Cork, Ireland

Lucy Steele

ISEP Study in Ireland – University College Cork – ISEP Direct

Major: Individualized Studies Major focusing on Art History

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Departure Post

Hi everyone!

Welcome to my first blog post! My name is Lucy Steele, and I am a junior at UMBC majoring in Individualized Studies with a focus in Art History. I am writing this on the morning of January 3rd, and I leave for Ireland tonight! I have an overnight flight, so I’ll be arriving in Dublin at 9 am. I have wanted to study abroad in Ireland since my freshman year, and I am so excited that it’s finally happening!

I’ll be studying at the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. Cork is in the southern part of Ireland, only a 2-hour train ride from Dublin. I’ll be flying into Dublin and taking the train the next day to Cork! I am so excited to finally see UCC and begin moving in. I’ll be living in a student accommodation building off campus, but only a 5-minute walk to campus, which is so nice.

While at UCC, I’ll be taking mostly Art History and History courses. I’m fascinated by Irish history, so I’ll be taking a class on modern Irish history made for visiting students! I’m also taking a class on Folklore, material culture, and the history of the media in Ireland.

This is my second time studying abroad, but my first for a whole semester. This past summer, I participated in Dr. Oakes’ Art and Power in Japan faculty-led abroad trip, which made me want to travel and study abroad even more! I am so grateful that I am able to participate in these programs and so excited for everything I will learn and experience this semester!

This is my first time traveling to Europe, so I expect some culture shocks. Thankfully, I don’t have to learn a new language to go to Ireland, which makes everything a bit easier.

Recently, I’ve been working on packing and preparing everything I need to bring with me abroad. I do not travel internationally very often, so I’ve been making sure I have all of the documents I need to enter Ireland, so I don’t worry or forget something. Packing has definitely been a challenge. I severely procrastinated and started packing yesterday! Since it will be so cold there, I have to pack a lot of large items like jackets and sweaters, which is not making the process any easier. I’ll be buying most essentials once I get there, so I’m mostly packing clothes. I’m not good at packing lightly, so this has been a learning experience for me since I can only bring so much.

My nerves are definitely beginning to kick in. I’ve been planning this trip for so long, but it hasn’t felt real until now. It’s been something on the horizon for so long that I would be doing in a year or next semester, but now I’m leaving today. I’m sad to be leaving my family and my pets (Augie and June). I’m not looking forward to saying goodbye to them later.

I’m so excited for everything this semester will bring. I know it will be an amazing experience and really force me out of my comfort zone. I can’t wait to update you in two weeks and share more about my time in Cork throughout the semester!

Talk to you soon!

 

In-Country Post #1

Dia duit (hello)!

I’ve been in Cork for 2 weeks now! Time has flown by already. After arriving in Cork, the first few days were spent collecting everything I needed for my room and apartment. Then I moved in and met all of my roommates!

I’m living in a student accommodation off campus. I have my own room, like a typical dorm room, and my own bathroom. There are seven of us in the apartment, and we have a shared living room and kitchen. There is also a coffee shop right next door, which is going to be dangerous for me this semester.

Most of my first week was spent walking around the city and the university campus. Cork is organized in an interesting wa,y where what we would call “downtown” in the states is called the “city center” and enclosed by the north and south channels of the River Lee. Cork is a harbor city, similar to Baltimore, so water surrounds the city. My apartment and university campus are only a 20-minute walk from the city center so it’s very easy to get there. Walking between my apartment and the city center has allowed me to discover new places. On one walk I found Elizabeth Fort which is tucked away off of a busy road. Walking around the fort gives you a higher up view of the city and Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral which is stunning. Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral is a Church of Ireland cathedral dedicated to the patron saint of the city.

Classes began on January 12th. Since my first post I’ve made some changes to my schedule so now I am taking an art history class on art in Baroque Rome and a Celtic civilization class on ancient Ireland. There are so many classes available to visiting students, I had too many options! I was able to make my schedule so that I only have classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday which gives me more time to explore and travel.

When I’m not in class, I’ve been doing a lot of walking around Cork, trying to find new places I haven’t visited. I explored the park here, Fitzgerald’s Park, which is beautiful. I’ve also spent my time getting to know people, in classes and outside of class. I’ve definitely had to put myself out there more in order to get to know people, which is very outside of my comfort zone. I’m a major introvert who likes to have a small group of close friends. Being abroad in a new country at a new school has been a big change but I’m really loving it here and I can tell it’s going to be a great semester!

To close out my blog posts, I’m going to be sharing 5 things I’ve learned, experienced, or noticed while abroad! Here’s the first one:

1. The phrase “you are welcome” is sometimes used differently in Ireland. While in the U.S. we use it as a response to “thank you,” here it’s used to welcome people into a space, as well as a response to “thank you”. I’ve been told many times in orientation and classes, “you are welcome to be here” meaning welcome to the school.
2. Everyone has a great pair of rain boots and people really don’t care much about the rain.
3. Health and food safety is taken very seriously. Restaurants have to follow very strict rules around food preparation and cleanliness.
4. Classes are called “modules” and grades are called “marks”.
5. If you come to Ireland you’d better know the difference between the Republic of Ireland and the UK. Ireland is not part of the UK, except for six counties in the north.

 

In-Country Post #2

Welcome back!

Since I’ve updated you all, I’ve really got into a routine here! My classes are in full swing, closing out the 4th week of classes this week. It’s been a bit of a struggle getting used to the grey and rainy weather, but I suppose it’s better than a snowstorm.

A few things I’ve been up to since my last post: I’ve continued to explore Cork City, specifically visiting the Marina Market last weekend. The market was wonderful, there was so much good food as well as local art, clothes, books, and jewelry. It was a great place to get dinner; there were so many options! Then a friend and I did a bookstore shopping day in the city. We went to local places like Vibes & Scribes which is now one of my favorites. I’ve also been to Waterstones which is more likes Barnes & Noble.

The initial shock of study abroad is beginning to wear off, and I’ve become more comfortable here these last few weeks. I generally know my way around and feel confident navigating. It’s been great meeting people and finding things to do together since we’re all new here. I am, of course, missing home a bit, especially with UMBC starting classes this week. I find myself frequently missing food from home, even though Ireland isn’t very different in that area. There are just some things, like Dunkin, that I wish were here.

I have been enjoying my classes a lot now that I’m feeling more comfortable and settled. I have classes that vary a lot in terms of how they are organized and the class size. I’m in an intro history class which is massive, and then a small art history class that probably has 10 people. I’ve noticed that I really prefer the small classes and generally feel much more comfortable. The classes are also very lecture based which surprised me. In the history and art history classes I take at UMBC they are very discussion based. I have one class here that is split into two class periods on the same day, one at 9am and the other at 3pm, where we meet in the morning for the lecture and the afternoon class is our discussion time. It’s a strange set up, given that we’re meeting twice in the same day but in different classrooms, but I like that we have a lecture and discussion.

My history of the media class in Ireland assignment for the semester is based on a conference that we had to attend last week about the 100 years of radio in Ireland. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it very much, but the panels I saw were actually pretty interesting. I listened to a panel about women in the radio business when radio was beginning and learned a lot!

Looking forward, I’m working on planning my trips currently! I have places around Ireland as well as around Europe that I want to visit. This weekend may be my day trip to Blarney Castle (where people kiss the Blarney stone – I’m not doing that) which is only a 30 minute drive from Cork City! I keep hoping that the sun will decide to come out and make my adventures around Cork a bit nicer but that seems pretty rare for this time of year. To close out this post I’ll leave you with my next iteration of 5 things I’ve learned, experienced, or noticed while abroad:

1. You often have to pay to use public restrooms (boo!)
2. Most of my classes are organized so that we have an in-class exam and a final paper and those are (mostly) our only assignments for the semester. I have readings every week, but no assignments to turn in weekly.
3. Support for Palestine is everywhere (yay!)
4. There are so many different accents in Cork! Since Ireland is part of the EU, people from other EU countries can come work here and there is a huge international population even other than students. Every day I’ll hear so many different accents which I wasn’t expecting.
5. The grading system is very strange. A 70% is an A+ and no one gets a 100%.

In-Country Post #3

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to my blog and my 3rd post in Ireland! Since I’ve last written, I’ve continued to get to know Cork which I continue to love. I’ve been trying new restaurants, pubs, and cafes! I have also started planning my trips around Europe (a little late, I know) and I have a trip planned to Edinburgh, Scotland in March so keep an eye out for that recap!

The most exciting thing I’ve done in these last 2 weeks was going to Blarney Castle and Gardens! It was a day trip for me as Blarney is only a 15 minute drive from Cork City. I took a solo day trip and explored the castle, grounds, gardens, and the Blarney Woolen Mills. Everything was so gorgeous, I spent at least 2 hours exploring. Blarney Castle is very famous, notably for the Blarney Stone which has many superstitions attached to it. The original stone structure of Blarney Castle dates back to the year 1210 but the current structure dates back to 1446. The castle is surrounded by 60 acres of paths, gardens, and forest. There are gardens such as the Poison Garden with poisonous plants, the Fern Garden, the Carnivorous Courtyard, and Water Garden. Blarney House also sits on this land, built originally around the 15th century but was sadly destroyed by a fire and was replaced by the mansion there today in 1874.

I followed the paths and explored the gardens without any intention of going a certain direction and was constantly surprised by what I found. There is a lot of mythology and stories attached to the castle and gardens as well, with Druid Stones and a Witch Stone occupying space in the Rock Close.

Blarney is a very small town, but along with Blarney Castle, it is also home to the Blarney Woolen Mills which has been operating for over 150 years. The mill is considered the largest Irish shop in the world! I spent a lot of time there and bought the most beautiful Irish sweater.

Besides my wonderful trip to Blarney, I’ve been hanging out with friends, trying new foods, and locking in for midterms. This week is “reading week” so many of my classes are canceled to give students time to study for exams and write papers that are due next week. I have a paper and exam next week, as well as a presentation the week after. To be completely honest, it’s been hard to get myself focused on schoolwork. Since my whole routine has changed this semester I’ve struggled to make myself focus like I do when I’m back home. There’s so much to do and see and everything is exciting to me, making it harder to do the less exciting work like studying for an exam. The study part of study abroad is just as important to me as the abroad part because I want to do well in my classes and learn new things, but it does get difficult at times. Managing my time this semester has definitely been a learning experience and sometimes difficult.

In more fun news, I recently got my second tattoo! I went to a wonderful studio called The Ink Collective in Cork City. I got my first tattoo over the summer while on the faculty-led study abroad trip to Japan (there are some great faculty-led trips this summer, be sure to check those out!). I got a heart on my arm inspired by the album cover of one of my favorite bands, Fontaines D.C, who are from Dublin! It’s a tattoo I’ve been planning for a bit, and I thought getting a tattoo referencing an Irish band in Ireland seemed right. I’m so happy with it and love it so much!

I have a lot more on the horizon for this semester so the blog posts will only get more interesting! I have a trip coming up this weekend, so you’ll have to check back so see where I go…

As always, here are 5 things I’ve learned/experienced/noticed while abroad:

1. Ireland only uses paper straws. Single-use plastic straws and other single-use plastic products were banned in 2021!
2. If you’re an American in Ireland, be prepared to get asked many questions about the US government, especially right now.
3. Cork and Dublin have a rivalry over which city is the true capital of Ireland. Cork people are very proud of their city!
4. The weather in Cork will change 3 times in the span of 30 minutes. It will be sunny and gorgeous, then start down pouring with the fastest winds, and then 10 minutes later it will be back to sunny weather (reminds me of Baltimore!).
5. Classes at my university don’t actually start/end at the times listed on the schedule. Classes start 5 minutes late and end 5 minutes early to give students enough passing time between classes.

Talk soon!

 

In-Country Post #4 

Welcome back!

We have officially hit the halfway point! Yesterday marked 2 months since I arrived in Ireland and I have loved every second here. I have 2 months left now and time is flying by.

To recap the last 2 weeks, I have mostly been dealing with midterms. Last week I had a paper due and an exam and this week I had to give a 15 minute presentation. Thankfully I’m finished with exams for the time being, but I’ll have finals at the beginning and end of April. At UCC classes are finished on April 2nd and Easter recess begins on April 3rd. Easter recess is like spring break but it’s 2 weeks long and there are no classes after. After Easter recess there is a study review week and more finals.

It’s pretty different from academic schedules I’m used to at UMBC. At UMBC we have spring break, return for classes, and then have exams in May. I’m still working on understanding how the schedule works here.

On a more exciting note, 2 weeks ago I took my first trip! It was a weekend trip to Galway on the west coast of Ireland. I went with a group of Cork international students, met great people, and had such a fun time! We took the bus from Cork to Galway and spent the day exploring the town. The next day we took a boat to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. We spent the day hiking and exploring the island. The next day we headed up to Connemara and visited Kylemore Abbey which had been on my list to visit so it was perfect! The drive to Connemara was so gorgeous and we stopped to see some sheep! We explored the grounds of Kylemore and the inside of the abbey which has been turned into a museum. Then we took the long bus ride back to Cork.

 

The week following was very busy in terms of school. I spent time hanging out with friends I made on the Galway trip, going out to eat, and seeing movies (Wuthering Heights and The Moment if you’re curious). I have another weekend trip coming up this weekend to Belfast and Derry so be sure to check back for a recap about that trip!

I’ve also begun the process of applying for housing at UMBC next semester and registering for classes. This is something important to remember about study abroad: you still have to do things for UMBC while abroad! I still have to think about when the applications for housing are open, and what time it will be for me since there’s a 5 hour time difference. Now the time of fall class registration is beginning, and I will actually be in Rome when my registration time opens. As much fun as study abroad is, it’s good to remember that you still have to keep up with things at home.

I’m so excited to see what the rest of my time abroad has in store for me. I have a lot planned but some of the best things seem to happen unexpectedly (little Mamma Mia reference…) I’m so excited for my trip this weekend and can’t wait to do a recap here!

On the horizon, St. Patrick’s day is coming up in a few weeks so I know that will be a lot of fun, I’m in Ireland after all! I also have a day trip to Dublin planned for my immigration appointment but I’m turning it into a fun day trip. In Ireland, I have 90 days after arriving to meet with immigration and get my Irish Residency Permit. I also have trips to Edinburgh, Scotland and the Cliffs of Moher coming up!

As always, here are 5 things I’ve learned/experienced/noticed while abroad:

1. The west of Ireland seems to speak more Irish than Cork (at least Cork City). In Cork, signs around the city are in Irish and English. In Galway I noticed many signs were only in Irish. I also heard people speaking Irish around Galway and the Aran Islands which I have not heard in Cork.
2. Days without rain are very rare. And even though rain is so normal and frequent here, people still complain.
3. Many people walk, bike, or take the bus around Cork. It’s not necessary to have a car here like it is in most parts of the US.
4. Ginger ale was invented in Belfast!
5. Almost everyone I have met has been super friendly. Even quick interactions with people in grocery stores are really nice.

 

In-Country Post #5

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to my blog! I have many updates so buckle up!

Going back a couple weeks to March 6th, I traveled to the north of Ireland on a group trip. We went to Belfast, Giant’s Causeway, and Derry. The first day, Friday, was a long travel day from Cork. The drive was about 5 hours, so we left early to give us a good amount of time in Belfast. I explored the city with a friend of mine, stopping at Belfast City Hall and the Ulster Museum. I really enjoyed exploring Belfast and learning more about the history of the city and the north of Ireland. On Saturday, we headed to Giant’s Causeway which is one of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen. When you get there you walk down a path through a valley next to the ocean. The mountains are massive and the wind is brutal. Once you get to the bottom you see the famous flat rocks that you can walk on, its so cool!

From Giant’s Causeway, we took the bus to Derry and had a couple hours there to explore. Derry is a very political city, with a section of the city dedicated to murals about the struggles Derry has seen. We went to see these murals including the “You Are Now Entering Free Derry” mural which also includes the Palestinian flag. We saw the Bloody Sunday memorial as well. It was really moving to see all of this, as well as the solidarity between Derry and Palestine. From Derry we headed back to Belfast for the night and Sunday was a travel day back to Cork.

The next week I spent much of my time working on upcoming final assignments. I have four papers due before Easter Recess and two exams. After Easter Recess I have two more final exams. On Thursday, my friend’s friend from home came to Cork to visit until Sunday! We spent the weekend showing her around Cork and visiting the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs were beautiful and so cool to see, but I did think I was going to blow away into the ocean. I have never experienced wind like that in my life. We booked tickets to the Cliffs with a tour group, so we had a very scenic bus ride back to Cork and drove through the Burren Region.

This past Monday, the day before St. Patrick’s Day, I traveled to Dublin for the day for my immigration appointment. It was very poor planning on my part to choose the day before St. Patrick’s Day, but I had to plan my appointment for a day I didn’t have classes. It was my first time traveling completely solo and I had never taken a train by myself before, not even back at home. I scheduled an early train out of Cork so I could have a full day exploring Dublin.

The train ride was about 2.5 hours, so I got to Dublin around 8:30 am. I was very nervous for taking the train by myself and spending the day alone in a city I don’t know well, but it went very well! I went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Love Lane in Temple Bar, The National Gallery of Ireland, Trinity College, and a couple bookstores that were recommended to me. Temple Bar is an actual pub but it’s also a region of Dublin, specifically the very touristy area. It was absolute insanity walking through there the day before St. Patrick’s Day.

A bit of background on my immigration process in Ireland:

Since I’m here for over 90 days I had to register with immigration and apply for an Irish Residency Permit (IRP) in Dublin before April 4th. Since I’m from the US, I don’t need to have a visa to enter Ireland, and I can travel around the EU much easier with an IRP card. I had to bring specific documents with me to my appointment including my passport, acceptance letters, proof I paid my housing and tuition fees, proof of my address in Ireland, my home transcript, proof of my travel insurance, and had to pay 300 euro. The actual process of meeting with someone at the immigration office was very easy and took less than 10 minutes. Now my IRP card is on the way!

Every country has a different immigration process, and the process I went through in Ireland is only for my specific situation as a semester study abroad student. My school here was very helpful throughout the immigration process, answered all of my questions, and made sure I knew exactly what documents I needed to have. Having immigration all taken care of now is such a weight off my shoulders!

The day after my trip to Dublin was St. Patrick’s Day! Cork throws a very cool parade which I watched and then just hung out with friends the rest of the day! It was a must to wear green. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday so there were no classes, and a lot of restaurants and stores were closed. It’s celebrated pretty differently than in the US.

A bit of what’s coming up: Friday March 20th I’ll be going on a class field trip to a couple historical sites around County Cork. Then that night I fly to Edinburgh for the weekend! We’re in the homestretch of classes with only 2 weeks left. I have many assignments due in the last week of classes so that’s my main focus right now.

As always, here are 5 things I’ve learned/experienced/noticed while abroad:

1. Don’t use the name “Londonderry”, it’s just Derry. Also use the north of Ireland over “Northern Ireland”.
2. St. Patrick’s Day is called Paddy’s Day, or St. Paddy’s. If you say/write “St. Patty’s” you will hear from an Irish person that its wrong. Patrick in Irish is Pádraig so “Patty” is wrong and makes no sense.
3. There is a new Peaky Blinders mural in Cork celebrating the new movie and Corks own, Cillian Murphy!
4. Most museums I’ve experiences in Ireland are free!
5. I believe today, March 18th, has been Corks first day with no rain in 2026.

 

In-Country Post #6

Welcome back everyone!

I’m nearing the end of my time studying abroad :((. I can’t believe it has gone by this fast, I feel like I just got here! I’m currently in my last week of classes at UCC. It’s a crazy week, I have 2 papers due, 2 exams, and a paper due after break which I’m trying to get ahead of. Most of my classes are canceled this week to give us time to study which is nice, but I still feel like I have no time! I’m a horrible procrastinator, so a lot of the stress I’m feeling is completely due to my own choices…

I’m also preparing for the biggest trip of my time abroad: 2 weeks straight of traveling to four countries. I’ll be traveling for the entirety of my Easter Break, starting in Italy this Saturday. We’ll be traveling from Rome to Florence, then to Vienna, Prague, and ending in London! I’ll be in Rome for Easter (completely accidental planning), so that should be interesting! I’m so so excited for this trip but also incredibly nervous. I’ve never done a trip quite like this and only with one other person. We’re staying in hostels the whole trip, something new for me, I’ve only ever stayed in hostels for 2-3 nights. I know this trip is going to be amazing though, I’m going to learn and experience so much. The art history nerd in me is just excited to go to as many galleries and museums as possible! My next blog post goes out April 15th, the second week of my trip, so stay tuned for that and all the updates about my first week!

Going back a little now, I have so much to update you on since my last post! I mentioned this in a previous post, but on March 20th I went on a field trip for my ancient Ireland class. We traveled just about 2 hours south of Cork City to Drombeg Stone Circle and Timoleague Abbey. Drombeg is a megalithic site dating back to the Bronze Age and Timoleague is a medieval Franciscan friary dating to roughly 1240. Timoleague was definitely the most interesting to me, it was so cool to walk around this building that has collapsed over time and see what is still standing.

After the field trip I had a very quick turn around and had to rush to the airport! My friend and I flew to Edinburgh, Scotland for the weekend which was an amazing trip! However, we did not know that flying from Ireland to Scotland is considered a domestic flight…we landed in Edinburgh and didn’t go through customs which confused us, we thought we made a wrong turn and somehow missed customs! We both thought since we flew from the Republic of Ireland to the UK we would have to get our passports stamped, but no, we found the one person working at the airport at 12am and he explained it to us. I guess that’s on us for not doing enough research…

We spent all day Saturday walking around the city and seeing as many famous sites as possible. We went to the outside of Edinburgh Castle, hiked Arthur’s Seat, visited the National Gallery of Scotland, Dean’s Village, Victoria Street (Diagon Alley for those who know Harry Potter), Calton Hill, and did some shopping on the cutest streets. The architecture of Edinburgh is stunning, it felt very gothic which I loved. It was a gorgeous weekend, so we spent as much time outside as possible. Visiting Edinburgh is definitely a workout, the city is pretty much all hills and stairs, so wear good shoes!

One of my favorite parts of the trip was definitely visiting the National Gallery (duh!). I got to see one of my favorite paintings Achilles Lamenting the Death of Patroclus by Gavin Hamilton. I could have stood in front of it for hours, it’s massive, stunning, and heartbreaking. I also saw many works by Scottish artists I didn’t know and works about Edinburgh. They had a wonderful collection, it has definitely become one of my favorite galleries.

We flew home Sunday night and on Monday I was back at it again! I don’t have Monday classes, so me and another friend took a day trip to Killarney so we could go to Killarney Riding Stables. They do horseback riding tours of Killarney National Park, so when I heard about this I had to go! I ride horses regularly when I’m home (polo!) and have missed it so much while abroad, it was so wonderful to be on a horse for two hours and walking through such a gorgeous area. I got to ride the most adorable grey named Pudding! We were definitely best friends by the end. After the ride we walked around Killarney a bit, visited the cathedral, and ate very good food.

After an amazing weekend of travel I returned to classes on Tuesday. I spent most of my time last week working on papers and figuring out my schedule for next semester. It’s a bit strange to plan for the next semester while still abroad, I sometimes forget I have to stay on top of everything for UMBC too. I think I have my schedule finalized though! I have to register for classes while I’m in Rome though so hopefully all goes well with that!

Just for a bit of background on my major since I don’t think I explained too much at the beginning of these posts, I’m an Individualized Studies major on the Integrative Studies track focusing on Art History and English. I transferred to UMBC before my sophomore year (I’m a junior currently) and discovered the art history major was undergoing some changes. So, I had to figure something out and INDS was recommended to me! I’ve loved the INDS class I’ve taken so far, and it’s been really cool to create my own degree. It can definitely be stressful at times since I wasn’t really expecting this, but I do love the path I’m on! Because of this, my class registration is a bit loose compared to other majors. I mostly just talk to my advisor about what classes I’m thinking about, she brings in some ideas, we talk more about the degree I want to make, and I build a schedule from there (with a few INDS requirements included)! I’m so grateful to everyone in INDS for helping me work through all of this! I highly recommend looking into INDS if anything I’ve just described sounds interesting to you! You can check out INDS here: https://inds.umbc.edu/

Now to wrap things up. I’m going into study mode this week, finishing up my papers and exams, and at the end of the week I’ll be in Rome!!! That’s just so crazy to me. Make sure to check out my next post if you want to hear all about my adventures!

As always, here are 5 things I’ve learned/experienced/noticed while abroad:

1. Exams are given for almost every class. Usually at UMBC I have either an exam or paper at the end of the semester. Here, I have both for every class except one.
2. I love that they say “take away” instead of “take out” for food here.
3. Every kid I’ve seen in Ireland who is in elementary, middle, or high school wears a uniform.
4. The Irish name for Cork, Corcaigh, means “marsh”.
5. Irish people say “thank you very much” in response to everything. They say it so quickly like Americans say “thanks”.

 

In-Country Post #7

Welcome back to my blog!

Last time I wrote I was preparing to leave for my 2-week spring break trip. Now I’m writing this while on that trip! I left for Rome on April 4th and from there traveled to Florence, Vienna and Prague. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in the Prague airport waiting for my flight to London! London is our last stop of the trip and then we’ll be heading back to Cork. This trip has been a lot, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I’ve never done something quite like this with only one other person. It has been exhausting and difficult figuring everything out but also so worth it. I’ve seen the most amazing sights and am so grateful for these opportunities.

I would like to highlight once again the faculty-led study abroad programs at UMBC. I really believe that the Japan trip last summer set me up incredibly well for study abroad and international travel in general. Much of what I have experienced on this trip has been easier for me because of my experiences on the Japan trip.

Now to break down the trip a bit:

We were in Rome for about 4 days and tried to see as much of the city as possible. We accidentally booked our trip to Rome during Easter which made everything a bit harder. More restaurants and stores were closed and the city was overrun by tourists. We saw the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Vatican City (including the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum, and St. Peter’s Basilica), the Borghese Gallery, and the National Gallery of Art at the Palazzo Barberini. I ate tons of pizza and pasta which is a must when in Italy. My friend and I made a few friends at our hostel which was so fun! Everyone I’ve met at hostels on this trip have been so friendly and nice! I was worried about only staying in hostels for 2 weeks but it’s a lot better than I expected.

After Rome we took the train to Florence! I was looking forward to Florence sooo much and it was amazing! We went to the Uffizi Gallery, The Academy Museum (to see Michelangelo’s David), Ponte Vecchio, Piazzale Michelangelo, Museum of San Marco, the Boboli Gardens, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (with the Duomo). Florence was definitely still packed with tourists, but much less than Rome. It felt more like a town rather than a huge city. I of course ate more pizza and pasta!

Then we headed to Vienna! We had a long travel day from Florence to Vienna, taking multiple trains, a bus, and a plane…it was exhausting. But when it was all done we were in Vienna! I wanted to visit Vienna for so long so this was a really exciting trip for me. We got in late so we started the next day bright and early. We saw St. Charles Church, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Vienna State Opera House, the Austrian National Library, the Leopold Museum, Belvedere Palace, and Schönnbrun Palace. When we visited Schönnbrun we had no idea that there was a spring market that was held right in front of the palace. It had a ferris wheel, carousels, and many, many vendors. It was so much fun and I bought so many handmade souvenirs!

From Vienna we took a 4 hour train to Prague! We only had about a day and a half in Prague but tried to make the most of it. We saw Prague Castle, The Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, the Waldstein Gardens, the Vrtba Garden, the Lennon Wall, visited the Kafka Museum, and saw the giant rotating Kafka head! I wish we had more time in Prague, there is so much to see! There’s a ton of sculpture and street art which is fascinating too. The city was easily walkable which was hugely beneficial to us. So far on these trips we haven’t taken a taxi/Uber once, we’ve either been walking or taking public transportation! Public transportation was one of my biggest worries for this trip since I don’t use it daily back at home. It definitely was a bit of an adjustment. It’s also so nice to be able to walk almost anywhere, unlike at home.

This trip has been amazing so far and I’m so excited to see how the last few days go! I’ve learned so much and definitely have expanded my worldview. I can’t wait to give an update on my time in London and final weeks of studying abroad! It has gone by so fast…

As always, here are 5 things I’ve learned, experienced, or noticed while abroad:

1. You have to specifically ask for water in the European countries I’ve been to. It won’t just be brought to your table, you have to ask for it (and usually specify still or sparkling water).
2. Another point related to restaurants: the server will take your order for everything all at the same time. They don’t take your drink order, leave, come back with the drinks, and then take your food order.
3. Pay attention to which side of the street people walk on in different countries!
4. Food portion sizes are so different compared to the U.S.
5. The new EU entry/exit system was not very difficult. I haven’t experienced any long lines (yet).

 

In-Country Post #8

Welcome to my last blog post in Ireland! The next (and final) time I write to you all I will be in Amsterdam! But let’s back up a little bit.

My last update was while I was at the Prague airport heading to London. I was in London with two friends for about four days and had the most wonderful time! We landed in the evening on Wednesday so our real first day was Thursday. We were staying in Pimlico, so we were within walking distance to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. We started our day by walking to those sights and then to Buckingham Palace! It was mine and one of my friends first time in London, so we felt like we had to see the main sights first.

They were all so crowded but cool to see! We worked on mastering the London Underground (the subway) and took that up to Camden Market! I had asked many people who have been to London or live there currently, and everyone recommended Camden Market. It was a huge market area with food vendors outside and then 2 floors of shops on the inside. We wandered around the market for a bit, did some shopping and then walked to Primrose Hill! The neighborhood of Primrose Hill is so lovely, and we spent some time in the park. We then headed back to central London because we had tickets to see Mamma Mia at the Novello Theater on the West End! Mamma Mia is tied as my favorite movie of all time, so it was so special to see it the musical! I had only ever seen the movie, and it was so much fun to see the musical and in such a famous place. The musical ran for about 2 hours so after that we got dinner and called it a night!

The second day in London was a completely solo day for me. My two friends I was traveling with decided they wanted to go to Bath but I decided not to join since I’m going to Bath with my mom in about 2 weeks. So I had an entire day to explore by myself and do whatever I wanted! This may sound scary to some but to me this is my ideal situation. I love my friends, truly I do, but there’s something so nice about being all by myself and choosing to do whatever I wanted without having to consult with others or plan. I’m such an introvert and I know when I need some time alone to recharge my social battery so that’s kind of what this day did! I also have different interests from my friends, so I called this day my “museum day” because I wanted to make it to as many art museums as possible. I started my day by heading to the neighborhood Marylebone to visit a popular bookstore. I’ve put myself on a book buying ban since I quite literally have no idea how I’m getting all of the books I’ve bought abroad back home so I resisted the urges and didn’t buy anything at the store. I then walked over to Baker Street to see the Sherlock Holmes statue. I considered visiting the house but decided against it since I had to pay and thought I could use my time better. I took the tube down to Trafalgar Square and visited the National Gallery as my first museum stop. I think this was my favorite London museum I saw, they had so much and a lot that I’m interested in. Then I walked to Soho and got the most delicious bagel. I had been on the hunt for a bagel for about a week at this point and this one did not disappoint. I then went to The British Museum, which was cool, but not really my kind of place. I have a lot of issues with The British Museum which made it a bit difficult for me to enjoy what I was seeing. After that I took the train across the river to the Tate Modern museum. It was Friday so the museum was open till 9pm! I was at the Tate for probably 2 hours and in the evening, so it was fairly empty which I loved. The Tate Modern has the kind of art I tend to lean towards, so I had a great time there! I left around 8pm, walked by the river, got dinner, and headed back to the hostel.

Our last day in London was mostly dedicated to visiting Notting Hill. I, of course, love the movie so visiting the neighborhood and bookshop it’s based on was so fun! We walked through Portobello Market, saw some live music for Record Store Day, and visited some bookstores. We got lunch at a great burger place in South Kensington and then visited the Victoria & Albert Museum. That place is so massive we didn’t see nearly all of it. After the museum I was exhausted, so I ended my day early.

The next day we headed back to Cork (thank god for direct flights) and I crashed in bed. I did nothing for about 2 days just to decompress from the trip. Then I had to lock back in and finish 2 papers which luckily didn’t need much work, so I got those turned in. Classes ended so long ago and with my trip school was the last thing on my mind. The next few days were spent enjoying the nice weather in Cork and studying for finals. I try to go on a walk at least once a day so I’m spending some time outside even if the rest of the day is spent studying. I had only 2 final exams this week and those are finally done! I’m writing this right when I got home from my last one!

In the next few days I’ll be starting my packing to head off to my next destination. My mom gets here in less than a week and I couldn’t be more excited! We have a very fun trip planned in the next few weeks with some new destinations so make sure you check back for my last post in 2 weeks!

As always, here are 5 things I’ve learned, experienced, or noticed while abroad:

1. Everyone really seems to mind their own business out in public. If you think people are paying attention to you, they aren’t.
2. Some airports organize their terminals by whether the flight is in the Schengen Area or not. This might be common knowledge, but I had no idea!
3. Museums in London are free! Honestly this was one of my favorite things about my visit. I don’t know if it’s truly all, but the major museums are free (except for special exhibitions).
4. The London Underground is the oldest subway system in the world as it was opened in 1863.
5. When the sun is out in Ireland, everyone is outside.