Feeling At Ease in Ireland

As my second month in Ireland begins to unfold, I can finally begin to say that Dublin is starting to feel comfortable and more like home.   When I embarked on this journey a little more than a month ago, I understood I would experience many cultural differences; however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that these cultural similarities and differences have affected my time in Ireland in a very positive manner!

One of the most evident differences I have noticed about Ireland is just how relaxed its people are. They are very respectful and place a lot of trust in each other. By doing this, they create a pleasant environment where people know how to behave and not take advantage of the liberties granted to them. I was first exposed to this trust and relaxed environment when I found out my living situation for the semester. I was shocked to learn that I would be living with one American girl and three Irish boys! Though we all have our own rooms and bathrooms, I still couldn’t believe the school would place girls and boys in the same residence. I could never imagine any university in America doing anything like it. However, my residence and roommates have proven to be one of my favorite parts about my study abroad experience so far. We all get along very well and spend many hours in the kitchen drinking tea and teaching each other about our respective cultures. This is just one example of how a relaxed and stress-free environment can produce great rewards for its students and expand the learning outside of the classroom.