July 12

This trip has been a little about writing, a little about learning, a little about travelling and a lot about inspiration. Sometimes I get frustrated with the limitations I find I put on myself, even on a trip abroad like this one. A self-admitted neurotic, I often over-think things and normally spend more time convincing myself to try something scary than actually doing it. But Ireland has been supplying me inspiration in the most unlikely of places.

When Molly and I walked into our room at the hostel at Inis Mor on the Aran Islands we realized one of the bunk beds already had a backpack on the furthest bunk. We both talked about who our mystery roommate could be, imagining a handsome Irish vagabond or rustic outdoorsy man. We prayed it wasn’t one of the 16-year-old Canadians that share our dorm building in Corrib Village. After hiking up the hill to the only grocery store on the island and stocking up on wine and various “dinner” items (including chips, cheese and bagels) we settled in the common room to begin our ill-attempt at finishing (or starting) our homework.

It wasn’t long before Patty came and joined us on the mismatched furniture. Patty was soft-spoken, warm-smiled and Dutch. She had beautiful skin and straight hair that lay limp at her shoulders from travelling. Our conversation immediately turned to her. She was spending two weeks touring Ireland, by herself.

Very quickly my time in Ireland started to feel sheltered. A common complaint about study abroad, at least from stories I’ve heard from JMU students, is that students rarely break away from their group, the “JMU Bubble,” and really get to see the country. I’m not sure how much I agree with that as a blanket statement, but I do know that it’s pretty accurate for my experience in particular. Especially as we get closer on the trip, it gets harder to break away from that comfort zone.

The more we talked to Patty the more I realized how common it is for people in Europe to travel, and how unremarkable it is to do so alone. Patty’s boyfriend of roughly six years (yes, they started dating when they were 13) knew he was leaving Holland for 3 weeks on a trip to Croatia with some friends he had met in California. Patty decided this would be a good time to do some travelling of her own and set out to backpack across the rocky Island.

My respect for her soared as I noticed how kind and friendly and open-minded she was. Literally only meeting us minutes earlier, we were already talking about our life plans and what we value in relationships. She told us how hard it was to be away from her family and her boyfriend, Joost (pronounced Yost), and we could all sympathize. But she didn’t seem lonely when she said this.

As much as I love everything this trip has been, I couldn’t help but be inspired to trust myself and explore the world a little more and a little more independently.

from left to right: Molly, Patty, me, Katie, Andy