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.

Just Getting Started

   When I was in high school all I wanted to do was to travel. I wanted to see the world and I knew studying abroad was a sure thing for me. As I was lollygagging my way through the first couple years of college, I realized I was coming up on my Junior year. The year I planned to study abroad. I knew if I was going to make this happen, I needed to get a move on it.

   I started out by talking to my parents. My mom and dad were a little nervous about letting me live over seas for four months but after a lot of discussion between us, and a phone call or two to my study abroad adviser, they finally agreed to me studying abroad! I decided on Ireland because the University of Limerick has a good education program. I looked at the courses available, the extra curricular activities, and reviews on the school. I knew I was unable of speaking a different language, so that also limited my choices. 

   My first step in going abroad was applying for CCIS, the Upper Iowa Study Abroad program, and the University of Limerick. Each time after I applied somewhere new, I would check my email at least five times a day, waiting for an acceptance letter and when that letter finally came, I would jump for joy all around my apartment. I then started filling out more paperwork, and more paperwork, and even more paperwork. I knew I had filled out a lot of it when applying and getting accepted to UIU, but this time I had three times as much! 

   As I chose my place of living, I looked at many aspects. I looked where it was located, how nice it was, who was able to live there and of course, the price. I ended up lucking out and getting placed in my top choice. I will be living in the Dromroe Village which are right in the smack dab middle of campus! This is when the adulting started for me. I had to start paying money. I had been saving my money, which helped a lot at this point, so it wasn't as bad as I always imagined it being. It actually only turned out to be a few thousand dollars more expensive than UIU! That is one thing I've always heard when people talk to me about studying abroad. "Isn't it so expensive? I don't think I could afford that." It always shocks them when I inform them of how affordable it really is. 

   Since not a lot of my friends have ever studied abroad before, I was looking around at all the airline websites, trying to find the best deal. My adviser ended up telling me about studentuniverse.com and I got my plane ticket for $436! I personally chose to spend the extra $40 on trip insurance, just in case I were to get sick or have to come home early for whatever reason. 

   As I enter my last few steps before going abroad, I began reading many blogs about what to pack while over there and they all tell me the same thing. Don't. Over. Pack. When I first started this adventure, I figured I would take most of my clothes over and just ship boxes over so I don't have to pay for extra baggage. I now realize I only need to take two bags over and if I forget anything, I can always buy it in Ireland. It's not like I'm going to a deserted island! 

   Today marks 67 days until I fly out and I obviously couldn't be more excited. Keep tuned as I blog more helpful tips and share my adventure when I get there! And please remember, studying abroad isn't as scary as it seems.