Oct. 18, 2007
Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse goalkeeper Suzy Herlihy is spending a semester abroad in Galway, Ireland. Here, she gives SJUHawks.com a glimpse at how things are going.
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Hello from Ireland! I hope everything is going well on Hawk Hill and everyone is experiencing great success in their fall seasons and in the classroom. I am currently studying abroad in Galway, Ireland at NUI-Galway. I live with two other visiting students from St. Olaf College in Minnesota in a flat just around the corner from the center of town. Studying abroad is proving to be one endless opportunity for travel, new ideas, and a different lifestyle from the days of City Avenue.
For starters, I do not have class on Mondays and Tuesdays. This is a small miracle that I could never imagine at SJU and am taking complete advantage of. Don't worry though, reality hits Wednesday through Friday, as I am taking courses in marketing, management, finance, philosophy and MIS. I would have loved to take more classes on Irish culture and society but have found that many of my professors are eager to discuss the Irish economy and the particular dynamics of the Irish market (which has boomed in the past couple decades), so I am still getting a good handle on the intricacies of Ireland. My philosophy class, which focuses on the thoughts of Nietzsche, has provided quite the interesting classroom experience. The makeup of the classroom includes several older Irish citizens, mostly just in the class for fun, as well as a large number of visiting students from Europe. Two of the older Irish men are always quick to offer their opinions and thoughts, no matter how distracting they may be and at an ever increasing volume. I am also continually impressed by the visiting students who speak English as a second language and wrap their heads with such ease around fairly complex topics.
My most valuable experiences here, both in learning and life, thus far have taken place away from university grounds. One thing the Irish love to do is talk. On any given night, one can head out into town and find places full of people from the ages of 18 to 70 who really just want to have a good conversation. There are tons of stories and opinions to share and I have been able to take a lot in as well as discover the ability to assert the beliefs and ideas that I have from my life at home. There is also live music most every night. Even though I can't carry a tune myself, it is definitely something to enjoy.
This weekend I have my first hike with the NUI-G Mountaineering Club! Despite the rain, the Irish love the outdoors and all sorts of sports. I definitely miss my team and even the long practices, but there has been no shortage of physical activity here, from the brisk 20-minute walk to campus to using the gym facilities (though nothing compares to laps around Finnesey Field). Even though it can be very tempting to take it easy and enjoy all the free time, the thought of an A-10 championship is always on my mind.
I have enjoyed trips to Paris, Dublin, and the Aran Islands thus far and have several more European trips already booked for the next couple months. I hosted four fellow Hawks studying in Madrid this past weekend and it was surreal to turn to my side and see such familiar faces all the way across the Atlantic. I have much more to look forward to here, but I am anticipating a great spring semester beginning in January. I hope everyone continues to grow and learn in Philadelphia and until next time...the Hawk will never die!
