Community can simply mean a group of people living in an area together with commonalities. If that were the case, then my community in Dublin, Ireland is quite similar to my community back at school in Pittsburgh. I am surrounded by people my age, nineteen to twenty one, who are all in my major. Much of the people I have spent time with while on study abroad are those that I am regularly in class with at home. Similarly, just like I spend a decent amount of time with my sorority, Chi Omega, at the University of Pittsburgh, I have spent much time in Ireland with some sorority sisters. The big key difference of my study abroad trip and life at home is the way of life. While at school, I typically wake up around nine in the morning and go to my classes throughout the day. Since classes usually only take up about four hours of my day, I have lots of free time to do homework, workout, spend time with friends, paint, and call family. Life, although may seem hectic some days especially on clinical days going from seven in the morning to 6 in the evening, is usually moderately paced at school. I have time to relax and take many breaks for myself. My study abroad in Dublin has been much different. A day in my life here has consisted of waking up around seven in the morning every day, walking thirty minutes to class, going to back to back classes for about four hours and then two more hours after lunch, and then cultural activities or tours after school. I then usually take an hour to rest after walking back to the hotel before going to dinner and hanging out with my new friends. Life in Dublin is very fast paced and there is not a ton of alone time or breaks. You are never more than an hour or two away from the group before there’s something new to do. Night life is also very different. In Ireland, dinner usually stops serving at eight in the evening and convenience stores even close around nine. Pubs are then the popular spot for Irish people to go and enjoy a drink while listening to music, chatting, or dancing. 

While in Ireland, I have taken the time to observe my surroundings. I have first noticed a lot of green. There are vast amounts of farm land and mountains. The smells here are commonly those of animals like what one would smell at a zoo. If you silence yourself in these areas, the songs of birds can be heard throughout. One would also hear the calls of sheep, cows, and horses. I have also seen many black rocks covering the massive cliffs alongside very blue waters. Here, the crisp smell of the sea and fish are pungent. When I bring myself to look around these magnificent areas, I often feel at peace. I hear the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks and birds calling in the distance. All around Ireland, the skies are commonly grey. This is because Ireland’s weather resembles a temperate rainforest. Clouds cover the sky and often produce many raindrops. This causes the smell of nature and rain to often come forward. Besides those smells, I have found Ireland to be engulfed in smells of its foods and drinks. While walking around, you can commonly smell guinness beers, chips, which we know to be called fries, sausages or fried fish. The areas of food, such as restaurants and pubs, you can hear the many footsteps of the Irish around you and all the laughter and voices. I have noticed Ireland is all about community where social gatherings are huge. Smiles, beers, food, chatter, and genuine love can be seen at every table while wandering about.