My Home Away from Home, Dublin

Dublin is definitely my home away from home now. From the very first day, there was a level of comfort that I couldn't even comprehend. It wasn't some magical far off land, different from everything I know: it was a city. While I didn't quite have my footing on the first day, I remember looking around at all the people and feeling like I belonged. What made things really easy for me was the welcoming I got from my roommates upon walking into the dorm. By the end of the semester and returning to Dublin mid-summer (after a wallet-draining trip to other European countries), I saw it through a new lens. Dublin felt like just as much as a home to me as my actual home in the states. I looked around at all the buildings and had to say goodbye to the place I lived for 4 months. Somehow I ended up in the same place I was before venturing off to study abroad: sad to leave my home. One thing I learned on that last day was that I became confident enough to face my fears. Doing things that scare me is almost an adrenaline rush, rather than paralyzing. I also knew that my goodbye to Dublin wasn't forever and that I'd see all of those buildings and friendly faces soon enough.