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My study abroad experience in Ireland is one I will always cherish because I learned a lot about myself and life in general.  I can wholeheartedly support the notion that every college student should study abroad in some capacity because it can teach you so many important life lessons.  I learned that it is important to take time away from my phone and just take in my surroundings.  Also, I learned that it is important not to get bogged down and frustrated when things go wrong, but instead it is best to go with it and make the best out of every situation.  I also learned it is important to be thankful for every opportunity and take advantage of each moment I am given.  Musically, we were exposed to all different types of performances from a classical concert to tiny pub shows, but the one thing that was consistent between them all was the passion the performers had for their craft.  Ireland is the perfect location for a music class because there are so many opportunities to see what you learn in action, and Ireland has such a rich musical history that there is a plethora to learn.  It is true that no one can say they regret studying abroad and I can not wait until I can travel overseas again.

Pictures: Our group and our bus driver patty and Our group when we arrived in Shannon airport

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On our final night, we traveled to the Temple Bar area to hear a couple bands play. We made it in time to see a few songs from the first group, but my favorite was the main headliner. The main act was called Raglan Trail and they performed a mixture of popular music and traditional irish music. They had the crowd dancing within the first two songs of their set and they were fantastic to say the least. The group was only a man and a woman who played the guitar and fiddle respectively, and both of them had amazing singing voices. I loved getting to see this because it was similar to the first pub performance we saw in Galway but bigger and longer. The band would get lost in their performance and it was obvious that they put their whole hearts into their music. Some of my favorite songs they performed were Journey Don’t Stop Believing, Oasis Wonderwall, and one of the classic irish hits Whiskey in the Jar. We all got up to dance and we such an amazing time. This was definitely my favorite performance because they played a wide variety of music that I knew well and could relate with. I think this was a good way to end our trip because we all got to come together one last time and experience the wonderful music we had been studying so much about.

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On March 10th, our group had dinner at the Belvedere hotel where we got to experience one of their Irish nights. Up until this point, we had not seen traditional Irish dancing in person but this was not what I was expecting to see, and the only experience I had with it before this trip was the dance competitions where the girls wear over the top costumes and have big hair. We were introduced to the band of three men first, and they were extremely funny when they interacted with the audience. There was an accordion player, a guitarist, and a bodhran player (Irish hand drum), and like the musicians that gave us a concert in the pub in Galway these musicians had day jobs. We had one girl in my group who irish danced competitively before and we all cheered her name until the band invited her on stage do to a dance, which she was not thrilled to do but was a good sport. My favorite part was when the dancers had people actually volunteer to get up on stage and learn a dance that involved a broom. We had two girls from our group go up and they said it was the most fun they had ever had. The one was wearing a dress so it made the experience a little more challenging but she still did a really good job. I loved this show because it was not too crowded and the performers made a great effort to get to know us. It combined both Irish music with Irish dancing, and it was the perfect experience for helping us get a richer knowledge of what we were studying in our class. Video: my classmate performing

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On our last free day in Dublin, we decided to take a trip to the zoo.  I had not been to an actual zoo before so this was exciting for me, but I quickly realized that zoos can be quite sad.  Some of the animal enclosures were really big and had a lot of room for the animals, but a good majority of them seemed way too small.  Also, in Ireland it rains a lot and I do not see how that is a good environment for animals to live in.  Some of the animals had indoor houses where they could escape the elements but they were incredibly small as well.  It did not seem like any of the animals were mistreated or malnourished, but they did not seem happy.  One of the girls in our group is studying to be a veterinarian and she told me that the animals may not be very lively but that does not mean they are not happy.  Also, during this time the bird flu was heading to Ireland, and it made me happy that the zoo took the proper precautions by putting all of the birds in a protected facility.  I love the idea of having open range zoos where the people are in caged in buses/cars and the animals roam free because I think that it is important for them to have a normal life that is not caged in, but I know it would be almost impossible to eradicate zoos in general.  I am aware that there are a lot of animals that are endangered or injured housed in zoos, but I still believe they need better conditions.  I am not a big fan of nature but this experience made me want to learn more about how I could help animals who are suffering or endangered because they are just as important as humans.  This experience may not have changed me as a person, but it opened my eyes to the harsh realities these animals face.

Photos: The Seals and the African Wildlife enclosure

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Before going to Ireland, I thought many people would ride bikes or walk to get around, but I was very wrong.  The traffic in Ireland, especially Dublin, was so bad that at some points it felt like we spent a majority of our time in a bus instead of sightseeing.  I wanted to discuss public transportation because it made me appreciate how efficient our transportation systems really are.  In Galway, we did a lot of walking so it was not a huge issue then, but in Dublin we had to drive everywhere.  Also, we had the pleasure of getting to be in Dublin when they were digging up the streets to put in a new underground metro.  Our tour guide pointed out right away that instead of going one street at a time, they decided to dig up every street at the same time and make it incredibly difficult to get around.  Although, she did tell us that the traffic is normally quite congested when there is no construction, but it is necessary to be driven places because everything is so spread out.  On the second to last day we were given the entire day to explore the city and given bus passes to do so.  I had never used public transportation when I traveled abroad before but I figured it would not be too difficult, again I was wrong.  First, the company that we used required us to navigate an extremely vague map that laid out where each stop was, and the bus was usually not on time because of the heavy traffic.  Also, I noticed that there were a lot of large buses that had to navigate through the small streets in Dublin.  I got really worried a couple of times when we had to turn corners because I had no clue how we would fit, but the bus drivers made it work.  One thing this experience taught me was that map reading skills are very important, especially when you do not have a GPS.  This was another time where we had to overcome our need for technology and make due without it.  All in all, I was okay with having to get around by bus, but I know next time i travel abroad I will try to get a hotel as close to as many of the activities I would like to do as possible.

Photo: The bus company we used while in Dublin

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Going back to the first day we arrived in Dublin, there was a girl in my group named Maris who really wanted a shamrock shake from Mcdonalds, and we decided that would be the first thing we would do when we got to our hotel. After checking three McDonald’s, all within about 2 blocks from each other, we saw a crowd starting to form along the one side of the street and got really confused. We decided to check it out and see what was happening, and it turns out that we were right in the middle of the “March for Repeal”. The people were protesting the 8th amendment which bans abortion in Ireland. I was unable to attend any of the women’s marches that happened earlier this year in America, but I was so excited to get to be in the presence of this one. Gender equality is a movement that has been progressing for a long time but it finally seems like there is hope that one day the genders will be equal in everything. It warmed my heart to see these women and men peacefully protesting to get their voices out to the public, and they planned this perfectly to coincide with international Women’s Day. I was unaware that all abortion was illegal in this country, including those that are performed on women who have been sexually assaulted, but this made me see the importance of knowing what is going on in all countries. I really wanted to get walk in the march for a little bit, but I was not sure whether what they were doing was legal or not in Ireland and I was afraid of running into legal trouble. It was the first time I have gotten to see any protest such as this and it made me realize how people do not need to be violent to get their messages across. I will never forget this experience because I got to be a part of a potential historical moment for the women's rights movement.

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On March 9, 2017, our group traveled to Kilmainham Gaol, which was the prison in Dublin where many members of Easter rising revolution and other crimes were housed.  Here we were given a tour of the premises and informed about the various prisoners who stayed there.  One story that really resonated me was about Joseph Plunkett and his sweetheart Grace Gifford.  Joseph was involved with the Easter Rising and that is how he ended up in jail, which led to his execution at the young age of 28.  Seven hours before his execution by firing squad, him and Grace were married in the prison chapel but they were not able to see each other for more than a few minutes until she was forced to leave.  Including Joseph, fourteen leaders of the Easter Rising were shot in the Stonebreakers' Yard, and one of the men named James Connolly, who had been wounded, had to be tied to a chair to support him during his execution.  During the Irish Civil War, Grace was arrested and taken to the prison and was held for three months, and we had the opportunity to see the amazing artwork she produced on the wall of her cell.  At the end of the tour we were taken out to the yard where the men were executed, and our tour guide gave a haunting description of what happened.  It was surreal to think I was standing in the place where fourteen men who were fighting for their freedom, and probably many more, were sentenced to death by the hands of the British.  It put into perspective how far Ireland and its citizens have come in the last 100 years or so, and I am so happy I got the opportunity to experience this.

Pictures: Grace’s cell, the list of the 14 men who were executed after the Easter Rising,  Stonebreakers’ Yard, Our tour guide showing us the prison

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On March 8, 2017, we made the trip from Galway to Dublin.  It reminded me of when I came to Pittsburgh from my hometown in central Pennsylvania because I went from living in a small town to living in a city.  When I was in Galway I felt very comfortable and safe when I was walking around with my group, but when we got to Dublin I felt that I needed to take more precautions when I was out of my hotel.  In Dublin, the first thing I noticed was there were McDonald’s and a souvenir shop named Carroll’s on every street.  It just felt odd to go from a place where I barely saw any shops or restaurants that I could find in at home to being surrounded by familiar places.  Also, the people in Dublin all seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, but the people in Galway seemed much more relaxed and calm.  I thought Dublin was an amazing city with many incredible tourist destinations, but there was just something about Galway that won my heart and made me want to go back as soon as we were in Dublin.  The first day in Dublin I was extremely sad about leaving Galway, but then I thought about how lucky I was to have had the opportunity to be in Ireland in general.  Thinking about this made me realize how grateful I am to have been given the privilege of traveling with some amazing people, especially because this was probably the only time I will be able to study abroad during my college career.  I most likely will not go back to Dublin again, but I would love to go back to Galway and explore all the wonderful places like this in Ireland.

Pictures: Our hotel in Dublin, Our hotel in Galway, and the view from one of the main bridges in Dublin

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On the last night in Galway we saw Trio Dali as part of the Music for Galway concert series at the Emily Anderson Concert Hall at the National University of Ireland at Galway.  We were not aware that we would be going to this concert until the early afternoon so we did not have time to push our dinner reservation earlier.  The entire time we were at dinner I felt on edge because we were in such a rush, and it made me sad because this was one of my favorite meals that we had.  It was a creole restaurant and the food was amazing, especially the desert we had (pictured above).  After speed eating, to my displeasure, we all got into the bus and headed to the university.  The first thing I noticed about the university was its beautiful architecture and how it resembled Hogwarts at night.  Once we entered the building we were ushered into a small room that had rows of chairs and a small stage at the front.  The performers in Trio Dali are Jack Liebeck , violin, Pierre LaMarca, cello, and Amandine Savary, piano.  We heard Joseph Haydn Piano Trio in C major and Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Trio no.1.  We had discussed these composers in class and it was amazing to get to see them played live.  The first piece by Haydn is divided into 3 movements: allegro, andante, and presto.  The first movement, allegro, was very brisk and had a lot of short notes for the instruments.  I felt that this one contained a lot of changes in mood because one second it would sound very happy and then all of a sudden sound angry or sad.  The second movement, allegro, was a lot slower than the first, but it still had a lot of mood changes like the first.  The final movement, presto, was a fast piece that sounded as if the piano and violin were having a fierce conversation that would crescendo at certain points.  I liked this piece a lot because it was like a suspenseful story where you do not know what will happen next.  The Beethoven piece was as equally amazing, but I have a hard time remembering exactly how it went because I was so tired by the time they got to this one.  I wish the concert was earlier in the night because it was very late and we had been traveling a lot that day.  I do remember that I loved this piece as well, but my favorite was the first by Haydn.  It was a great experience to get to see what we learned in the classroom come alive, and that is why Ireland pairs perfectly with a music class.

Pictures: The Trio at the performance (sorry for the poor quality) and the bands promotional picture

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On the night of March 6, 2017, our teacher was informed of an impromptu music performance at one of the local pubs located on the Galway pedestrian street.  We all decided that it would be a good learning experience if we got to see this type of traditional Irish music being performed up close so we were more than happy to make the trip.  The pub was a lot smaller than I expected, but it was the perfect size to accommodate our class of 12 and our two chaperones.  We all crowded around a table and anxiously waited for the band to start.  The band was made up of five local musicians who played the fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and accordion.  The set lasted for about an hour, and every minute was filled with laughter and dancing to the upbeat music.  They played traditional Irish music the majority of the time and it was interesting to see it live.  Music is a large part of the Irish culture that most tourists get to experience when visiting, but because we had been studying this type of music in class it made the experience even more enjoyable.  I have been to a lot of concerts in my life but I never was able to be so up close and personal with the musicians like I was able to this time.  After the performance was over, we were able to talk with the musicians and get to know a little bit about them.  They all had other jobs and playing music was just a beloved hobby for them, and before that night none of them had played together before.  Our professor informed us that this was a common occurrence and that there is usually one performer who knows the music the best who leads them all.  In this performance, it was the accordion player who had the most experience and was the leader.  No one else will get to see this exact performance with the exact same musicians, and this is why I cherish this experience so much.  Instead of paying hundreds to see an Irish performance in a theater, I think it is more memorable to go to a restaurant or pub that has live music such as this because it is unique.  

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 On March 6, 2017, our second day in Galway, we decided to take a trip to the Galway Cathedral. Unfortunately, none of us had our GPS because we could only use our phones when we had WiFi, which was not too hard to come by unless you are constantly walking.  Instead of going the correct way that would have taken five minutes, we went in a complete circle around Galway.  Usually I get very nervous when I am not sure where I am going in an unfamiliar place, but I did not feel like I was in danger or feel unsafe the entire time.  Also, I get very anxious when plans do not go right and inside I kept worrying that we would not make it back in time to meet our group for dinner.  After wandering for about thirty minutes we decided to stop and ask someone where the cathedral was.  I expected the person to brush us off or ignore us because they seemed in a hurry to be somewhere, but instead she stopped and let us use her phone to find our way.  We ended up going the scenic route that was extremely beautiful and it made me reflect on how I needed to be more open to unexpected change in my life.  We did not expect to get lost and have to search aimlessly for our destination, but if it did not happen I would not have seen parts of Galway that most tourists overlook.  Also, this experience made me think about how I spend a lot of time on my cell phone and I miss out on seeing a lot in my life because I am on it way too much.  I do not have any pictures from this scenic route because I was so amazed I had to put my phone away and just take it all in.  This experience showed me how the people in Ireland are very helpful and respectful to people who need help.  Also I learned that sometimes getting lost in a foreign country is not so bad and can allow you to get experiences most tourist do not have, as long as you are in a safe area of course.

Pictures: The outside of the Cathedral, Inside the Cathedral, My favorite prayer that was on the wall of the Cathedral

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On March 5, 2017, I embarked on my journey to Galway, Ireland with my enjoyment of music class from Duquesne University.  After our approximately 8-hour flight into Shannon airport I was quite tired and jet lagged, but we still had a full day of activities to do.  After having breakfast at a quaint hotel and visiting Bunratty Castle, we traveled to the Cliffs of Moher.  The view was breathtaking from the top of the cliffs, but the strong wind and rain made getting to the top quite tricky and dangerous.  After exploring the cliffs, we all decided to go to the gift shop that was near the site.  I had to use the restroom and when I got to them I noticed there was only one that was gender neutral.  This was interesting to me because I had never used or even seen this kind of bathroom before, and the fact that a popular tourist location such as this had one showed me how accepting this country really was.  They still offered bathrooms on another floor that were separate for males and females, but most people were using the neutral one it seemed.  I was expecting it to be awkward but it did not feel any different from other restroom experiences I had before.  This made an impact for me because gender usage of bathrooms has been an issue in the U.S., and this showed me that it is possible to offer gender neutral bathrooms without there being any major issues.  It made me realize that society has placed gender labels on things that do not need them, such as restrooms, and that we could take a lesson from looking at how Ireland regards gender.  This was one experience that I will never forget because it opened my eyes to see that gender should never be a limiting factor in any situation.

Pictures: Shannon Airport, Me in front of Bunratty Castle, Me in front of Durty Nelly’s in Bunratty, The Cliffs of Moher, and Me standing on the Cliffs