I've got an addiction

Posted this last week for the Collegian, but wanted to put it here too!

For a month I've been going through withdrawal. I'm like an addict with a craving, I've an itch that can't be scratched, a thirst that isn't quenched. No, I'm not strung out on heroin and I'm not jonesing for a cigarette. What I long for is bigger, much more meaningful. It's a place and a feeling I still haven't been able to put into words: Ireland.

For a month, I've been going over everything in my head -- recalling the memories made, lessons learned, friendships fostered and trips traveled, trying to cope with the fact that I'm not in Ireland anymore. For a month I've been struggling to find the words to describe every experience I had while I was abroad, and the only thing I keep repeating to people is, "It was amazing!" Lame, I know, and definitely doesn't do justice to the magnificent culture and people of Ireland. So this is my attempt to encapsulate in words the best experience of my life. Hopefully it will bring me some closure, start weaning me off and easing me back into American life.

I'll start at the beginning. Leaving State College, my family and friends I was a little nervous, yet so excited I couldn't sleep on the six-hour flight across the Atlantic. When my feet stepped onto Irish soil I breathed in the fresh air and boarded a bus to Limerick. Because of the busy orientation schedule and the amount of Guinness I drank, the first week was a blur, a hectic whirlwind of new people, tours and exploration. And although I fell into my routine in Ireland, I never once lost that euphoric feeling of awe and excitement.

I discovered many things about myself:

I can catch a rugby ball and take a tackle with the best.

I can navigate my way through France alone.

I can to make Spanish paella and sangria.

I can make a long-distance relationship work.

I love hot chicken rolls.

I have the same twisted, dark sense of humor that many Irish people posses.

I can shake it like Beyoncé in London clubs with a little liquid confidence in me.

I love my family, but can survive on my own without them holding my hand.

I can forge new and amazing friendships while keeping in touch and cherishing my friends from home.

I can carry two suitcases, a duffel bag and a carry on all at once.

I look sexy in a leather Parisian leather jacket.

I love learning about the world and all the cultures and people that thrive here.

Along with self-discovery came a realization that I had been prioritizing the wrong things in my life. Before my trip abroad, I was stressed about all the wrong things: a future career, making school payments, working three jobs to make the payments. Now, after being introduced to an open-minded, laid back life style where family, friends, having a good time and traveling are at the top of the list, I realize work and money isn't all there is in life. There are people, relationships and experiences that matter much more. Sure, school is important and eventually I'm going to need a big girl job, but right now, without ties and schedules to hold me back, is the perfect time to explore myself and see the world. It's the perfect time to build relationships that are going to last a lifetime and see things that most people can only dream of. People are what make the place. The Irish are the most friendly, laid-back and funny in Europe. If all people were as fun-loving and welcoming as the UL Ladies Rugby team, there would be world peace.

I recently uploaded my final photo album from Europe, my five-month adventure that took me to a whole new place in my life. Seeing those pictures of the Irish countryside seemed to finalize everything, bringing to a close my study abroad experience. Although I hate to see it end, I know what I learned from my time in Ireland, along with the friendships I made and the things I saw, will stick with me forever.

As I finally start my Ireland detox, I hope for a continued smooth transition back to my "real life." But in the back of my mind I know someday soon I will relapse and find myself on a plane to the Emerald Isle, looking once more for the magical feeling of comfort, fun and adventure that only Ireland can give.

- Katie Sullivan