As a student you become very used to things being temporary in your life: part time job, new professors, new classes, and even housing comes and goes. We have to wonder how we cope with all this change and abruptly starting things over routinely in our lives. How do we say goodbye to the things and people that have become so important to us?
To answer that question, we must realize that being a student is not a switch that can be turned on and off, but rather it is a whole life that we live and adjust to accommodate and further our education, whether it be to produce a film, teach, the big corner office, or somewhere in between, we are all on the same path: education.
The long hours we endure studying, the endless clubs we join, the part time jobs, the new apartment (for now), or the debt, have all become the norm. When I entered college I knew that for the next few years my life would not have a permanent place to call home that I could retire to at the end of every day. Rather it’s a new room for a few months before I pack up and move to the next room and so on, but there are a few lessons you walk away with when you live like this.
One of the most important life lessons I have come to learn is how to pack only the necessities for traveling. In my first year of college, I packed clothes for every scenario possible, including being snowed into my own dorm room. After my time here in Ireland I’ve learned that a sturdy backpack is sometimes all you need and just a tooth brush and two changes of clothes packed (please wash the clothes along the way though!). While we live in a world surrounded by materials and endless options for fashion, I’ve learned that simpler can be easier and just as effective.
How about the people you meet, how do you say goodbye when you have grown so close? To be honest I think this is something that we are all still trying to figure out. I have had the great fortune to meet people from all over the world and form friendships I have never expected, but saying goodbye does not mean the end only. “see you later”. Several outlets like social media will keep us in touch for a long time.
As Students, we sign up for this type of life and learn to adjust, but what surprised me the most is how natural all of this has felt. Packing a bag and heading to my next destination feels exciting to discover new things. While I may be saying goodbye to the home and friends I have made in Dublin, I know this time has become a part of who I am. Dublin has opened my eyes to the culture that surrounds us in the world, so for now I say goodbye but I will be back.
Now, where is your next adventure?
Victoria K. is the Fall 2016 CEA MOJO Blogger in Dublin, Ireland. She is currently a sophomore studying Marketing and Accounting at the University of Southern Indiana.