There is a certain charm to Ireland. People are always willing to stop to have a conversation and will joke about everything with you. There?s something about living in a place with beautiful landscape even when it rains half the time. Even though the weather can be dreary people?s chipper nature makes up for it. Because of the crazy amounts of rain, it is still a good idea to bring a rain jacket, a backup rain jacket and a poncho. Ireland has certain quirks that takes getting used to and there are always new things to try. Instead of bacon they have what they call rashers which is some place in between Canadian bacon and American bacon. Also baked beans and roasted tomatoes are staples for breakfast.
University of Limerick while nowhere near the size of A&M is in no way small. The campus spreads over both sides of the Shannon River and has 16,000 students. There are so many different perspectives and types of people and it makes every conversation different. Even in my roommates one is from Beijing, and the others are from all different parts of the United States. I?ve been able to meet people from all over the world including Italy, Germany and Japan and it is so fascinating hearing how unique their college experiences are. One thing I?ve learned is in Japan you start each school year in the Spring and have a four-month break after December! I love having the opportunity to meet people who under no other circumstance would I have met.
I?ve been able to do some travelling around Ireland and has been so special. From Dublin all the way to southern Ireland in Cork back to the west coast of Limerick, each place has its own rich history and unique stories to tell. I am excited to spend the rest of my semester in such a diverse landscape and explore the Irish culture more.