Settled Into Cork – by Katherine Kozlik

“When I was getting ready to head off to Ireland for the Fall semester, I had so many doubts in my head. What if I don’t like it there? What if I don’t make friends? Will I miss home too much? While these fears are absolutely expected for anyone going to another country alone, I just could not shake the worries running through my mind.

As soon as I emerged from Cork Airport into the crisp air of Ireland, exhausted and hauling my luggage behind me, all my fear immediately melted away. My taxi driver was an extremely kind man from Kenya who assured me that Cork is where I would have the most amazing experiences and meet the best, most kind people. He said that he had been to over 20 countries in his life, but no place compared to Cork – no other place felt more like a home away from home. Not even a month into my time in Ireland, I know he was right.

The time spent here so far has gone by in the blink of an eye – it feels like I was just hugging and kissing my family goodbye a few days ago – and no time has been wasted. Friends are just around every corner I turn and I can’t go more than a few hours without seeing someone I know. Going abroad has pushed me to reflect on my relationships, both new and old, and I am becoming more and more aware of the kind of people I want to surround myself with for the long haul. I’ve made a lifelong friend out of one of my roommates already, another DePaul student I never knew until we lived with each other…on the opposite hemisphere.

Katherine is standing with her friend Zoe Carpentier in front of a St. Vincent DePaul statue in Cork, Irelamd!

We host family dinners with our roommate from the Netherlands, explore the city together, and even found a statue of St. Vincent DePaul somewhere in Cork!

As previously mentioned, this is a family dinner that Katherine hosted with other American and Erasmus students!

I’ve heard countless times from those who have returned from studying abroad that it is a life altering experience, but I did not genuinely understand the absolute truth in that statement until I began to live it myself. I am so glad I made the decision to spend a semester across the ocean, and the fun is just getting started!”

Kat