Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

“Where are you from, Lily?” 

Studying abroad at an Irish university where 20% of the student body is from outside of the country, I have answered and asked this question more than I can count on both hands.  

The question itself is tricky, I have found, from my vantage point. “What should I say?” Am I from the United States, America, or The States? Do I dig deep into my identity and give the “real,” more intricate, answer? To some, this question may seem simple, and possibly even mundane; however, to me, this question is filled with complex layers of identity, pride, and sense of place.  I still grapple with this seemingly simple question; that is, for the sake of simplicity as well as showcasing an identity that is true to me and where I grew up.  

So, with this, I have come up with a reply that I feel is true to me while also being accessible to others.  

“I am from the United States—Southern Appalachia if you are familiar with it. It’s in the mountains, and it’s really pretty!“

Clear and fun, right? Yet, as anyone might guess from the whole two sentences that I state to describe my identity, it hardly captures the fullness of my connection to home.  

 I often leave these conversations feeling like I have left something to be desired, like I haven’t given verbal justice to the region I lived in (that which I continue to call home while attending college in North Carolina) before coming to Ireland. “Oh, yeah, I’m from Tennessee” never feels right. Southern Appalachia isn’t just a place; it’s my home which encompasses a culture and ecological landscape difficult to put into words in casual conversation.

In fact, I struggled with this identity conversation even before I came to Ireland. In the United States, if you don’t live in Southern Appalachia, I have found people don’t understand the social and ecological nuances that make my home so special. This isn’t a bad thing, it is just something I have observed in my, going on almost 19 years there. In the months preceding my journey to Ireland for my first semester, I worried often about how different the culture would feel from my own and if it would be similar in any ways. “What will the people be like? What will the ecology be like? Will there be lots of greenery and trees like there are at home?”  I turned these thoughts over mindlessly for months, until it was time for me to board a plane on August 30 of this year; there I sat, preparing to confront my worries.

~Fast Forward one month and seven days.~

I will never forget the moment I walked into my individual room in my flat on August 31. As I opened the door, a light filled the room from a window that overlooked a creek encompassed by massive green trees. “I’m home!” I thought to myself. So far, Ireland and her people have been nothing short of gorgeous and inviting, and oddly similar to what I grew up with in Tennessee. With the familiarity I have experienced, I have also observed differences (big and small) that come with moving to a country 4,000 miles from your home. I would be concerned if there weren’t differences between Ireland and home; for, that is what makes it incredible! The similarities that I have observed, along with differences are what makes me the Appalachian Girl Who Went Global, and for that I am very grateful.  

~Similarities ~ 

For starters, I would like to pause and say that my favorite seasons at home are spring and summer (as much as I am scrutinized for not having the Appalachian fall as my favorite). The reason for this not necessarily being the warm weather (that’s a perk, though), but the green!  

So, needless to say, when I found out I was going to Ireland for the semester back in the spring of this year, I was incredibly excited due to the fact that I feel Irish ecology reminds me a lot of Southern Appalachia in the summer, primarily the fact that the rolling hills are a brilliant shade of emerald green. Such similarity has threaded an ecological string between my home and Ireland. Ireland offers the kind of ecology that those of us from the mountainous regions of Appalachia come to know and love, while the vibrant green foliage echoes the misty cliffs and hills of Ireland.

Similarities  

From a cultural perspective, I have found that my home and Ireland are driven by the citizens’ pride for their culture and heritage. Storytelling and music are stakeholders of each area’s identity. Southern Appalachia being held in bluegrass (stemming historically from Irish traditional music) along with folktales, and Ireland being held in Celtic music and dance, plus legendary folklore. Both regions hold tightly, and are proud of, their roots and it shows in the rich culture present in both areas. Their connection to each other and to the past is incredible, uniting in spirit, even across the ocean.  

With the similarities that come between the two regions, I have recognized some differences, those which have served as points of fascination and learning for me while here. I have found that by being curious about such differences, they can sometimes act as points of mutual exploration which is very interesting. It allows myself and others to see our homes as unique entities while also celebrating the unique qualities that make each of them different. 

Differences  

The first thing I noticed before I came to study, while researching Ireland, and when I arrived was the difference in weather. Not only was I coming from an Appalachian summer, but I don’t think I had seen cloudy days more than seven days this summer, miraculously. As I say this, there have been so many sunny days in Limerick since I have been here (more than have been in the past, I have been told), so I have made a point to give extra appreciation to those days. Ireland’s cool, coastal climate offers relatively mild weather all year, locking in the endless green around the clock. Appalachia, on the other hand, experiences all four seasons, the winters and summers being relatively extreme (especially the summers, in recent years). Ireland’s climate definitely felt like a softer, more predictable (as predictable as sporadic rain can be) rhythm, than what I am used to.  

Another difference I have recognized is the architecture between Southern Appalachia (from what I have seen) and Ireland. Much of the architecture in Appalachia reflects a utilitarian, rustic, style that is influenced by log cabins established by settlers starting in the early 1600’s. Realistically speaking, obviously, the majority of people in Appalachia don’t live in log cabins; us, along with most of the United States, live in modern style homes that vary in style according to liking. I have observed interesting architectural differences from this in Ireland. Irish architecture (aside from the castles and historical architecture) mostly all looks the same to me. The residential communities all house homes that look exactly the same, which I find cool because it feels like a resident’s own world. The architecture pulls mainly from medieval and Georgian influences, with lots of stone and row houses with slate roofs to account for Ireland’s damp climate.  

Reflection  

So, when I am asked “Where are you from, Lily?” I will try to continue saying “I am from the United States—Southern Appalachia if you are familiar with it. It’s in the mountains, and it’s really pretty! ” However, with this, I hope that conversations are sparked with Irish students and students from all around the world, comparing our identities wrapped up in where we live and grew up. These things shape all individuals into who they are. Furthermore, living in another country and immersing oneself in another culture heightens this shape. After living in Ireland for a semester, I know I will be sad to go, but I will take back with me the similarities and differences between the two places I have experienced the most growth in my life. Ireland has shown me what it means to live on my own and Appalachia prepared me completely for this experience.  

With this, I will close with a quote from a song I grew up hearing, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver: Country roads take me home to the place I belong. To me, I always connotated this lyric with hiking or driving up a mountain to have a panoramic view of my favorite mountains in Southern Appalachia. Now, it is incredible to see that I find this lyric applicable in a place that is 4,000 miles away from my childhood home. Ireland has started to feel like home, and that is a cool thought for me. I will be forever grateful that Ireland has (and will continue) to comfort me during my time away from home. Go raibh míle maith agat, Éire!