When I was young, I enjoyed putting together a weather forecast. I would draw a sun, big raindrops, and clouds to put into different rectangles on a piece of paper to represent different days of the week. I don’t remember ever checking what my fellow weathermen predicted for the week; I usually chose my own forecast. It was more fun that way. Then I would set up at the coffee table in my living room and give my report, sometimes with an audience of real people, other times I had an imaginary audience. I even had a camera recording me occasionally.

Today I want to play weatherman again. Let me give you a forecast of what I am expecting for my Amazing Irish Adventure.

Personal Development

You can expect to see a more confident Katie when I get back from Ireland. Going to school far from home will be a challenge for me. I can be a bit of a homebody. It will be an adjustment to not have my support system nearby. I won’t be able to drive over and see my family. I won’t be able to go over to Hannah’s room and ask her to explain what is happening in science. I’m sure she would have a very good guess of what would be going on in my science class if I gave enough context. She is pretty smart. I am excited about the challenge, this academic change. Pairing a new school with a more independent living style will help me to see how capable I am and build confidence in my ability to succeed as an independent person.

You can expect to see a more patient Katie as well. I started a list of challenging situations I have made it through to encourage myself in the planning process of this trip. Seeing how things have worked out in my past gives me more patience in my present. So many things will be new for me over in Ireland which will also improve my patience. I will have practice holding back on making assumptions and judgments.

New Experiences

There are two places on my Need To See List: the Cliffs of Moher and Blarney Castle. I will make sure to share pictures when I reach those destinations so keep an eye on my blog this semester. I will be exploring Limerick since that is where I will be living and studying, but I have other places I would like to see as well. I’m not positive how much I will be able to move about Ireland. At this time, it is as unknown to me as it is to you.

I will be taking four classes at the University of Limerick. I am expecting to take a class about ecology and one about classical music. The other two will be about psychology and teaching. I am not able to sign up for my classes yet. I was able to submit my preferences a while back, but the final selection of classes has not come to pass.

Goals and Fears

Through this experience, I want to become a calmer person because I trust that God will take care of me and I am capable of handling the situation he has put me in. This is a very poor SMART goal. How would one measure calmness? If you have any ideas please let me know. I also want to learn more about the world God has created, his people, and be able to share my faith. This is a more measurable goal. I can look back on my experience to see if I have learned more about the climate and culture of Ireland.

As with most great adventures, there will be some trials and tribulations. These may include getting lost (preferably not getting lost alone, but it is a possibility), suffering from loneliness, or not being able to find where one of my classes meets. These, of course, are never the end of a great adventure story. They are a part of the middle to keep it interesting. Even my beloved Hallmark movies have conflict.

Let’s Wrap This Up

What can you expect from this trip?

• More confidence and patience
• Pictures of Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, and Blarney Castle
• Classes about ecology, music, psychology, and teaching
• Periods of being lost and lonely
• A successful trip because I saw the places on my Need To See List, made new friends, passed my classes, and came back with an Irish accent

I am feeling pretty good about this forecast.

The Weather Channel. “10 Day Weather – Limerick, Ireland.” The Weather Channel, TWC Product and Technology LLC, 14 Jan. 2022, https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/62a004f517c595b243110a5a519febcd71f897cda9562e759391fa457aa60b18.

1. When are you leaving?
2. Are you going to bring that?
3. What will the weather be like?
4. Is your flight delayed due to COVID?
5. How are you feeling?
6. Are you nervous?
7. Are you excited?
8. Why would you want to do that? You know you can’t just come home for the weekend?
9. You can still help out at church, you can fly back every week, right?
10. Did that one thing you were waiting for work out?
11. Are you ready?

People are driving me crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I love that so many people are interested and care about me, but I am a little whelmed, if not overwhelmed.

My flight leaves from Minneapolis on Saturday, January 15th at 1:00pm. I have a five-hour layover in Philadelphia. Then I arrive in Dublin at 8:40am on January 16th and will be transported to my new residence near the University of Limerick.

Will I bring it? Yes, if it fits. I have not packed it yet, but I will make it fit. I get a carry-on size suitcase, a checked bag, and a backpack. I’ll be fine, my grandma gave me bags I can vacuum all the air out of.

The weather in Limerick, I am told, is very cold, so cold that I will absolutely need my winter jacket. The forecast for Sunday the 16th is 8°, slight wind, and a 24% chance of rain. The last few days in Minnesota, it has been around -20°. We are measuring in Celsius. That means when I arrive in Limerick, it will be 46°F. That is warm, compared to the subzero Fahrenheit temperatures I am used to in Minnesota this week. There will be more rain than I am used to. Rain on cold days certainly does make it colder. I will bring my winter jacket, rain jacket, and boots.

My flight has not been delayed. It looks like smooth sailing for now. I won’t know until that day. I will pack that one in my suitcase to worry about when I get to the airport.

How am I feeling? Well, how long do you have? I could talk your ear off about how I am having dreams about airports, imposter syndrome, fear of being away from anything familiar, and no idea what to expect. I am excited. I am telling myself that this is something I need to do to grow as a person, develop self-confidence, and go somewhere farther than my two-hour trip to college. I am looking forward to taking ecology, psychology of learning, and a class about classical music. There will be a lot of new people and I am hoping to make friends with as many of them as I can. There will be many beautiful pictures I’ll need to take and share too. I am highly anticipating my adventure.

Am I nervous? Yes. I am deciding to be excited inside of nervous. Currently, it is more the stress of getting everything on my to-do list done than nervousness.

Am I excited? Yes!

I knew I wanted to study abroad way back in high school. I wanted to go to a public university to see how life outside of a WELS school is like. I have been actively planning to study in Limerick for two and a half years. I wanted to go away for college. I did, I went away to the town where all my grandparents live, many of my cousins live, and my aunts and uncles are close by. Going to the University of Limerick will more than make up for that. This is going to work. I know I can’t come back for the weekend. I will be okay. My parents are planning on visiting me, I can call my friends and family, and my heavenly Father is with me wherever I go.

I will not be able to fly back every week to help out at church. I will be happy to be a part of handbells if you come to Limerick to practice with me. Handbells at Martin Luther College and St. John’s in New Ulm are great. I will miss being a part of those two groups. I’ll be back.

Did that thing work out? Umm…which thing? Yes, sure, everything is all good. It will work.

No. I am not ready for my life-changing, super awesome, Irish adventure. I still need to find my boarding pass, pack my bags, cry about leaving everyone I love, scrapbook the 200 photos I am behind on in my college scrapbook, get tested for COVID-19 before my flight, and whatever else I put on my list. I may get everything done, but I will never be ready. I’ll just keep putting one foot in front of the other and telling myself, “Little by little, one travels far.”