It was inevitable that I would study abroad; that much about my college journey was clear. The question was always where. Being Greek and very close to my roots, I considered Greece for a while; but I decided it would be too much like home. I wanted to go somewhere totally new. For a while, I had felt a particular pull to England.
Ultimately, though, I decided upon University College Cork. At first glance, it was because this place is literally Hogwarts. And I’ll jump at any opportunity to go to Hogwarts (who wouldn’t?). Little did I know that Cork, Ireland would be home to some of the most gracious people I’ve ever met, who make an active effort to curate an environment that made my transition to studying abroad so much easier.
First Impressions
Solely based on media I’ve consumed before studying abroad (movies, shows, books, music), it was clear to me that Ireland in and of itself was home to a collective, rather than individualistic, community. But I had no idea just how welcoming people would be.
Immediately upon landing in Ireland with my mom, we encountered some absolutely lovely people. The employees at the car rental were more than welcoming: guiding us every step of the way, offering recommendations and tips for how to drive on the opposite side of the road (and on Black Ice!). Being immediately enveloped into such warmth and kindness was such a calming experience.
Bonding with the Locals
The more I’ve explored Cork and the surrounding towns, the more I’ve allowed myself to expand my own boundaries when it comes to meeting new people. This is not only a tip I have for people who come to Cork, but for anyone who is looking to study abroad: be bold! You create the best memories and connections when you allow yourself to step outside of your comfort zone and take risks, have conversations that you otherwise wouldn’t, and consciously engage with those around you!
And I can almost guarantee that people will be more than happy to engage back!
One of my first encounters with the wonderful people of Cork was in a taxi. It is so easy to simply enter a taxi, give your desired location, and stay silent the rest of the ride. Believe me, I’ve had my fair share of non-verbal taxi rides. But there’s something so magical about sparking a conversation; you never know where it might lead. For instance, my mom and I had hailed a taxi from the Cork Opera House back to our hotel. We had just finished seeing a Panto of Aladdin (absolutely hysterical by the way) and we were quite tired.
But right when we got picked up, it started to rain. We got in the taxi, plopping down with loud exhales of relief to be sheltered from the rain and the first thing the driver asked us after where we wanted to go was “where are you from?”
We explained that we’re from the States, specifically California, but that I’m here for the semester. He immediately perked up and asked how I’m finding it and what I’m studying. I told him that I’m at UCC and so far, I’m absolutely loving it and that even though I’m studying Creative Writing & Publishing back home, most of my courses here actually have nothing to do with my major. Not only was he absolutely thrilled to hear my major (another thing I’ve noticed about the people here, which I will go into), but he quickly made a connection to us by telling us that his daughter is currently living in California. He told us about his children and how they all left home and now all live in different places—either in another part of Ireland or abroad. He and my mom connected over how difficult it can be to have your child leave the nest, but at the same time, how exciting it is to watch them spread their wings and discover themselves. I’ve had plenty of interesting conversations in taxis since that first moment.
Now, I touched briefly on the excitement the taxi driver exuded when I mentioned my major. This was not an uncommon occurrence. In fact, this is another thing I quite appreciate about the people here in Cork. Because the history of both Cork and Ireland as a whole are deeply rooted in history, mythology, folklore, and literature, I have found an increasing appreciation for the humanities and liberal arts. So much so that I have been congratulated on selecting such a topic to study. One particular instance comes to mind. With all the cold, windy, rainy days we have here in Cork, I quite quickly ran out of hand lotion. Absolutely tragic, I know. So, my mom and I made our way down Oliver Plunkett Street, a quaint little side street with plenty of hidden restaurants, pubs, and shops, and found a L’Occitane en Provence. As we were browsing around for the right scent, we struck up conversation with the employee. He, as one would, asked what I’m studying. I had barely finished saying “& Publishing” when his eyes widened and he stared at me, scoffed and exclaimed “Mary Mother of Jesus, of course! Imagine just saying, ‘Oh yeah, I’m casually studying Creative Writing & Publishing on a random Wednesday, just for the fun of it, because why not.’ Wow, that’s amazing.” I stood and stared. Never had I ever received such positive feedback from a stranger regarding my major. This complete stranger who was selling me hand lotion nearly brought me to tears. He proceeded to give me advice about what pubs were safe, what side of the River to stay on, and what nearby cities or towns were the most fun to visit. Our visit ended with him saying if I ever needed anything, I knew where to find him.
Some other brief instances of kindness included when a woman in line behind me at Tesco used her Clubcard so I could get any applied discounts on my groceries, a guard at the Cliffs of Moher that allowed my mom and I to go up into O’Brien’s Tower even though it was technically closed, and the waiters at every single restaurant or pub I’ve been to so far offering their recommendations on food, drink, and places to visit—without being asked.
Fun Ways to Form a Connection
Aside from striking conversation with anyone you may meet, there are certainly other ways to connect with locals and people around you while you’re abroad!
One of my favorite things that I have been doing is related to my junk journal. I have been collecting bits and bobs from everywhere I have visited since I’ve arrived in Ireland with the vision of creating a Travel Journal. This journal will be housed in my Louise Carmen journal, which allows me to have multiple journals in one place. I have one lined notebook and one blank one. The lined notebook is where I document my day-to-day life, experiences, and thoughts—a regular journal if you will.
The blank notebook is where I have started creating my junk journal! The trick is to make this junk journal solely using things that I have found “out in the wild”—not with things I have bought. This can be done in any type of notebook or journal though—I even brought a few other journals, lined and blank, in preparation for when I run out of room in my Louise Carmen!
But I haven’t just been collecting random items. Some of the bits and bobs I will be using in my junk journal include notes from strangers.
My first night in Cork, my mom and I went out to dinner at a local restaurant right down the street from my accommodations: Dwyers. The coziest restaurant and pub, Dwyers offers a wide range of food and drink as well as live music from local bands and artists. It’s an absolute vibe, if I do say so myself. After we had paid for our meal, our waiter overheard me telling my mom that I wanted to put our receipt in my junk journal. He came up to me and said “I can print you more, how many do you want? I can print you a million if you want.” I was taken aback and stammered out “Oh! I think just one more is fine… thank you!” He came back a minute later with three more receipts and said “Here you go. Now you have a couple extras, just in case.” Once again, my mom and I struck up conversation with him and while he and my mom were chatting away, I dug into my purse and pulled out pen, held it out to him, and said “Will you write a little note for me?” He took the pen and started looking around for a piece of paper and I handed him on of the receipts he had just brought me. “Right here is fine,” I said. He looked at me and tapped the pen on his chin and asked, “Anything in particular you want me to write?” I shook my head and gave him complete creative liberty. He took the receipt and said, “One sec,” and disappeared behind the bar. My mom said she spotted him giving the receipt and pen to another waitress, but moments later, he reappeared and snagged another of the spare receipts off the table and left again. A few minutes later, he returned with two signed receipts. On his, he wrote “Welcome to Cork! Get langers –Jack.” The other wrote “Hon the rebels, bai! –Ali”. Jack explained that “langers” is Cork slang for, and in his words, “get absolutely pissed drunk” (he explained that adding -er to any noun immediately connotes getting drunk. There was even a regular patron, he said, whose last name they had done this to). The other note, in the meantime related to Cork being the rebel county when Ireland was occupied by the Vikings. Those receipts are now in my junk journal and are treasured memories for me.
I was on a train back to Cork from Limerick and had been seated next to a young man, around my age, perhaps a couple years older. I had the idea to ask him for a note as well, but took a while working up the courage, since he was just a regular passenger and not a waiter, for example. Eventually, I took out my Airpods and tapped his shoulder. He took off his headphones and I began: “Hi, sorry, this is so random, but I’m studying abroad here this semester and I’m trying to strike up conversations with random people I meet wherever I go—” “Yes?” he replied, a sly smirk playing on his lips. “And I was just wondering if you might be willing to write me a little note, a piece of advice, words to live by… something.” I handed him my pen and a random piece of paper I found in my purse and he immediately lowered his seat table and said “You know what, why not. My phone is dead anyway and I have nothing else to do.” Turns out, he had literally just dropped his phone and it completely shattered and was no longer working… and that’s what he wrote about: “Don’t drop your phone when you have a train to catch :(“ We started chatting and he told me that he had actually just graduated from UCC. We chatted about what we were studying and such, and by the time the train arrived at the station, we had wished each other good luck and managed to pass the train ride with laughter and conversation.
Conclusion
So far, the people here in Cork have been some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. If you are in the process of deciding where to study abroad, take a serious look at UCC! Or even if you get the chance to travel to Ireland, be sure to schedule a visit down south to County Cork, the rebel county!
Eleni Dimitrakos is studying Creative Writing & Publishing and double minoring in Psychology and Sociology & Anthropology and is studying abroad at University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. Eleni is passionate about all things relating to reading and writing. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Salve’s Student Newspaper, The Mosaic as well as the Treasurer for Salve’s Literary Magazine, The Willow. She looks forward to sharing all her experiences relating to studying abroad!
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