Dublin & Limerick, Ireland

Wow! I am in Ireland…I’m scared….I’m nervous…I’m excited…I’m so blessed!

Downtown Dublin, Ireland

God has truly been with me this entire journey and I have leaned on Him so much throughout this entire process. Within the past seven days, I have landed in Dublin, got my passport stamped, met other ISA participants, seen Dublin Castle, took pictures of Trinity College, toured Kilmainham, explored Dublin, taken a bus to the University of  Limerick, moved into my house, and had orientation week. Ireland is nothing like what I expected it to be and it is so much more than the pictures I have seen of the country. The city of Limerick is much smaller than Dublin, which I love, but it makes me feel a little more at ease.

Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland

 

By far my favorite thing about Ireland is its history. Dublin Castle and Kilmainham are so rich in history and I wish I had learned more about them when I was in elementary school or high school. I do not remember learning any of its history in school and every place we have visited in Ireland has a rich historical background. I am soaking up everything here and cannot wait to hear more about their history in some of the classes I’m taking.

Dublin Castle in Dublin, Ireland

Kilmainham in Dublin, Ireland (A historical prison)

 

Off to Orientation week…. This week was filled with a lot of information on the school. It really felt like freshmen orientation all over again. There are a variety of international students who are from all over the world which is really cool because I am meeting students from France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Spain. Actually, I have three housemates who are from different parts of Europe. One is from France, one is from Spain, and the other is from Sweden. Also, going from a school of 700 students to a school of 13,000 students is a bit of an adjustment.