I vividly remember stepping into my apartment in Dublin and instantly wanting to cry. I focused on unpacking everything, keeping myself busy so that I didn’t dwell on my buzzing thoughts. It wasn’t until I realized that I didn’t even have toilet paper that the tears came.

I was terrified, so scared of the decision I had made to come to a foreign country all alone. It was a different type of loneliness than I had felt before, for I knew that I didn’t know a single soul in the country I was in. But this loneliness I felt and the subsequent despair that came only made me go further out of my comfort zone than I ever would have before.

I wish I could go and tell that version of me six months ago how choosing to study abroad was the best thing I ever did. Studying abroad made me be more independent, more outgoing, more worldly. Taking animal science classes gave me a more developed view in agriculture within Ireland, and the ways it differed from the U.S. The classes I took also gave me a deeper understanding of Europe’s history, my agriculture policy class teaching me many things I did not know within my industry.

I absolutely fell in love with Ireland while studying there. While my friends from Australia complained about the weather, it only made me reminisce about Michigan winters (albeit without the extreme cold). I lived off campus from UCD, which was a huge stressor to me before coming but ended up being the biggest blessing. The people I met in my apartment complex ended up being some of my closest friends, and being so close to the city center really gave me an appreciation for Dublin as a whole. I made it a mission to see as much of Ireland as possible, and with many buses and trains I was able to see much of the beauty of this country.

While in Ireland not only was I able to explore countless cities there, but I went to over 11 countries. Being able to see so much of the world really made me realize how big it is. Being in countries where English was not predominant made me realize how universal certain things were and how I needed to reduce my reliability on English. It also made me realize how accessible travel is in Europe and made me feel very privileged to have the opportunity to travel.

I had so many fears about studying abroad, from my classes to making friends to missing home. I had worked really hard to put myself out there to meet people, but I also found that everyone was in the same boat as me. We were all anxious and struggling with the adjustment. While classes were hard, they were also still manageable. In fact, this was the first time in my life I felt that school didn’t have to be my main focus. Which is what led me to meet people from all over the world. I forged relationships that will stick with me forever, and my time abroad was quite literally life changing.

Name: Lillian Culbert
Status: Senior
Major: Animal Science
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Program: University College Dublin, Agriculture & Natural Resources