Making the choice to study abroad is one of the most incredible, scary, wonderful (insert any adjective here) decisions you will ever make in your undergraduate career, or even your life. Moving somewhere thousands of miles away from your family and friends to study in another country with a different currency without knowing the whole layout of the city, or the people, with limited funds? Yes, it’s thrilling.
I decided to study at the University College Cork in Ireland for this spring semester and I have only been here few weeks, but it’s dawning on me that there is a lot that I don’t know- about life, about the world, even about who I really am as a person.
In light of this soul-searching, I’ll be writing a few posts for Her Campus Marymount in the next few months on what I learn thousands of miles away from home…
So basically, in a few short weeks of being here I’ve learned that:
Life is what you make it…
Yes, I too thought of the Hannah Montana song when I wrote that line but I’m being completely serious when I say that you and only you can determine your own true happiness. Being away from loved ones and friends, I’ve realized that I am in charge of what I choose to do that day; whether it’s staying in bed or choosing to explore the city, I’m making the decisions for myself and those decisions will make my life here in Ireland. When you feel as though life has ripped you down, there’s a choice to either sink or swim. It’s amazing how much better you feel when you make the decision every day to make life yours- when you make that decision to swim.
It’s okay to not know exactly what you want…
This goes for anything, whether it’s a certain type of coffee or something as serious as a relationship. Life isn’t black and white and neither is what you choose. You don’t always have to make the perfect decision because honestly, there never is a right decision in every situation, and that’s okay. It’s okay to not know what you want at this point in your life. It’s taken me a while to figure this out for myself but one of the reasons I’m halfway across the world is to find out what exactly it is that I want for myself, without many outside influences holding me back.
Life doesn’t have to be random…
I believe, especially after my travels from the United Kingdom to Ireland, that any mishap or mistake will only help you learn. Accidents and things that supposedly are random will only help you to become a better person in the long run. Finding that silver lining in a mistake or a problem is honestly the best thing you can do when it could be a time to panic. In London, I stared at a train for ten minutes deciding whether or not it was mine. After those ten minutes it started to slowly inch away. As I saw it leaving, it dawned on me that I had just missed my train. I lifted my hand up almost pathetically, hoping I could stop it. Even though I was so angry at myself, we rerouted ourselves and made a new plan. I’m telling you, no matter what happens, you learn through the mishaps.
One of my friends studied abroad last semester and she told me to do something every day while I am here in Ireland. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, it could be everything. I am hoping to continue doing that to make this experience even more amazing. Follow my journey on my personal blog and check back on HCMU’s website for more confessions from abroad!