I made it to Ireland! After months and months of planning and applications and paperwork and tears I have finally arrived in Ireland to begin studying at University College Cork. Honestly, there were several times this year that I didn’t think I would be able to make this happen, but here I am, sitting in my house in Ireland.

So far settling in has been rather uneventful. Thankfully my gamble of wire transferring a deposit to a landlord in another country for a house I had never physically seen before paid off! It was not a scam like I had anxiously still believed was a possibility. After a few days of unpacking and organizing I am officially all moved in and settled. I have groceries, I’ve cooked a meal in the kitchen, I used the washer, and I’ve taken a shower in my new house so I am starting to feel all the more comfortable.

With so much to do to move in to a new house and prepare for classes I am usually too preoccupied to feel homesick. However, there are times where I do feel overwhelmed with the thought that I have signed up to live here for a whole year. With out losing a lot of money and backing out of a degree program, I don’t really have an option to just come home whenever I feel like it. I get that “what did I do” feeling in my gut. Eventually the feeling passes though and I focus on things one step at a time, thinking into the future only by a month or so. Phone calls home also help to remind me that though I may not be near, I still have people that love and care about me.

Fun facts: Since landing on Sunday, September 1st (3 days ago) I have walked 64277 steps, covering 28.35 miles, and climbing 87 floors.