“Ukuhamba Kukufunda” – Andrew’s Final Post

Today is my last day as the summer Enrollment Coordinator at Interstudy. It’s been a fantastic 10 weeks working here in Boston. Being able to witness first hand the other side of study abroad and has given me a greater appreciation for the experience I had with Interstudy in 2010 studying in South Africa because of the legwork done by those in this office that make it all possible.

Now, before I get all misty eyed from the realization that this is my last day in the office, I felt it appropriate to share my somewhat worldly wisdom to those who take the time to read the Interstudy blog. So here’s my list of things to live by. Whether it is during a semester/year abroad, traveling, working, or recently graduating (as I just did) I hope this list will help bring some insight into what I believe to be some true necessities to know and practice.

A Study-Abroad Reflection

Now that I’ve officially been back in the States for 2 weeks, I’ve run into many people who ask the same question over and over: How was Ireland??? For the first few people I ran into at the grocery store, I tried to sum up my experience the best and quickest way I could without losing their attention. However, I soon learned that no explanation could suffice. Although I can genuinely tell these people that I had a great time and enjoyed my experience, I will never be able to sufficiently explain everything that affected me in Ireland because no one will be able to understand but me. Although kissing the Blarney Stone, visiting the Belfast peace wall and traveling all over Europe played a very big role in my experience, I believe it is more the little things I encountered day to day that will stick with me the longest and will continue to shape how I act and view the world.

On the Move!

A big part of why I wanted to study in Europe was because it afforded me seemingly endless travel possibilities. So here I am two weeks into my three week Easter holiday with five countries and seven cities under my belt. Currently I am sitting in my hostel in Munich, Germany after what can only be called an absolute nightmare of a day but things are beginning to look up. In light of today, I would like to offer a list of traveling—one for every country I have visited so far:

Dia huit! Bienvenida! Bonjour!

In the four months that I have been abroad, I have had the opportunity to see and experience many places throughout Europe. I have walked among the rolling hills and breath taking mountains of Ireland. I “segwayed” my way through the streets of Granada in Spain, and I have even been underneath the streets of Paris to walk through a kilometer of catacombs filled with thousands of skulls and bones. Sometimes it was stressful booking tickets, or getting to whichever station on time. Other times it was relaxing whether I was horseback riding through the mountains in Killarney or when I took a break from walking all day to sit on a lawn and stare up at one of the world’s most famous monuments known as the Eiffel tower. But for the most part, it was very exciting to see new places in the world in the company of some fantastic people.

Learning While Living in Belfast

So I’ve been here in Belfast for about a month now and so far it’s been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I have found certain aspects of it challenging, simply because there are a few major differences between here and the U.S. First and foremost, for two English-speaking countries, you wouldn’t think that language would be one of these said differences, but that has not been my experience here at all. I have had entire conversations with my classmates, or flatmates, or just people I’ve met around town, without knowing what exactly what was said. In the beginning, it was the most disconcerting part of being here because I would have no idea what was going on around me; when people would speak to me, I would simply smile and nod like I knew what they had just said to me without really having a clue. It’s getting easier, though. My older brother, who also studied in Europe, gave me a good piece of advice, “Listen to what people are saying, not their accent.”

Here We Go!

For me, winter has always been a season for personal reflection. Maybe it’s because I have too much time on my hands with the weather usually too cold to carry out my normal activities, or perhaps it’s because I get a break from school and thus am able to think about things other than calculus proofs or essay assignments. Either way, I always spend more time in my own head during the winter than during any other season.

This winter, though, it was definitely a good thing. As I embark on a new adventure, I feel it was beneficial to spend some time thinking about what lies ahead of me. And while I know there are many things I can’t anticipate until I’ve set foot overseas, I already have some ideas about what I stand to gain from this experience.

Ready to Revel in “Rebel County”

**I wanted to make a note of the “Rebel County” because through research, according to  goireland.com, Cork is known as the “Rebel County” due to the high level of rebel activity in the county during the War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War.

Questions

Five days until I am boarding the red-eye to cross the pond. Over the past few weeks I have accumulated quite a few tips and bits of advice from my friends and family in their efforts to prepare me for my three months abroad:

Borough Market

If you have a free afternoon in London and are interested in food, you absolutely must make a visit to Borough Market. The market is based in the general area of London Bridge and Borough Underground stations. There have been markets held on or very near to the site since at least 1014. The market settled into its current location in 1755.

Ireland’s Matchmaker Festival

Every year, in the months of September and October singles from across Ireland and even further travel to the town of Lisdoonvarna on the west coast of the Emerald Isle to find love. The town, which has a population in the hundreds, grows to the thousands during this famous singles festival.