Since my return to San Diego I've started working at the Programs Abroad Office; it has been rewarding indeed talking to prospective students, hearing their stories and sharing my own. This past week I took part in UCSD's Partners in Education awards ceremony in which I made a speech about my time abroad. In writing the speech I came to a few realisations that only really hit me tonight as I was thinking back on the ceremony. I mentioned that while I learned more than I could have imagined about Irish culture and its people, what was more suprising was all that I learned about myself. As a whole, living abroad instilled me with a new sense of confidence and left me with a clearer picture of where I want my life to go. Knowing that I completed my lifelong dream of going to Ireland has left me with an assurance that I really can succeed in accomplishing life goals that, at times, seem so far away. My time in Ireland was life changing, and continues to affect me in ever surprising ways.
Reflections
“How has your study abroad experience impacted you?”