I’ve wanted to study abroad in Ireland since I was a little girl. My aunt studied abroad in Ireland when she was in college over 45 years ago and she’s proud of our Irish heritage. I grew up hearing traditional tales about fairies and leprechauns, shivering on the sidewalk during the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and dreaming about the greenest grass I’d ever see. This summer, I began preparing to start my study abroad application, but it was nothing like I expected.
UMKC offers several different study abroad programs, but I only applied for direct exchange, as it’s typically more affordable. With direct exchange programs, students continue to pay UMKC fees and tuition, even while attending school abroad. My scholarship through KC Scholars covers my full tuition each semester, so this option made the most sense for me. In addition to this, I applied for every scholarship that I qualified for to drive the cost down further.
There are a limited number of programs offering a direct exchange for Fall 2022 and even fewer that offer enough English classes for me to complete my major requirements. I narrowed these down to three: Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway. As Ireland was my top choice, I completed this application fully and then emailed the study abroad office to let them know that the Netherlands and Norway were my backups.
I was also required to fill out a detailed form called the International Travel Policy Exception Request, which asked me about my intended studies overseas, the benefits I would gain, information about the CDC travel warning level, health risks and precautions I plan on taking and current travel restrictions. I also had to write about what I would do if my study abroad program to Ireland was canceled or suspended. This was pretty much my worst-case scenario, so it was difficult to come up with a backup plan. I wanted Ireland, but I promised myself and the study abroad office that I would take whatever I could get, as long as I got to experience attending university overseas. I’ve never left the U.S. before, and studying abroad seemed like my best chance.
I started preparing a packing list soon after I turned in my application. Along with an umbrella, warm socks and a European travel adapter, I budgeted for quality masks that meet ASTM performance level standards according to the CDC. I’ve received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine plus my booster shot, but I’m not taking any chances on having to quarantine in a foreign country. I also made living arrangements for the two weeks before I leave for Europe so that I can limit close contact with others. My parents are not vaccinated and I usually stay with them over the summers, so this is important for safety as well as my own peace of mind.
Surprisingly, the trickiest and most confusing part of the process came for me after my (pre-)acceptance. A well-meaning professor checked in with the study abroad office for me, knowing that I needed to get started on housing arrangements. He told me that I had been accepted to Ireland and that the paperwork was almost ready. Immediately, I started making arrangements for the fall. I was ecstatic, but a week later I got an email from the office saying that I had been accepted to Bergen, Norway. When I called, they confirmed that I was going to Norway. I had already booked an apartment in Cork, Ireland, which I then canceled. I told my sisters and my mom, then slowly started to inform everyone else in my life.
This was a low point in the process for me. Although I had sworn I would be okay with whatever, I had been thrilled to be accepted to my first choice university. Somehow, it felt like everything that I had personally gone through during the pandemic would be balanced out by this. Luckily, I did not lose any friends or family members to the virus. I felt isolated due to online classes and having to initially move back home when the dorms closed, but Covid-19 took relatively little from me. I was convinced that being able to go to Ireland would make up for the past two years of my lackluster college experience. Norway required me to readjust my expectations.
I threw myself into research on Bergen, Norway by reading up on the culture, weather and classes. I was still hurting, at least until I watched a YouTube video posted by a girl who had spent a year there. She loved it so much that I felt like I might love it, too. Just as I was settling into the idea during spring break, I got an email from the study abroad office asking me to call them immediately. They told me that a spot had opened up for Cork. Did I want it?
I told them I’d have to think about it and that I would give them an answer by the end of the day. I felt like I was outside of myself. This is what I had wanted. Now, though, I wasn’t sure. I already had guaranteed housing for Norway, whereas I would have to find a new apartment in Cork. I had made a new budget, bought new clothes and started to get excited about the possibility of a semester exploring fjords. I called my sister and asked her for her input, which was basically, “Duh! Go to Ireland.”
After a few more hours of agonizing, I emailed the study abroad and told them that I’d accept the placement for Cork. It’s taken a few weeks for me to feel like it’s real, but now I know I did the right thing. I’d love studying abroad anywhere, but the idea of going to Ireland feels as familiar as going home. I can’t wait to visit the same places that my aunt did years ago, even if many of them have changed due to the pandemic.
My study abroad journey has been unexpected, but it’s also been a lesson in positivity. I can continue to grow and change anywhere, in rain or snow, on beaches or mountains. If you’re thinking of studying abroad, start planning early! Don’t get so set on one option that you miss out on other opportunities. Most of all, try to enjoy the process as well as the trip.