I'm back!

Hello to the 3 people that read my blog! So, I realize I kinda failed at blogging about my experiences in Ireland. I was just too busy trying to soak up as much as I could in the short time I was there. But, you're in luck because I'm trying to go back. Only this time I hope to be there for an entire year.

The decision for me to take a semester off from my senior year of college to live and volunteer in Ireland is up there as one of my top 5 best decisions in life. In one semester I was able to learn so much about Ireland, traveling, different types of people, and even a whole lot about myself. Pushing myself into new and unfamiliar situations allowed me to find myself again, and recalibrate my life a bit. I loved the Irish culture, and I also loved being just a short (and usually inexpensive) plane ride away from the rest of Europe. I came back from Ireland a new me, but once I was back I returned to the same situations I'd been trying to escape when I left. Ireland was where I felt most like the real me. As much as I love Gainesville (and I really do), Ireland truly felt like a second home.

I graduated from college a week ago. I never really expected to graduate without knowing what my next step would be. I'm a planner, and I usually know where I'm headed. By graduating, I lost the "student" identity that I have clung to for nearly my entire life. I'm now an "adult," and right now I'm trying to figure out what that means. I've applied for dozens of jobs across the country, have researched cities, neighborhoods, and apartments, but nothing really seemed right. At 22, I'm still pretty young for the professional world and I feel like I have a lot more to learn before settling down and starting my career. I have things that I want to experience, places I want to go, and stories that I want to tell.

Going back to Ireland has always been in the back of my mind. When I was in Ireland I heard about the working holiday visa that allows recently graduated Americans to live and work in Ireland for up to a year. It intrigued me at the time, but I didn't really know if that would be a possibility for me. I figured my parents would want me to get a job, find an apartment and start my career as soon as possible. That's when they surprised me. Yesterday, I began a discussion with my parents about my future. I told them about the working holiday visa, and about my desire to travel and live a little before I settle down. Instead of telling me to be serious, and apply for more jobs (which is what I was expecting), they actually seemed excited for me.

So I may be spending a year in Ireland pretty soon. This is all in the beginning stages, and in 3 days I may change my mind (or hear back about one of the many jobs I applied for in LA) but for now I'm spending all of my free time researching working holidays and raincoats.