Abigail Passe

Going abroad was the best decision I could have made. Before I left, I knew no one on the program, but being on campus now, I have 30 new friends who know so many things about me that I know I can count on. We will always be there for each other and I loved getting to know them. I explored and saw many things, but I still feel like could have seen more. I was able to see so many things I would have never seen otherwise and I am grateful for this wonderful experience.

Do it! There's only one time in your life when you're not tied down to a family, and that's right now. No other time will you feel like you have the time to leave for 3 months. Don't be afraid to try something new; the experience was definitely worth the nerves I had leading up to leaving. Travel outside of the country you choose to study. You gain an even better perspective of the world. Studying abroad is such a great experience that I wish everyone would have the chance to see for themselves.

The trip has affected me in many ways, but the one that I notice the most is that I am now much more independent. Before leaving, I couldn't imagine navigating an airport or flying by myself. But I managed to fly from Shannon to Rome and back, as well as back to the US all by myself. After I did that I felt so accomplished. I also don't need my parents for as many things as I thought. I am capable of doing things by myself without their help. Besides being independent, I am able to see the world in a wider horizon now. I know that the world is so much greater than Minnesota, all I have to do is explore it to see that. I am also more able to cope with things outside of my comfort zone. In Ireland, we had cold showers and a freezing bedroom, but we had no choice but to accept the circumstances and adapt to the situation.

One cultural experience that made a lasting impression on me was when we went to the hurling championships. Before I went to this match, I did not understand why hurling was such a big sport but after going I realized how fun it was. This match made a lasting impression because of the atmosphere. It seemed like all of Ireland was in this one stadium to see the match, and those that weren't were watching it on the TV. The fans were crazy, yelling and cursing all over the place. The collective cheers when the 'good' team scored was deafening. The best part was probably the fact that only in Ireland would I be able to see this sport, since it's an Irish sport. Being able to see that was just incredible and a highlight of my trip, especially since I am not a sports fan.

I wanted to study abroad because I wanted to gain a broader perception of the world and see that the world is so much bigger than Minnesota. I also wanted to see other cultures besides my own to see what certain traditions they have. I choose the Ireland, Galway program because I wanted to be in a rural location. I live in a small town and I did not want to be shocked by living in such a big city. I also choose this program because I wanted to go to a country that spoke English since I did not have a language requirement for some of the other programs.