Wow! Ireland you have been amazing and much more than I could ever ask for. I am currently sitting in my bed after going to the Saltee Islands and ready to burst into tears because I do not want to leave this place. The person who left Georgia on May 18th is not the same person who is going to land back in the state on June 14th. I have grown so much in the month I have been in Ireland and will forever be grateful for my experience. Throughout this trip, there have been many firsts for me including my first time being abroad and even my first tattoo. I will never forget the first days in Galway and getting to experience the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. Those places looked like they were out of this world and were just so amazing. I loved arriving in Wexford because it felt like home and I was eager to be in a place for a month and to learn so much. One of my favorite things I learned while on this trip was the aspects of the Irish culture. I learned about the dark side of Irish culture as well as the bright side. Overall, the Irish culture is beautiful and everyone I have met has been so generous. I have loved getting to meet locals and hear their stories about life and why they love Ireland. I have met some amazing locals in Wexford who just have a heart of gold. My absolute favorite thing that I have learned in Ireland has been about the Magdalene Laundries with the talk done by Johnathan, the tour guide. Johnathan is so smart and his research on the Magdalene Laundries is groundbreaking. The talk about the laundries was heartbreaking but it opened my mind to the treatment of women throughout history and how women are treated differently in every country throughout the world. The laundries also showed me how destructive religion has been towards women throughout history and it was truly an eye-opening experience.

​

For me, gender is meshed throughout Irish culture in many ways. The overall inclusivity of Ireland is so heartwarming because it allows all people within Ireland to feel like they are safe no matter their background. Seeing pride flags flying everywhere was truly a culture shock for me because it is something that I am not used to seeing in the US outside of Pride Month. For me, the inclusivity in Ireland feels natural and part of the culture while in the US, I feel like inclusivity is forced in a way. In the US I feel like inclusivity is a box for people to check off while in Ireland it is part of everyday life.

​

Furthermore, the progression of women throughout Ireland’s history is fascinating. Around 30 years ago, some women in Ireland were being abused in the Magdalene laundries and it is mind-blowing to me how progressive women’s rights have become since the closing of the last laundry in 1996. Also, I enjoyed learning about the creation of Ireland by the Goddess, Eriu, and understanding how the Irish folklore worshipped strong women like her. While gallivanting, I learned about how the Beamfasa has been well respected throughout Irish history. Learning about the ways women have been treated throughout the history of Ireland has been a very eye-opening experience because it has shown me ways the US can grow in the form of women’s rights.

​

Moreover, one of my favorite things about the two WGSS classes that I took in Ireland was the opportunity to have intellectual conversations and discussions with classmates over the assigned readings. I feel like the open discussions about the readings allowed me to understand each student’s perspective as well find out about things in the readings that I may not have picked up on while reading them. One of my favorite readings that occurred only in the 5000-level class was by Fintan O’Toole. I feel like this reading summed up my opinion about certain things that I learned while in Ireland as well as some viewpoints on the United States. In this reading, I enjoyed how the author highlighted Ireland’s achievements but also showed the darker side of Ireland’s history and culture. Also, one of my favorite readings in the Intro class was Bell Hooks reading “Feminism is for Everybody.” I loved this reading because it opened my mind to what feminism is and showed me how to be a feminist for everyone. All of the readings that were assigned in both classes truly opened my mind and showed me all aspects of sex and gender.

​

Overall, I am forever grateful for my experience in Ireland and on Georgia Southern European campus. My life has changed forever due to the memories that I have made while spending a month in paradise. The Irish love, generosity, history, and culture will always remain in my heart for the rest of my life. I don’t think there are enough words to describe my experience in Ireland and how great it has been. I am forever in debt to the impact that the small but mighty island of Ireland has had on my life.