MEET MADISON.
She studied abroad during the Spring semester of 2017 in Dublin, Ireland.
IF NOTHING ELSE, DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Pictures from home to decorate your dorm or apartment room with!
ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU CAN LEAVE AT HOME: Tons of extra clothes. When you travel, a pair of tennis shoes, a few pairs of pants, and shirts will keep you covered and make the travel lighter.
WHERE TO LIVE: The dorms were amazing, because I got to meet people from all over the world. The university organized for international and national students to live together, and it was a great way to meet travel buddies.
BEST PLACES TO EAT: I enjoyed the hearty pub food and asking locals where their favorite restaurants were. Make sure to try restaurant specialties! The Hairy Lemon in City Centre Dublin was my favorite dinner place.
FAVORITE CULTURAL ACTIVITY: I really enjoyed going to sporting events that we don’t have at home like Rugby. It was a great way to experience the culture and also a lot of fun!
BEST PERSONAL HIDEOUT: The gym was really nice and new. It was a great de-stressor from classes.
FAVORITE PLACE TO STUDY: I like to study in my room. So that’s where I’d get most of my work done, so that I could concentrate then meet up with friends later.
MUST-TRY LOCAL DISH: Beef and Guinness Stew.
BEST PHOTO OP: Cliffs of Moher near Galway! If you luck out and go on a day that’s not rainy or cloudy, it is gorgeous yet terrifying to stand on the edge.
BIGGEST FAIL: Not following Google Maps on one of our trips and trying to find a shortcut. Then, walking an extra hour because of it.
BEST PURCHASE: I enjoyed buying clothes wherever I went because they were a useful souvenir, and now whenever I wear them, it reminds me of my travels.
MOST INTERESTING CLASS: People, Places, and Regions. I got an excellent overview of social, geographic, and economic trends, and it was interesting to hear about the U.S. from an Irish perspective.
BEST PART OF THE PROGRAM: Meeting people from Ireland and other countries like New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and France.
MOST MEMORABLE TRIP: I loved traveling to Paris, because I went by myself and enjoyed the freedom of being on my own schedule and meeting daytime travel buddies through tours and the hostel.
BEST LOCAL EVENT/HOLIDAY: Make sure to celebrate Pancake Day by making the traditional Irish pancakes (which are thinner than American pancakes, basically crepes) with lemon juice and sugar.
FAVORITE LOCAL WORD/SLANG: Craic, pronounced “crack.” I still don’t understand all the subtleties of it but it roughly translates to fun. Like when someone says “it was good craic” that means it was a fun time.
IF I COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN… I would try to plan a trip to Morocco. I hadn’t even considered going to Africa until I heard about a lot of people traveling there during the semester. It’s an easy flight from Europe, and it would have been interesting to experience African culture during my trip.