Hi! I am Sammy Adler and I am going JYA on the Irish Internship Program, a Vassar-run study abroad program based in Clifden, Ireland. The program is run through the Education Department at Vassar (I am a psychology major getting certified in elementary education). Instead of taking classes at a university like many study abroad programs, I will be interning at a local elementary school in the town and taking a weekly tutorial at the university in Galway. According to Wikipedia, the population of the town of Clifden is 1,355, which is smaller than the suburban public high school that I attended. I also might add that I am the only Vassar student (and the only student at all) going on the program, which is somewhat terrifying. But I have spoken to a couple students who have gone on the program (and one girl who, like me, was the only student there) and they loved it, which reassured me that everything will be fine, even if it is just me over there. Yesterday I started packing, and I am basically bringing all my fall and winter clothes (but not as many heavy coats—the weather in Ireland is milder than the northeast United States), plus a pair of silver rain boots that I just bought. The rain boots sort of look like moon boots, but I figure that if it is going to be raining nearly every day, I might as well get some snazzy rain gear. I leave on Friday, and I will be getting in Saturday at 6 a.m. Ireland time (1 a.m. New York time). I cannot believe that I am really going to be in Ireland in two days, but I am sure that once I arrive at the airport and board the flight, everything will seem real.
—Samantha Adler is a junior studying abroad this semester on the Vassar Education Department’s Irish Internship in Clifden, Ireland.
when rain boots sort of look like moon boots then the figure that if it is going to be rain every day, I might as well get some snazzy rain gear. this rain will best entertainment in my life the rain will be the best example.