The first emotion I am certainly experiencing is that of wonder and thrill. I am so excited for the new adventure in me and my husband's life! So thankful that we have this opportunity and that I moved forward with a goal of mine years ago, which was to study abroad.
Although a few years ago (eek, 8 years ago) I thought of it as a "party" abroad.
I arrived to the decision to study abroad over a year ago, but it took me that year to convince myself to do it. You see, on almost every decision I make, I take a lot of time analyzing the decision, strategically thinking about how to move forward with it, and debate it over and over in my head. Many people are able to just make decisions on the fly, and oh, how jealous I am of these individuals. Nonetheless, I finally told Brian about two months ago what I wanted to do, and with him being the ultimate motivator, he encouraged me to apply for a study abroad program to study public health in Ireland. The opportunity was through East Carolina University, where I currently attend graduate school through distance education (one semester left--whooo!). Brian and I leave on May 17, 2012 to travel through England and then Ireland before my study abroad portion begins from May 26, 2012 through June 6, 2012.
Around 21 days that I will be in another country...
So that brings a host of other emotions. I admit, I am quite nervous. For those that know me, this feeling is not uncommon, but my nervous meter is on overload. Thank goodness Brian will be with me before the program begins! His presence always puts me at ease. Plus, I have been corresponding with my roommate for the trip, and she is such a kind and sweet gal! I think when it comes to the nervousness that a lot of it has to do with the unknown of what I should expect. As mentioned above, I am the little lady that likes to prepare for everything, and there are things with this trip I just can't prepare for. However, I know if I am to grow as an individual that this leg of my journey in this thing called "life" is not only needed, but will culminate in learning more about so many amazing gems of the world. Like the Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry, Bunratty Castle, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye...the list goes on and on. Not to mention learning about the culture of the land, and the myriads of people. On top of all that, we will visit places like the Irish Heart Association, Irish Cancer Society, and Irish Red Cross. I can't even imagine the insights I will learn from Ireland's public health system!
Cliff of Moher
Maybe when it comes down to it, a little bit of nervousness might be a good thing. Uncertainty can many times lead to awe and wonder at the unknown. So here's to the courage of discovering the unknown, and in turn, discovering parts of yourself.
Here's to two weeks.
Slainte!
Kara
My Shamrocking Fact: The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks Ireland as 19th in the world for their health system. WHO measured countries based on performance indicators, such as distribution of health throughout populations, and responsiveness and financing of health services (WHO, 2012). In comparison, the United States ranks 37th in the world.
http://www.who.int/whr/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/
Irish Saying: "Oiche mhaith, codladh samh." Good night, and sleep well.
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