The Moment

You know that moment when you realize you are right where you should be? I had that moment tonight. I have a night class here in Dublin, and as I was walking back to my flat, a strange feeling came over me. I had butterflies in my stomach and felt incredibly happy. It was the moment when it finally hit me that I am abroad for the semester, and that Dublin has become my home. I didn’t think it would take this long to have the “moment,” but I’m so glad it happened! This place that was so foreign to me at first has become normal. I don’t mean normal in a boring way, Dublin never ceases to amaze me. It’s a city full of gems and surprises! I cannot imagine studying abroad anywhere else.

I had another realization similar to this when I traveled to London this past weekend. London is a lot bigger then Dublin, so it’s more difficult to walk and see a lot if you only have two days. Learning to navigate a new city was difficult! It pushed me out of my comfort zone to figure out where we needed to be and stay aware of my surroundings at the same time. At one point, I was spending so much time looking at our map that I tripped over a traffic cone and fell down! I didn’t let that deter me from figuring out how to navigate London! It was an amazing experience to be there, and it made me excited to do more traveling in Europe. However, Dublin will be the place I call home here. It was so comforting to arrive back at my flat after a long weekend. I missed the stone floors, our electric fireplace, my bed, even the broken dishwasher! (Well maybe not the dishwasher.) I hope that anyone else who is studying abroad has already had that moment of realization, or at least has it soon. It’ll find you in the most unexpected hour, like walking home amongst other Dubliners chatting to one another, riding their bikes, and hurrying home for the night. I’m so blessed to be here and proud to say I’m becoming a Dubliner myself!