The Land of Magic Demystified

I had dreamed of going to Ireland since I was a little girl, so my expectations were very high. I had fantasized about this experience to get me through the hard times in my life. Did I ever think I would do it? I'm not sure, I think I knew I would try, but I could never make it a reality in my mind until I was landing in the airport, sick as a dog I might add due to bronchitis and a sinus infection. Now, the actual country was different than I expected. History literally popped up on the side of the road when you least expected it, and you get used to seeing ruins of castles dotting the landscape. The food was heavy but so fresh and lovely! Not going to lie, going in the winter/spring was rough because it was very hard to break into the Irish student scene. However, I made some awesome friends within the international student crowd, and they were the people I hung out with during my free time. There is so much to see in Ireland that I still didn't see everything after 5 and a half months. Cork itself is a cute city large enough to find something new every time you walk around but small enough to feel homey. If you're religious, watch out. The services seemed sort of rushed to me, but the churches themselves are gorgeous. Also, I found much more spiritual connection when I was exploring Ireland and the landscape/castles/monasteries than when I was in church. UCC is a lovely university, and the classes in Irish studies/celtic studies are really interesting! The class style is an adjustment because professors expect more of you as a student than we are used to. There is very little babying there, though professors help immensely with the adjustment. Finally, Ireland could never meet up to those fanciful expectations that I held as a child, but by rating it on its own it was a brilliant experience