Counting Down the Days Till Dublin

Looking back, I sometimes wonder if my parents made a mistake when they booked a family vacation to Italy three years ago.

Little did they know that in the midst of international flights, jet lag, foreign languages, heavy suitcases, scrumptious pizza and scenic countryside, they’d created two travel bugs in their kids who would continue to pester them for more trips abroad.

Choosing a city for my study abroad experience took a bit of time and thought. I wanted to go everywhere on the list.  Little by little, I narrowed it down and found I was stuck on Ireland.  Dublin was a city that had always seemed exciting, enticing and enchanting.

Several weeks ago, it hit me that I’ll soon be living and working in an unfamiliar city far away, with no one I know to turn to for help should I need it.  But maybe that’s what makes it so invigorating.  I’ll be challenged, placed outside of my comfort zone and forced to adapt.  Those are skills I’ll need for all aspects of life long after my sojourn in Dublin has come to an end.

In the meantime, I’m preparing myself for chilly weather, a bit of rain, porridge for breakfast, stunning historical scenery and perhaps if I’m lucky, a four leaf clover.

Maybe the act of exposing their children to the broader world was a bigger decision than my parents imagined. In doing so, they taught me how little I’ve seen and how much more there is to explore.

It may be the best mistake they’ve ever made.