For the last six weeks, I have been living in Galway, Ireland. It's an absolutely amazing experience to live in a different country - to experience the different culture, traditions, music, and languages. But at the same time there's something really plain about the whole situation. Yes, it's not America, and in some way the differences are obvious, but in a lot of ways after a while it doesn't even matter anymore. Whether I was living in Galway or New York City or any other city, there's something inherently similar about all of these places after a while.
It may be the process of settling into a routine. Sure, on the weekends my friends and I will go sightseeing or to the museum, and experience the local pubs. We'll go do touristy things, and it's a lot of fun. But during the week, life is a little more routine. We go to class, we go to our internships, we work, come home, make dinner, and work some more or just relax at home. It's the kind of routine I could have no matter where I'd be studying. Sure, it's not like that every night, but a lot of the times it just isn't feasible to go to a pub or stay out too long when you have a 9 am class the next morning.
There's nothing wrong with settling into a routine - it's comforting, predictable. But it's not exciting, and some days I feel like I should be out in the city, doing something reckless and unpredictable, even though I would definitely regret it come morning. I would not pass up the experience of living abroad for the world, but living in a city is not quite the same as if I had found myself in the middle of rural Ireland, having to help farm every day and being truly disconnected from the world. The best way to experience new things is to jump completely out of your comfort zone, but that's so difficult to do that it's easier to have a more passive exploration, with some comforts that never really change.
It may be the process of settling into a routine. Sure, on the weekends my friends and I will go sightseeing or to the museum, and experience the local pubs. We'll go do touristy things, and it's a lot of fun. But during the week, life is a little more routine. We go to class, we go to our internships, we work, come home, make dinner, and work some more or just relax at home. It's the kind of routine I could have no matter where I'd be studying. Sure, it's not like that every night, but a lot of the times it just isn't feasible to go to a pub or stay out too long when you have a 9 am class the next morning.
There's nothing wrong with settling into a routine - it's comforting, predictable. But it's not exciting, and some days I feel like I should be out in the city, doing something reckless and unpredictable, even though I would definitely regret it come morning. I would not pass up the experience of living abroad for the world, but living in a city is not quite the same as if I had found myself in the middle of rural Ireland, having to help farm every day and being truly disconnected from the world. The best way to experience new things is to jump completely out of your comfort zone, but that's so difficult to do that it's easier to have a more passive exploration, with some comforts that never really change.
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