Lovin' Dublin

I was really nervous about going abroad, but I was determined to follow through with it. At my home institution I commute, so I had never lived with anyone besides my family. I was also very nervous about making friends because I'm quite shy. CAPA was extremely supportive and the Dublin staff always tried to help when it was needed. The weekly "Tea at CAPA" was a great way to talk to the Dublin staff about how my experience was going and if I was having any problems. At one point I injured my foot and they were able to set up an appointment for me. The flats on campus were comfortable (although the mattresses were very springy) and there was a kitchen so my flatmates and I could make food whenever we wanted to. I ended up living with 3 amazing women and we all got along great! CAPA also provided bus passes, so transportation in the city was easy. The best parts of the CAPA program were the excursions and classes. The classes weren't fully lecture-based; we were able to be immersed in the Irish culture and explore Dublin by going outside of the classroom. The trip to the Cliffs of Moher was spectacular and a fantastic way to end the program. Overall I'm glad I made the choice to go abroad and I was extremely happy with the program and location I chose.