, but I want to save that so I have a back up and I don't want to spend all my extra money on things that are fairly simple to pack and that I already have. This really is up to you and how much room you have in your suitcases. Remember: you will be bringing back more than you take over so leave room for souvenirs!

   In my carry on, I have packed an extra set of clothes, travel size shower stuff, toothbrush and toothpaste, chargers, a book, a notebook and pens, travel blanket and headphones. 

   An important thing to remember is that people in Europe dress much nicer than the United States. Sweats or leggings are inappropriate to wear in public and will make you come off as being a slob. While studying abroad, you are representing yourself, your country and your home university. 

   Today is 13 days away from my take off date and it's starting to become real to me. These next couple of weeks will be busy, but it will be the start of the biggest adventure of my life up to this point.