About halfway through my study abroad experience, my professor told me, “The living is the writing.” The phrase stuck with me and rooted itself as my motto. Mostly, these words struck home because of my perceived failure in achieving my study abroad goals. I joined the Irish Writing Program, a six-week study abroad session, partially to gain inspiration for writing stories, but I had failed to write much of anything at all beyond required assignments.

When I ruminated on my professor’s words, though, I realized she was right. The best kind of learning had been “the living,” or the day-to-day experiencing. This experiencing was as small or as large as I wanted it to be while in Ireland. For example, that first morning when my jetlagged body awoke at 5 a.m., I decided to walk around the streets of Dublin and eat breakfast on a bench. Other experiences included hopping on a train headed across the country or planning my first ever solo overnight trip. Ireland was just as charming as people said it was, with green rolling landscape and lively pubs and friendly people, but of course, it was more complicated than this portrait and seeking a variety of experiences helped round out my picture. These experiences led to memories, and these memories have led to story potential. The man on a train to Sligo who told me about his family’s land has been stored away. So has the newlywed couple I met on a Game of Thrones tour, and the marriage proposal of two Hawkeye alumni I witnessed while hiking to a lighthouse. So has the friendly atmosphere of an Irish pub or the electric thrill of watching Gaelic football with thousands of locals. I know that I can write from my experiences in Ireland, when the time comes.

It was both exhilarating and soothing to seek out experiences that have become potential story material. I became a kind of character myself, honestly. I learned a lot about my character—my inner workings, my insecurities, what satisfies me—while adventuring abroad. I learned that attending my first Pride parade was a vulnerability my queer self had desperately needed. I learned that, while I’m normally quiet, there really is a hospitality in many Irish people that drew conversation out of me. I learned that my previous understanding of historical events like the Great Famine was taught one-sided, and I should be cautious of simplification. I learned that yes, people will simplify me too, like the two women at Hozier’s concert who told me I was an “unmannered American” after I called them out for shoving in front of a girl.

My biggest advice for those planning to study abroad is to seek out experiences every day, big or small. Sometimes, you don’t have the energy or time to go big, but the small things matter too. Take that walk. Stroll down that street. Try that food. Talk to that shop owner. See where the living takes you. It’ll all contribute to your overall study abroad story.

Learn how to apply for the Global Access Ambassador Scholarship

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.