Before leaving for Galway, Ireland, I decided to make a pitstop in Georgetown to catch up with friends and faculty. My short stay went just as planned; I grabbed my weekly “study snacks” at the Tombs, I meandered through St. Mary’s Hall with my professors, I jogged my familiar route to the Lincoln Memorial, and I bid Lau farewell with an iced coffee from Midnight Mug. Though my stay at Georgetown was great, it was also extremely predictable. In just two days, however, I will embark on a journey to Galway, Ireland where nothing is predictable; I will be meeting people who I currently do not know, I will be living in a house that I have never seen, and I will be doing activities that aren’t yet outlined in my Google Calendar (*gasp*).
When I land in Galway, I will not be greeted by friends that I have known for years or professors that know me by name. In fact, I will be the only person from Georgetown at NUI Galway (pictured at the right).
Because I was waitlisted for housing and didn’t make the cut, I am looking for off-campus housing now. NUI Galway recommends that students wait until their arrival in Galway to solidify off-campus accommodation, meaning that I will have exactly 3 nights in a hostel to figure out housing for the semester. I hope that my unplanned strategy will force me to quickly form connections with people and places in Galway.
I have, however, done a little “preparation” for my stay. Over the past several months, I have watched the music video for Ed Sheeran’s “Galway Girl” around 50 times, and I fully plan on recreating this music video in Galway’s City Center.
All jokes aside, I cannot wait to explore Ireland’s culture and history, and I am excited for my spontaneous, unpredictable adventure that lies ahead.
