You Are Only Confined By The Walls You Build Yourself

While studying abroad, culture shock really hasn't hit me that much in my host country. It has affected me more while I have been traveling rather than my every day life here in Ireland. The main thing that gets to me is the language barrier that I have experienced through out my study abroad experience. One of the highlights of living in a country that's main language is English, is there really isn't a language barrier, but with traveling to different native language speaking countries, it can make things a bit difficult, but it is also a good experience and fun to experience. Now with language comes slang. Everyone in America knows that we have our own slang, and that is just like any other country. There is quite a bit of slang here in Ireland, but it isn't something I have started to use, but I have gotten very used to it. They normally just use slang, or at least I have noticed that they use it when they are talking about hanging out, drinking, partying, stuff like that. So it isn't too much of a difference from being back home.

Living here in Dublin is a bit different to living back in Kalamazoo. I mean I don't know exacts, but living in the dorm here is about the same as living in a dorm back at WMU, but as far as living in the city, it is more expensive than living off campus in Kalamazoo because here Dublin is their main city, Kalamazoo really isn't so that is a major difference in living. Price wise though, the groceries here are cheaper, when in reality once the euro to US dollar exchange happens, it is around the same price, but I can get a full load of groceries here for only 45 euro or less and back home I would get it for maybe 50 or 75 US dollars minimum. I spend more back home on a day to day basis just because of little things, such as gas for my car, more groceries, going out to eat with friends, stuff like that, but that also would equal out or be considered less because when I go traveling on the weekends, I spend a lot more than I would during the week. During the week, I stick to eating my groceries, and then spend that other money on food in different countries and buying other things as well, such as activities, clothes, souvenirs, etc. So money here I have been spending more than I would back home, but that is also because of the different opportunities that I have had while being here and going to different countries.

There haven't really been any global events going on in Ireland that has affected the community and or my peers here. The only thing I will say is people tend to go all out for certain activities. For instance, the second to last night of classes here at UCD, there was a Christmas party where a lot of students went to go celebrate the semester being almost over as well as food and drinks were involved so it seemed like a fun time. Sports are also a big event here, which I knew coming to Ireland, but it is still so fun to be able to see people in their home element. One of the weekends since I have been here, I was able to go watch a home rugby game here in Dublin and it was an experience I will always remember. I genuinely enjoyed my time watching the game as well as watching the audience practically throwing themselves onto the field. It was fun to be able to meet people there as well, so my friend Nicole, who went with me, we met these guys who were sitting behind us who were messing around with us, but it was still fun to talk to them and experience the game in general! I also know that Christmas is a huge deal here so they decorate the entire city pretty much and so far, it is gorgeous. I love being able to learn different things about this city and to continue learning new things every day.

Finals here are not what I was expecting though. I mean classes and grading in general, I was surprised. All of my classes, for finals at least, are essay format. I have no true or false, multiple choice, short answer, or anything like that. I mean my Irish language class comes close to the short answer category because we need to translate for a few different parts of our exam, but besides that, all my finals are essays and they are worth either 50% or more of my final grade. With the final being 50%, it also brings in assignments and all of those are essays as well, which I don't mind essays at all, I mean I love writing, but the essays are then worth the other 50% of your grade. If you mess up the essay, there is really no other way to make up those points, which in America there is at least two or more assignments so you have room for improvement just incase, but here in Ireland, you have only one or two major assignments. For my language class is different though because of what the class consists of, but every other class is essay based. No matter the subject pretty much. It is a hard concept to get your head around, especially if you write an essay in the style you were taught to write in and then the grader doesn't agree because that is not the Ireland way and you get a bad grade. It is just a weird system to get accustomed to so you need to really go to class, pay attention, do good on your assignments and study hard for your finals. Another major difference is I know some schools in the states have finals for two weeks, but at WMU, we have finals for one week, so coming here to having finals for two weeks is different. It's good in some ways, but then in some ways it isn't.

As well as experiencing Ireland in general, I have gone out of my comfort zone in small areas, but they are improvements. Something that I have noticed is I love doing things on my own. I of course love having company with me, but I have to run a few errands in the city a few times a month and at the beginning, I would ask someone to come with me so I wouldn't go alone, but now, I love taking the bus and walking around the city centre by myself. I don't feel unsafe walking around alone here in Dublin and that to me is very important. I am confident in myself that walking around alone and being alone, but enjoying it is something I love about myself now. I never used to like being alone because I felt lonely, but now I know the difference between being lonely and being alone, and me personally, I like being by myself. I like that I have branched out in different ways, but I have also gone out of my comfort zone while traveling to other countries. I have gone to the extreme of paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland, but then there is the less extreme with just trying new foods and experiencing the different cultures. I have loved every trip I've gone on because I have loved that I have said yes to almost everything that life has thrown at me the past few months, or at least I have tried to say yes to everything. I mean I can't go too crazy other wise I wouldn't be Taylor with some walls built up, but it's the thought that counts. I guess that is where my title of this blog comes into play. "You are only confined by the walls that you build yourself" is one particular quote that I like to remind myself and that I have continuously reminded myself my entire study abroad experience. I am a planner and a person who likes to be organized. I like to have control over my life and over things I do and with that can cause problems sometimes. Now as I stated above, I have tried to say yes to as much as I possibly can while studying abroad, but I also can't completely change who am I deep down just with a switch, so it has been difficult, but I wouldn't change a thing. Now with that being said, my motto of my study abroad experience has been "adventure." Just experience as much as I can because this is such a once in a life time opportunity and to not take advantage of it and I don't think I have so I want to continue living my life this way. I want to go back home to the states and continue living my life by my new motto, and I know because when I get home I won't be able to take extravagant trips every weekend, but I need to tell myself that is okay. It is okay to get back to your regular routine, but don't get back to your old mind set. Stay free of mind and experience everything as it comes at you. Hopefully future Taylor listens to past Taylor, I don't know, we will see.