Kendyl Naugle

Studying abroad was one of my top priorities when coming to college, but being pre-med, I didn't know if it would be possible to fit such an endeavor into my busy schedule. Luckily, I found out that summer programs exist and they ended up being an amazing option for me! I chose Ireland because I had heard incredible things about the people and the beauty of the country, and it had been at the top of my list of places to travel for a long time!

One of the things I loved most about Ireland is that they are still so in tune with their heritage and roots. Even the "coolest" kids still whip out traditional Irish dance moves on the dance floor at parties, and you can find traditional Irish music at almost any pub in town. One of my favorite nights during my whole stay in Ireland was a Seo Linn concert that I went to with some friends. They play some traditional Irish songs (all in Gaelic) and they also translate current pop songs into Gaelic. The whole night was so incredible - people jumping all around and dancing in the traditional Irish style, and just not having a care in the world about other people's judgments of them. It felt so liberating to be able to just jump and twirl around like a 13 year old dancing in her room to Justin Bieber. (We asked and yes, they are coming on tour to America. I'm going.)

Being involved in such an intensive program, I was worried that I would be consumed by studying and not able to see Ireland or travel to other countries. However, I came to a compromise with myself and worked super hard during the week, and allowed myself to relax and enjoy Europe during the weekends - without thinking about physics!

During the week, our program was very structured: we all ate breakfast together, had two hours of lecture, two hours of discussion, lunch, and then a three hour lab if it was your assigned lab day. Then, the rest of the nights were reserved for studying and hanging out with friends around campus or in Dublin. During the weekends, we utilized the Irish Rail a tooonn and made our way around Ireland by train. We also ventured up to Northern Ireland one weekend, and over to England twice!

I finished the equivalent of Physics 8A and Physics 8B (two semesters worth of physics) in just 8 weeks! As you can imagine, the classes were extremely fast-paced (a whole chapter per day!!) and condensed. However, now my semesters here at Cal are a whole lot less packed and I'm able to be involved in more activities that Physics would have prevented me from being involved in.

Probably a very cliche answer but...the people. The Irish people really made my time in Ireland so memorable and special and I'm so grateful to have met the people I did. Everyone there is so approachable, helpful, and loves a great story. The Irish want nothing more than for you to enjoy yourself and have an easy life - and that's exactly how I felt while I was with them - happy and at ease.

A few weeks into the program, I started to really connect with the Irish people and felt like Ireland had become my home. I started to really analyze the similarities and differences between the Irish culture and the American culture and was able to have many introspective periods (mostly on the bus into the city) where I realized that by removing myself from America and my home, I felt I was able to understand myself better. I saw qualities in the Irish people that I had never recognized in most Americans and realized there are other ways of going about life that are just as productive - and in fact probably more conducive to happiness. I realized that I wanted to try to incorporate some of the values I had learned into my own life.

Being able to visit a foreign country for an extended period of time is an opportunity that no one should pass up! It is such a special feeling to feel like you belong to a culture or place so far removed from your own home. Seeing the world and how other people live is such an eye-opening experience, and can really bring the world together and make the planet feel smaller. If you're able to, I would 1000 times recommend studying abroad. Expand your world view, understand your own self and home better, and make so many new friends - do it!