I have never been the type of person to sit back and watch as the world passes me by, and I absolutely won't be doing that once I am living in my host country. Being social and friendly comes to me naturally , and I already have a set of ideas that I plan to implement in order to comfortably integrate into my host culture. I am a firm believer in living authentically which means I really DO NOT want to be seen as a tourist even though I will be a student. I feel that attempting to learn about Ireland's culture and local mannerisms will help locals respect me and not see me as a shallow traveler.
The first places I plan to seek cultural insight are local restaurants. Food seems to always be a place where local culture and socialization meet, not to mention the opportunity to try new cuisines. Placing myself in an environment where I will be interacting with locals as well being excited to try new things will be a fun and low-stress opportunity to immerse myself in Irish culture! This idea came to me from my own experiences here. Anytime I have a friend from out of town come visit me I ALWAYS take he or she to lunch at my favorite local restaurants.
Another place for cultural enrichment is school involvement. I am currently a member of the Student Programming Board for Maryville College. I help plan and work at events for the student body. I feel that if a similar or equivalent program existed at Ulster University. I love planning events and that is also a great way to get in touch with the student body. Being a familiar face to the students can be the start of the a good friendships as well.
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