I’m not going to lie to you by telling you that living abroad is especially easy, but I’d be a coward if I denied the sweetness with which I’ve been accompanied. Sweetness that lies in things as simple as a chat with friends, a long walk to recharge your lungs with that cold and fresh air that only Ireland can offer, or why not, reporting yourself “sick” when you see one of those rare sunny days outside your window.
2 years after having started my professional education and 3 after having arrived to the emerald island, I can affirm that today more than ever I’m satisfied with my decision to bet my comforts in my native country and throw myself into adventure, an adventure that has brought with it friends and with them new ways of thinking and seeing life, which have opened my eyes to perceive my existence in a more authentic and global way.
I still remember making my first friend in Ireland, it was something as simple as going out to explore the city the first day after arriving and going to a cafe for breakfast. So simple but decisive in my life since over time that friend would become an indispensable part of my family in Ireland, getting to spend Christmas and our birthdays together. It seems almost magical and inexplicable to me that no matter where you stand, there will always be someone to take care of you and ensure your well-being. That is exactly what being an international student is all about, having the ability to make a family in a place so far from home, opening yourself up to new experiences.
Undoubtedly, studying abroad represents a challenge that cannot be faced by everybody, however at the same time, living in such an advanced and connected world, it is essential to face the challenge if you want to achieve success in life.
I invite the people who are reading my story, and even more so if they are students, to open themselves to this adventure of living in another territory even if it is for a short period of time and if this is already the case, I invite them to fully embrace the days that this It entails both the sweet and the bitter because only then we will find maturity and the necessary tools to be the man of the 21st century.
My name is Emilio and I am currently in my 2nd Year studying for a BSc in Film & Broadcasting Techniques at the TUS Moylish Campus.