Cozy Corners and Cultural Connections: My Irish Housing Experience
I have been living in Galway for 35 days now, and it’s a hard statistic for me to believe. Time moves differently in Ireland– the days fly by. For the most part, I have gotten over the initial culture shock and am thriving. I have a solid daily routine, and that helps a lot with providing stability and peace of mind. I plan my daily routine each week and intentionally carve out time to work on things that bring me pleasure. For example, I wake up each morning and allot about one to two hours for writing before I start my day. On February 5th, I finished working on a rough draft of a 20,000-word novella. Now, I’m working on a memoir of the early years of my life. I started this because I noticed that I have lost some of my early childhood memories and want to preserve them by writing them down. I have also been reading a ton– I’ve read nine books since I arrived in Ireland. Currently, I am reading the monstrous novel “Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry and having a whale of a time.
I have been tasked with writing about my housing arrangements for this blog. When I left for Galway, I did not know that Ireland is in the midst of a housing crisis. I found housing accommodations without any hassle, a blessing from God that I did not realize I had received until I talked to some Irish friends. I live in a student village, essentially blocks of identically shaped houses arranged like a game of Tetris. The houses are made of brick, and from the outside, they wouldn’t look out of place in a college town in the United States. I was blessed with a house that faces the Northeast, which means I am protected from the ferocious winds that come off the North Atlantic from the Southwest. It’s the little things in life.
My house is located in a prime location. I live about a ten-minute walk from a Dunnes (Ireland’s version of Target), a Tesco (Ireland’s version of HyVee), and an Aldi. I live about a 15-minute walk from my University’s campus. Oddly enough, I love my daily walks to class and find them relaxing. The train and bus stations are located in the city center (aka Eyre Square), and it takes me about a 20-minute walk to reach there. With all my walking, I end up averaging 12,000 steps per day.
If I am quite honest, the inside of my house is bland. The walls are painted either white or beige, depending on the room. The aesthetics of my house are comparable to those of a hotel; generic, but sufficient. The ground floor is a combination of a kitchen and living room. The living room is great for lounging, working on homework, and hanging out with people. There’s also a gas fireplace that I often sit in front of as I work on homework. It emits the perfect amount of heat– enough to keep me warm but not overheat me unless I leave it on for more than four hours.
I have a large kitchen to work with, and my house has dishes and cooking utensils, but they are of lower quality. I’ll simply describe the mismatched dishes and utensils as “well-loved” and leave it at that. I don’t particularly appreciate spending too much time in the kitchen because I have a different standard of cleanliness than my roommates. Frequently, I have to reclean dishes before eating and cooking because my roommates fail to remove the crusty bits of food from their dishes. They also often commit the atrocity of not throwing away wrappers– leaving them on the counter or table. I have communicated with my roommates about my grievances, but not much has changed, and I’d like to maintain my peace with my roommates, so I’ll just live with it.
I have three Irish roommates: John, Alan, and Peter. John is studying computer science and is great fun to talk to. He’s helped advise and teach me how certain things work in Ireland. Alan is studying Business and is “one of the lads.” He also enjoys asking me about US politics– I was informed that many Irish citizens, himself included, follow US politics for entertainment. I rarely see Peter because we operate on much different schedules; he’s friendly, but I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to him much. When we do speak, his accent is so thick that it’s hard to understand him sometimes, a difficulty I never expected I would encounter. I have noticed that my Irish roommates tend to have a different philosophy of life than mine. I am very assertive, proactive, and “do things the right way the first time so I won’t have to redo them.” My Irish roommates, classmates, and professors tend to be much more passive and carefree concerning details. It’s not wrong; it’s different, so I’m learning to live with it.
My bedroom is on the first floor, above the living room. I share a room with a guy from California named Colm. Colm and I are very different, but we get along just fine. He’s also very passive, like my Irish roommates. He likes to talk about UFC, Formula 1, and the NFL, so I try my hardest to pretend I know what he’s talking about to converse with him. I sleep in a twin bed, but I’m convinced it’s smaller than an American twin-sized bed because my feet will hang off the edge of the bed if I lay out straight. It’s not the end of the world because the mattress is comfortable. It will never compare to my bed at home, but it’s vastly superior to some of the beds I’ve slept in before.
Next to my bed is my desk. I love my desk. It has the perfect amount of space and storage on the shelves above. At the very least, I spend about three hours daily at my desk. As mentioned, I write for about 1-2 hours daily and also work on homework, read, or ponder at my desk. In fact, I’m sitting at my desk right now as I write this. My private library also sits on the shelf above my desk. I am an unashamed bibliophile. I love to sit at my desk and look at my books– something is enchanting about them.
Now I know what you’re thinking… how does my housing here compare to MLC? I’d say it’s another case of “not wrong, just different.” I enjoy the independence that I have here– I share a bathroom with only one other person, I can quickly cook my food, I can control the temperature of my room, and it is consistently quiet. However, I miss living with my MLC roommates, Rees and Adam. I miss being able to roll out of bed fifteen minutes before class starts and still make it on time. Unsurprisingly, I also miss being able to walk outside of my dorm, hop in my car, and drive anywhere I want.
All in all, I am loving my experience in Ireland so far. I am adjusting to the culture and am continuing to meet loads of new people. So far, one of the biggest shocks has been how much self-education I’ve done. I don’t have many academic obligations (eight hours of class time total per week), so I spend a lot of time reading and researching things that interest me. Believe it or not, adjusting to having so much free time has been challenging. I’ve found the free time especially beneficial for my relationship with God– I take extra time to pray and read my Bible. Please continue to pray for me as I study abroad, and I hope you enjoyed reading this!
España Escapades: A Journey of Goals and Growth Abroad
I’m Sarah Hoffe, a junior on the teacher track at Martin Luther College. I’m a Spanish major, so naturally, that is a beautiful excuse to travel the world to learn more about the Spanish language and culture. I am from Nodine, MN, where I have lived my whole life. So, I am excited to branch out and explore the world finally!
As the anticipation for my upcoming study abroad journey to Spain builds, I find myself reflecting on the goals and expectations I have set for myself, the program, and the experiences that lie ahead. Embarking on this adventure is a mix of excitement and nervousness, but I am confident that the challenges will pave the way for personal growth and unforgettable memories.
Expectations for Myself: Embracing Change and Adaptability
I anticipate that living in a new country, immersed in a different culture and language, will be a transformative experience. I look forward to becoming more comfortable with change and developing adaptability to navigate unfamiliar situations. My primary concern is grappling with homesickness as I learn to become more comfortable with change. The thought of being away from the familiar faces and comforts of home for an extended period is daunting. However, I recognize this as an opportunity for personal growth and resilience-building. This experience allows me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace the unknown with open arms. I also expect that studying abroad will cultivate respect for other cultures. Being open to diverse perspectives is a priority for me. I pray this experience will broaden my understanding of the world, fostering cultural sensitivity and appreciation. I hope to return home with a more global mindset, enriched by connections with people from various backgrounds.
Expectations for the Program: Pushing Comfort Zones and Appreciating the Present
I believe the program’s design will challenge me to step out of my comfort zone as I am encouraged and required to use Spanish in many situations in and outside of school. Whether navigating new cities or interacting with locals in Spanish, I anticipate moments of discomfort that will ultimately contribute to personal and academic growth. Another of my expectations is that this program will teach me to appreciate the things I may take for granted in the United States, many of which I am not aware of yet since I won’t know what I’m missing here until I am abroad. Living abroad provides a unique perspective on life, and I hope to gain a deeper appreciation for the richness and uniqueness of different cultures.
Goals for the Program: Improved Spanish Proficiency and Travel
A primary goal for this experience is to enhance my Spanish language skills. I often find myself being concerned that my language skills may not improve as significantly as I hope. Overcoming language barriers is integral to fully immersing myself in the culture, and the fear of stagnation in this aspect lingers in my mind. I aim to increase my comfort level when communicating with native speakers and gain the confidence to express myself effectively in Spanish. Another goal is to travel to a different country on my own. The prospect of navigating a foreign land independently both excites and challenges me. I believe this experience will not only boost my confidence but also encourage me to travel more often. Solo travel is not the highest priority for me; however, I expect I will love traveling with my friends and experiencing new things with other people (old friends and new ones:).
Greatest Challenge:
Undoubtedly, my greatest challenge will be navigating the distance from the people I hold dear. However, I acknowledge that this separation, though difficult, offers a unique opportunity for personal and emotional growth. The support of loved ones will remain a source of strength as I embark on this incredible and exciting adventure.
As the departure date approaches, I look forward to the personal development and all the discoveries that studying abroad in Spain promises. Through embracing change, pushing boundaries, and fostering cultural understanding, I anticipate a journey that will shape not only my academic pursuits but also my perspective on life. Here’s to the unknown and the growth that awaits on the picturesque streets of Spain!
My Goals and Expectations for Studying Abroad in Madrid, Spain
Hi everyone! My name is Alaina Wiedoff and I am in my junior year at Martin Luther College. It is unbelievable to think that this semester abroad, something I have been planning since the beginning of freshman year, is a couple days away. I am for sure feeling all of the feelings – disbelief, excitement, confusion, anxiousness, gratitude, and more. If I am being honest, I have sat down and attempted to write this blog four different times in the last week, but have gotten overwhelmed with the fact that this once-in-a-lifetime experience is just a few days before me and indeed is very real and not a dream. Here I am now though, after I could not fall asleep due to runaway thoughts of this trip.
For this first blog, I get the opportunity to reflect on my goals and expectations for my semester abroad in Madrid. I have lots of small and large goals for myself during my time abroad. I LOVE setting goals for myself but have done an extremely poor job of consistently following through on these goals. That being said, one of my top goals is to work hard to follow through on my goals! 🙂
Starting with an expectation: I expect that after this program wraps up, I will be more confident in my Spanish speaking abilities. If anyone knows me, you know I am very hard on myself about my abilities in Spanish and feel I should be further along than I am. A goal that goes hand-in-hand with this expectation, is spending time outside of class studying and practicing Spanish concepts that I am not as confident in. This may look like reviewing certain concepts and practicing them in my notebook and then using these concepts in real-life conversations. I do believe that I will feel more confident after spending four months studying and learning the language more! I do expect this program to challenge me and to encourage me to work hard! I believe that through this program I will have exposure to many different cultures and life styles which will broaden my perspective and Lord-willingly contribute to my personal and spiritual growth.
I am a very structured person. I love planning out every key detail and having a schedule that I can follow at all times, especially when traveling. Schedules are not always a bad thing, but I have learned that when I focus too heavily on following the schedule or making sure plans go exactly as I expect them to, I find myself more stressed out with change and less content with the experiences before me. After learning more about European culture, one insight I have gained is that the way of life there is more slow going and less rigid. This way of life can be so beautiful. A goal that I will daily be working at is becoming more flexible and adaptable to change and spontaneity. Not only do I want to become more flexible in situations, but I want to find the joys and blessings that come with the unexpected paths I may take. I will, of course, maintain my aspirations and objectives for things I wish to see and achieve, but do so while adapting and embracing the unpredictable experiences that European life may present.
Similarly, I want to learn more about myself and embrace the change and growth that may come with this semester. I tend to get super anxious about both big and small changes and worry about the outcome of those changes. Living in a different country and culture is going to bring about a lot of small and big changes. I not only want to become more flexible and adaptable to these changes, but embrace them and see the beauty that God is working through them.
THIS is another big goal of mine; to trust in the Lord with all of my heart and trust that he is working out His plan in my life no matter what may change or not go the way I expect it to!
Here is the list of some of my more general personal goals this semester, in no particular order!:
- Write everyday in my gratitude journal!
- (Prayer in the morning and 3 things I am thankful for at the end of the day!)
- Write in my Travel journal 4 times a week!
- Read 3 books!
- Read the book of Psalms in both English and Spanish!
- Sit and try to paint at least 3 times!
- Make new friends!
- Travel to 5 new countries.
- Take a solo trip!
- Exercise 3 times a week!
- Stay connected to my loved ones back home!
- Improve my Spanish speaking and knowledge of the language!
- Learn more of the history of Spain!
Finally, the most important goal for me is to stay rooted in my faith. I would love to daily be in my Bible and spend time with my Father in prayer. I am blessed here at home, to have my church community as well as my MLC community. While I am abroad, I will not physically have this community with me, even though I know you are all rooting for me and praying for me. (Thank you, truly. It means the world!) I would love to find a community abroad that I can worship with and have conversations with about Jesus and His love and ministry. Lord-willingly, when and if I find this community, I would love to create close friendships and maintain these bonds while I am abroad and beyond.
Lately, as I have been preparing to leave for this God-given, amazing opportunity, I have been meditating on these verses that have given me comfort:
Deuteronomy 31:8:
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
And
All of Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
I ask that you please keep my friends and I who are studying abroad in your prayers! Thank you for your support and prayers, it means so much.
God works in beautiful ways and I am so incredibly excited to see His plan for this season of my life!
Thanks for following along!
Con Amor, (with love)
Alaina Wiedoff
Goals and expectations: goles/objectivos/metas y expectivas/esperanzas
I figured I might as well start translating my thoughts now, as that will take up a lot of my time soon. The trouble with this is that words don’t translate perfectly. There are often multiple possible translations and ways to interpret a phrase or sentence.
So yeah, that’s a trouble, but it’s also helpful. In this case, it’s helpful. Each translation of the words helps me define the difference between them and better express each.
First, a bit about me. My name is Emily Wittig. I’m a junior at MLC on the teacher track. I’m a double major in elementary and secondary Spanish education. I’m from Hartford, WI. Both my parents are teachers. (Yes, it’s a family business at this point.) I’ve been taking Spanish classes at some level since seventh grade.
I know it’s “goals and expectations,” but I’ll start with expectations. The first translation is “expectivas”, a cognate translation. I don’t necessarily expect adjusting to be easy. Adjusting to a new house, food, school, time zone, culture, and more is only a slightly daunting task. (Okay, maybe more than slightly.) I’m not scared, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I expect this to be a difficult adjustment, but I have support from many people.
“Expectations” also can be translated to “esperanzas,” which are like “hopes” or “wishes.” I hope to make lots of friends abroad. Through the ISA program, we will have opportunities to go on extra weekend trips to various cities in Spain. Our classes will be with these ISA students, and hopefully some natives, also. We hope to have many experiences with multiple people doing many different things.
“Goals” can be translated to “goles,” which is primarily used in the context of sports. Like in futbol (I should probably call it that instead of soccer), the scores are goals. We have a goal to go to a futbol game in Spain, a way to immerse ourselves in a significant cultural aspect of the country. (I need to learn more about how futbol works first!) Another goal is to stay active. Incorporating activity into my routine will give me a sense of accomplishment and homeiness. The gym we have in mind offers some workout classes, which can be another way to bond with others from the area. I would also love to find a way to play basketball while I’m abroad, but that could be tougher.
“Objectivos” is another translation for “goals.” This word is a cognate, so it’s often used to refer to objectives. As a future teacher, I know all about objectives: what they are, how to write them, why they’re necessary, etc. Basically, the purpose. The purpose of this semester abroad is to learn the Spanish language and immerse myself in its culture. Easy enough, right? I’m taking classes at the university, so I’ll be learning the language. I’m living there, so I’m immersed in the culture. However, objectives should be measurable. How can I say I “learned the language” or was “immersed in the culture”? In regards to learning the language, my classes will be a large part of measuring this. Although daily homework is rare in Europe, I will still have a test or two or three along the way, and the classes I’m taking are designed to improve my use of the language (especially the one focusing on complex grammar topics). I will also be able to gauge the easiness of conversing with native speakers and other language learners throughout the semester. It’s more challenging to measure the cultural aspect. It’s possible to be in a country and not even try to be part of the culture. I will consciously make an effort to do this, and I’ll self-check my progress through these blogs. Apparently, “objectivo” also refers to the lens on a camera (I just learned this). I want to take many pictures while I’m in Spain and all the other places we will visit. But I also have a personal goal to live in the moment. Time is very laid-back in Europe, including Spain (just look up their “siesta”). This will be a challenge for me, mainly because I’m a huge planner, so I want to be more of a go-with-the-flow type of person and be more spontaneous.
Finally, “meta” is the third translation for “goal.” Along with basically every other connotation for “goal” that I’ve included, “meta” also signifies the finish line. I think of two verses from the New Testament: 2 Timothy 4:7 (I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith) and Hebrews 12:1-2 (let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith). Staying in the Word may be a challenge while we’re abroad. We won’t have chapel services twice a day and a variety of church services to choose from each weekend. Because of this, I want to do daily devotions and a personal bible study at least once a week. We’re also looking for potential groups at school to find more opportunities to be in the Word, as this is the most important part of everything we do.
A Tale of Two Countries
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
This is one of the most iconic opening lines in literature. Charles Dickens opens his famous novel, A Tale of Two Cities, with this quote. The novel compares two contrasting cities, London and Paris, during the dreadful time of the French Revolution. Readers worldwide have connected with this story and used this quote to describe situations that are made up of both good and bad aspects.
Instead of comparing two cities, I will compare two different countries: the United States and England. These two countries have many similarities, the most obvious one being that they speak the same language. Other similarities I have noticed is in body language, having a monochronic schedule, and most notably, their love for American music (particularly Lady Gaga!). At every restaurant and pub I have been to so far, at least one or more Lady Gaga songs will play while I’m sitting there!
Despite these numerous similarities, many differences also come into play. While I was leaving Heathrow Airport I immediately got my first look at the city. This was automatically paired with my realization of the opposite flow of traffic. I knew beforehand that countries in Europe drove on the left side of the road, but it is completely different when you experience it in front of you. Since I have gotten here, I have ridden the bus almost every day. Mixing the opposite flow of traffic with fast-paced city driving was an initial shock. However, I am now more comfortable and confident when taking public transportation into the city.
Being a study abroad student puts me in the weird in-between phase of being a typical “tourist” and being a “Londoner.” Right now, I am leaning more toward the tourist side of the spectrum. I’m still learning the layout of the city and how to get from one place to another. Luckily, there is this amazing app called CityMapper. It’s similar to Google Maps, but it tells me the exact bus or tube route to take so I don’t accidentally take the wrong one. It has been a lifesaver this first week!
Another “tourist” moment I had was at a restaurant. I was with a group of friends, and we were waiting to get our check and leave. Our first mistake was that we assumed that our waiter would come up to our table and hand us our check. We waited and waited as our waiter walked past our table multiple times without stopping to ask us if we were ready for the check. We were trying not to be impatient, rude Americans by flagging him down, but we learned quickly that that is actually what is expected over here. Waiters don’t just come up to the dinner table multiple times to check on the food because they view it here as rude to interrupt dinner conversation, whereas in America that is normal and viewed as polite customer service. Lesson learned.
Every experience is not one-dimensional. Instead, it is a two-sided coin. One side of the coin consists of the joys, beautiful moments, and happy memories from the experience, while the other side consists of the trials, hardships, and sadness from the experience. Both sides are still a part of the same coin and are essential to growing from an experience.
This two-sided coin model best describes my initial week while abroad. Going abroad consists of an array of emotions that are nearly impossible to describe unless you have experienced it firsthand. Every day feels like the greatest day ever mixed with feelings of loneliness and confusion. Every morning, I wake up and pinch myself because I am still processing the fact that I am living in a different country! Some of the friends I have met here are also American study abroad students. We have created a unique bond because we are all in the exact same boat. We are going through similar joys and trials at the same time. One of my biggest fears coming into this experience was trying to find friends and meet people. These friendships have helped me adjust tremendously going into this first week because a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.
The hardest part so far is when I am in my room alone. I am no longer surrounded by the exciting scenes around me or friends to laugh and talk with. This is when the voice in my head begins to question or doubt everything. I ask myself “What am I doing here?”, “Am I making a horrible life decision?”, or “Am I capable enough to live in a different country?” These questions also mix with feelings of loneliness or FOMO (fear of missing out) on things back home. What I have been doing to get myself out of that slump is I find ways to distract myself. I will either write in my journal, read a book, or even watch a TV show to feel more comfortable and back in the right mindset.
The most important thing I do is pray. I have been keeping a prayer and gratitude journal. I write down my prayers every day and three things I am grateful for. It helps me put my life into perspective. Even though difficult things may come into my path while I’m here, I still have so much to be thankful for. Pain and hardships are only temporary in this lifetime. Even when I feel uncomfortable or sad at times here, I force myself to go and talk to others and see some magnificent sights. It almost always makes me feel better and makes me appreciate studying over here. God’s creation is amazing. It has been incredible to see some beautiful parks and stunning architecture so far in London. I cannot wait to see what other awe-inspiring views this country has to offer!
Highlights of my first week in London:
- Walked around Oxford and Baker Street
- Walked around Westminster
- River Thames boat tour
- Visited the Tower of London and Natural History Museum
- Walked around Kensington
- Started classes at the University of Roehampton
Friends (L-R Andrea, Shaan, and Sophia) at the Natural History Museum
Classic Telephone Booth
Study Abroad Friends in front of Buckingham Palace (L-R Kelly, Sarah, Sarah, Shaan, Grace, Sophia, Me, Margaret)
Tea at The Muffin Man in Kensington
Till we meet again,
Alison Foxen