After traveling to France the summer after my sophomore year of high school, I promised myself that I was going to spend a semester abroad in college. Yet as time went on, school plans changed and before I knew it I was stuck. With an education major declared, it seemed that it would be impossible to spend an entire semester abroad, if any time at all. My four years were set and I just accepted it.
Then something happened. Something that completely changed my life and got me back onto the path of my dreams and what I wanted. My long-term boyfriend and I broke up. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... big deal. But seriously, it completely changed the path I was taking, and it has all been for the better.
After much thinking, I changed my major a little, dropping education. Being only a mathematics major and already having more credits than I should, suddenly studying abroad became an option again. Yet, Ireland wasn't the place I wanted to go. Sure it was cheaper and easier, but it had been done before at Thomas More. It was France I wanted to go to. To return to France for an entire semester was my dream, at the time.
As months passed and details weren't set, the dream of France began to fade and be replaced by Ireland. It was not something I took easily at first. Sure, Ireland seemed like a great compilation prize, but wasn't what I really thought I wanted.
Yet, now that I'm here I couldn't be more thankful I didn't go to France for a semester. Instead of going with a group of Kentucky students, I only know one person here. Instead of living with Americans, I live with three beautiful and wonderful Irish girls. Instead of having my weeks planned for me, I get to fly by the seat of my pants and do what I want. Instead of having to travel and plan trips by myself, I get to do it all with Phillip. What more could a girl ask? I get to live completely on my own in a different country and enjoy every minute of it.
Sometimes it takes time to become thankful for the experiences you have in your life. I couldn't be more thankful for that life changing event, for the France trip falling through, and for Ireland working out so wonderfully. Everything does happen for a reason.
Now I'll get to see more of Europe than I ever planned on this trip. We've already been to Dublin to drink a perfectly poured Guinness and Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. We have trips to London, Paris, Brussels, and Liverpool planned and so many other adventures ahead of us that we don't even know about yet. We hope to travel all around Ireland and make it up to Belfast as well.
So how can I not say that I really am living the dream? I get to be the luckiest person I know for four months as I travel, live, and experience it all here. Its all about dreaming big though and letting change happen. It all ends up being for the better, you just have to give it time to show.
Phillip and I atop Blarney Castle overlooking beautiful Ireland.
Hi Kayla,
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't know all the details of your story about going to Ireland. You are truly a very wise young woman.
M.A.