My Irish Summer

I studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland this past summer. My program was very well organized all the way through the application process, pre-depature information, housing assignments, class scheduling and all the numerous informational sessions and adjustment activities upon arrival. Being both my first time out of the country as well as my first time traveling alone, I was immediately welcomed in the airport after my long, anxiety-filled flight with a friendly hello and warm smiles, regardless of it being nearly 6 am in the morning. The staff was very friendly and eager to help us have the best abroad experience possible. They were always willing to offer advice whether it be which restaurant to have a delicious brunch or places to stay on weekend excursions. My housing accommodations were lovely, clean, and quite modern, placing me and my roommates right in the heart of the city. I will admit I was quite nervous about sharing an apartment with strangers while also being miles and miles away from home, but I could not have asked for a better outcome. Our personalities meshed so well immediately and I now have three amazing girls as well as many other peers on my program from around the US that I can genuinely call friends and basically family. We shared so much together and will always have shared memories from our time there. Classes were very interesting and helped immerse us by providing a background on the culture. Our professors were so kind and had a genuine interest in not only teaching us about their culture but also getting to know a lot about us students as well. My program also included optional field trips to beautiful places in the country for a very reasonable price which I would highly recommend. Overall, I wouldn't change a thing about my summer abroad with IES. All of this in addition to the gorgeous green setting of Ireland was a surreal experience. The memories, friendships, and experiences I gained will last a life time.