As an international studies major at the University of Dayton, studying abroad is required. I have nearly the entire world available for me to explore. I could study in Italy, Spain, Africa, Australia, China, England and so many other places for an entire semester or even longer. However, the one place that I wish to study abroad in is a country that I have been to before and one that I know well: Ireland.
I am the granddaughter of Irish immigrants, the niece of Irish immigrants, the cousin to Irish immigrants. My entire family on my father’s side is Irish. I have inevitably grown up to have an immense amount of pride for my heritage. Growing up, my Nana would always tell me stories of Ireland. She would tell me how beautiful her country is and how kind her people are. My dad would tell me stories of his many trips to Ireland with his parents. I grew up dreaming of visiting Ireland. And for my sixteenth birthday, my Nana surprised me with a two week trip to Ireland with her and my cousin. For three months, I would count down the days until the trip. There were days that I worried Ireland would not meet the expectations I had created for it. But when I arrived in July of 2017, I quickly realized that Ireland did not fail to meet my expectations. Ireland was, somehow, even better than I had imagined.
For those two weeks in Ireland, I was able to meet my uncles, aunts, and cousins who still lived there. I was able to see with my own eyes the most beautiful landscapes I had ever seen: mountains, vast green fields, cliffs, oceans, colorful cities. The people I met in Ireland were some of the kindest and funniest people I had ever met. I loved every single aspect of Ireland and for those two weeks, I was the happiest I had ever been. Ireland, in many ways, felt like home.
Although there is so much left of the world for me to see, I know that there is nowhere else I would rather study than Ireland.
Claire's Blog 