Jessica Remhof

Jessica Remhof is an Ambassador who studied abroad in Cork, Ireland.

Briefly describe a specific cultural experience you had on your trip that made a lasting impression. I loved seeing ‘life’ while I was abroad.  Living within another culture allows one to experience the ways of life that have not been previously familiar to us.  While backpacking through Europe, I was able to experience and feel how life was much larger than I had ever fathomed.  I was left speechless while observing the Mona Lisa and brought to tears at the sight of the Sistine Chapel.  Yet, not only were the monuments and true staples of a culture present, but the life that was surrounding and supporting all of was what really allowed me to experience and reflect upon myself.

Why did you choose the program in which you participated? I chose this program because it was much more independent based than the other programs offered.  I was able to experience life by being submerged within the Irish culture… joining clubs within the university, taking classes with students from all over the world, and forming close relationships with Irish student peers.

What advice do you have for future travelers? Be in the now and experience everything that you see with passion.  In some way, however small, your environment, its sights, sounds, smells, and tastes will become part of you in a way never imaginable.

How has the trip affected you? How are you different for having completed the experience? I can confidently say that the trip changed my life and who I am as an individual.  I learned how to survive on my own and how to navigate independently crossing culture barriers.  Yet, I’ve come to discover that what really changed me was all of the life that pervaded around me.  I am changed because of the sights, smells, and emotions that progressed through me throughout the semester.  Each country, each moment, each culture, retains a distinctive place within me and has redefined who I am.  And after it all, when I was finally able to truly reflect on the experience, I can say that the one thing that I truly learned and that truly changed me was knowing that life, the possession of life, is truly beautiful.