Read about the amazing experiences Melia had in Galway!
Studying abroad was always something I knew I wanted to do in college. When I came to Fairfield, I knew that I could make that dream a reality. Studying in Ireland has helped me connect my distant family ties in the Emerald Isle. Being a psychology major helped me realize Galway, Ireland seemed like the perfect place for me-and it was! After getting over the hump of jetlag, I loved exploring the city. When I first got there, I stuck to the Fairfield students as friends. But as I got more comfortable, I started to make some new friends. I joined a stitching and crocheting group that happened at a local pub on Monday nights and got to meet a ton of people! I also went to a run club called Connexions on Tuesday night and enjoyed chatting with a whole bunch of people from Galway.
Living in a new city was challenging at first. I had to get used to taking public transport or walking to wherever I needed, as I didn’t have a car. But the transportation system was easy to figure out. I mostly took the 404 town bus into Eyre Square, the city center. The Transport for Ireland system has an app (TFI Live) that you could check to see when the bus would arrive. I also got used to walking a lot of places-if the walk was less than 25 minutes, I typically just walked! I loved the city center of Galway. It was a vibrant warm area, and there were tons of shops and restaurants to explore. Exploring was one of my favorite ways to adapt to the culture. The food was extremely yummy-one of my favorites was Ireland’s famous Dough Bro’s pizza. There was a location in an outside bar and the atmosphere was amazing.
My favorite part of the experience was the more relaxing way of living. I was able to take time for myself and plan things that brought me joy. Some of those things included visiting the Galway Atlantaquaria aquarium, going for runs along the ocean, reading at a new café, and not have to worry about missing out on extracurriculars or commitments I made. I also loved the ability to travel to so many new places. My favorites included Edinburgh, Scotland, and Switzerland. I hope you get to experience this wonderful adventure too!
Are you interested in studying at the University of Galway? Click the following link to learn more about the incredible opportunities you can have abroad with Fairfield University’s many programs.
