Leaving for Ireland! The whys and whats

Hello everyone! My name is Tatum Cuttell and I am studying abroad this Summer 2023 and I will be traveling to Dublin, Ireland! I am currently a second year at the University of Iowa studying English and Communications. In my free time, I enjoy reading and hammocking in the sun and hanging out with my friends. I have a passion for learning new things and meeting new people, so I am so excited to embark upon this journey!

Now that all the boring introductions are over, we can get to all of the fun stuff . Things like why I chose Dublin, how I am doing on the whole packing and preparing thing, as well as some tidbits I have for y’all who are deciding whether or not to undergo this journey. Keep reading to find out my takes on all these things and hopefully they help you!

I know you’re asking, “why would you study abroad in Ireland of all places Tatum? It doesn’t really get above 70F.” To that I will say that yes, it does not get as warm there as it does in Iowa in the summer, but I am going there for myself. I have become really invested in figuring out where I came from in some way that probably speaks to me trying to figure out where I am going as I enter adult life, but that is future me’s problem. I found out that I have ties to Ireland in my ancestry (even a few castles, yay!) and I then chose Ireland to explore where I came from while getting lots of experience abroad as well as work. I am so excited to find all my ancestor’s old homes and hopefully find out more about my family’s past!

I think the scariest part is packing. I must pack for multiple climates in case I travel, have different levels of casual and professional just in case, and bring not too many shoes that match all those outfits? As a shoe person, I am going to struggle the most with choosing which pairs make the cut, but I know I’ll always find room for one more pair LOL. I am preparing for all of these scenarios by really analyzing what I wear in my everyday life right now and what I feel comfortable in, because I do not want to bring clothes that don’t make me feel amazing, otherwise I won’t wear them, and they’ll just take up precious real estate in my suitcase. I am also preparing by getting different items such as plug converters, storage for my clothes so they take up less space, and all the other travel things that I can talk about more in depth if you would like, just let me know!

Enough about packing and getting ready to go, we can overthink that one later, but for now I am going to leave you with a couple pieces of advice. The biggest one is that if you’re thinking about doing it, do it. Living abroad for a couple of months while working or studying something you love? A chance like this will be hard to find again, so I would take advantage of the opportunity while you have it. Secondly, think hard about what you’ll need for your trip long before you leave, so you know all your ducks are in a row before you think about leaving. Lastly, make sure you have someone to take care of your plants/pets! My biggest fear is coming home to all my beautiful green plants being brown and dead, so if my mom is reading this, go water them!

It’s always a pleasure talking to y’all, and I can’t wait to do it again!

See you next time!

Tatum <3