Blog 4

I plan to get involved with as many things as I can, whether or not that be a book club, a running club, a movie club, or an art club. I hope to find some common ground with the locals quickly so that I get more chances to form my inner circle and build relationships. The phrase “living like a local” means seeing occurrences from their perspective and doing things a certain way with knowing their cultural reasoning behind it. It means that you are confident enough to perform certain actions without being seen as an outsider or foreigner. As for immersing fulling within the community, I plan on dealing with this hands on with the County Armagh Community Development Agency. One of my biology professors has worked with this nonprofit agency himself, so I have connections through him to get involved in the community. Specific opportunities that my host institution provides is a wide variety of environmental science classes. Maryville college does not offer many environmental science classes, much less marine biology because Tennessee is an inland state. However, my host community is located on the riverside and is known for its outside laboratory work.

            I image my average day will consist of going to class, attending club meetings, volunteering, and traveling as much as possible in the meantime. I think some of my biggest challenges will be the staple diet and me missing my family. Otherwise, I think I have it under control. Ireland and Northern Ireland are known for their porridge, large servings, and potatoes. I’m a vegetarian that loves food, so large portions and potatoes work well for me, but I hope they separate their lamb, pork, beef, or chicken from their porridge. Also, I hope that the new relationships I form will suppress my homesickness. Before I get overwhelmed with people who don’t have the same norms as I do, I hope to find some common ground and realize where they are coming from. These are my goals.