Abby Moncus is a student at Virginia Wesleyan College and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is currently studying abroad with ISA in Dublin, Ireland.
I am half way through my semester abroad in Ireland and I do not want it to end! Ireland has definitely been a perfect fit for me. I hope these reasons will help you decide if Ireland will be a great fit for you as well!
1. Beautiful Landscapes
Since Ireland gets plenty of rain, there is never a lack of luscious green landscapes to see. Whether you are on an ISA excursion to the Wicklow Mountains or on a trip of your own, you will always find a beautiful backdrop! Even a walk through town is beautiful because of the different architecture styles. I never get tired of the view around me.
2. A Plethora of Places
As Ireland is a relatively small country, it takes just a short trip to get anywhere you want to go! It is only about three hours to get from the east to the west coast! This makes traveling so much fun, as it is almost always a perfect time for a road trip! With the bus systems across Ireland, travel is quite affordable and accessible! My favorite trip so far was the ISA excursion to Galway! We got to see the city, as well as going to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher!
3. Slower Pace of Life
This has been so nice for me as I come from a larger city where people are always on the move. It is so nice to see people relax and slow down a little. People walk everywhere and are not in a rush to get anywhere. This slower pace also includes the idea of “Irish time.” It is not odd to see people arrive places a few minutes or just strolling down the street when they are under a time crunch.
4. Endless Tea
As a Southerner, I value my sweet tea and know the importance of having it in the house. I also enjoyed a nice hot cup of tea every now and again. Soon after arriving in Ireland, I became addicted to having a cup of tea. I am now up to around four or five cups a day. Many people have told me about how a cup of tea is known to fix any problem and I am a firm believer in that now.
5. Meeting New People
Now I know that you can meet new people anywhere you go, but I am sure that meeting people in Ireland is much more fun. Whether you start up a conversation in a pub or on the bus, you will get to hear so many different stories. Also, you will start to notice that an Irish accent differs completely depending on the county they hail from. These little differences begin to stand out and make you feel like you are finally beginning to fit in in a new place.
Want to read more about Ireland? Check out “3 Questions to Ask Before Studying Abroad in Ireland”