Stepping Outside the Safety of Hometown

Studying abroad was the first time in the past decade I had lived anywhere outside of Oberlin, Ohio. I grew up there and now attend Oberlin College. I was incredibly nervous to be in a completely new place, across the ocean from anyone I knew and any sense of familiarity.

Gaining confidence to explore

But I could not have asked for a better experience than attending Trinity College and living in Dublin, Ireland. With a few other IFSA students, I took a Semester Start Up Module at Trinity, aimed to help us understand Ireland better, and learn about the culture and history of the island. Through this, I not only gained knowledge about where I would live for the next four months, but lifelong friends as well.

We took field trips to ancient monastic settlements like Glendalough, the Gaelic Athletics Association Museum, the Hill of Tara, and many more incredible sites in and around Dublin to help us embrace our new way of life. After this module ended, we had a solid base to stand on and were now able and confident to travel anywhere around the island we wanted!

Embracing local culture

We took many, many group trips together, from Belfast to the Rock of Cashel, and I am so grateful to have found people in this program who wanted to experience and learn about Ireland the way I did. Having memories and people to share experiences with was one of the greatest parts of this journey. Even outside of travel, we embraced pub culture in Dublin together, went to Trinity rugby matches, and really did our best to immerse ourselves in the Irish culture and lifestyle. Dublin made this oh so easy. It is an incredible city, with something going on around every corner, and a safe place to live and grow, even if just for a little while.

My time here was absolutely unforgettable and irreplaceable. The memories created here will forever be some of my favorites, and I have no doubt that this semester will be one of my favorite and most formative periods of my life. I left a piece of my heart in Dublin and can’t wait to return and go visit!

Ryley Steggal | Oberlin College | IFSA Trinity College Dublin Partnership | Fall 2024