My friends at LaSalle must be wondering what happened to the girl they said goodbye to back on that hot, muggy day in August….

I left as "their roommate who will be back in January." I returned 4 months later as their new flatmate.

While they blast their new favorite rock and pop songs, I drown them out with my vast collection of Irish Trad.

I laugh hysterically at stand-up comedy from Danny Bhoy, while they struggle to even understand the accent that has become second nature to me.

They buy coffee, soda, and chips for the apartment, while I come home from class craving a cup of tea and a scone.

I suggest we go to some pubs on the weekend; they politely remind me that they're called "bars" back here.

While they sat back and watched the Super Bowl, I desperately scanned the channels in search of a good Rugby or Hurling Match.

Their walls are covered with posters of famous actors and bands. Mine is draped with a giant Irish tri-color and postcards of London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Rome….

They say "please" and "thank you." I say "Le do thoil" and "Go raimh maith agat."

They don't understand why I prefer the overcast, cold, rainy days to the warm sunny ones.

These are all, of course, minor things that my friends and roommates, no doubt, just find quirky and amusing. But it doesn't take away from the fact that the semester I spent studying abroad in Ireland was truly life changing. Nothing could have prepared me for the experience of living independently, on my own in a foreign country. Every day was a learning experience in Ireland, whether it was trying to master the Gaelic language, adapting to the customs and practices of my fellow students, or trying "oysters and Guinness" for the first time at the local festivals.

I have contemplated life while gazing out over the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, I've been stuck in Irish traffic jams as dozens of sheep crossed the road, and I've played board games at hostels with students from Denmark, France, Bulgaria, and Norway. I've walked through the religiously segregated neighborhoods of Belfast in Northern Ireland, I've sat outside Buckingham Palace to watch the sunset over London, and I have celebrated foreign holidays with my Dutch roommate.

I have tried the "drink of High Irish Kings" while inside an ancient castle. I sat on a bench for hours listening to an elderly man from Cork tell me the entire history of Ireland. Going to a pub on a windy Saturday afternoon in late autumn, I got caught up in the fervor and excitement of the Rugby World Cup with all the local "hooligans." I belted out the lyrics to "The Wild Rover" and danced with an entire room of enthusiastic people at the nightly Trad around town. I almost took for granted the fact that my walk to class everyday took me through the cobblestone streets of historical Galway, over the River Corrib, and right past two huge Medieval Cathedrals.

I sat in class with other Irish students at NUI, learning about their history and literature. I even sat in class with Irish students and learned to look at my own country's history and culture from a new perspective. Living in the very heart of Galway and attending the National University of Ireland gave me memories and experiences that I will never ever forget.

Studying abroad is not an experience that can truly be described or appreciated in words though, let alone such a limited number of words. It was an amazing opportunity to expand my horizons, both culturally and personally. It has completely changed who I am, and for that I am forever grateful. Ireland will always hold a special place in my heart, and was an experience that I hope each and every one of you gets the opportunity to pursue!