A Year Since Study Abroad: A Reflection

Words and photos by Aspen Lee, who studied abroad with ASA in Dublin, Ireland, during the spring semester of 2025. 

It has been roughly one year since I left my study abroad experience in Ireland. I spent one of my last days there in my “secret spot” hidden across a creek near the main street in Maynooth. To get to this spot, you have to take a mildly risky walk across a makeshift bridge of large branches and rocks. But the reward of a serene, relatively undisturbed meadow hidden within the town is well worth the journey. I visited this spot multiple times throughout my study abroad experience and found true peace there. This is a sensation easily found in Irish green spaces, whether that be the trails in Carton an hour’s walk from central Maynooth or the Merrion Square Park in Dublin. When life felt like too much, any stress melted in an afternoon spent drawing and experiencing nature.

That last visit to my secret spot highlighted the ephemeral sensation of tranquillity I found when I stepped into the Irish landscape and let myself forget worries. Reflecting back on my study abroad experience, even with all of the places I saw across multiple countries, I find myself missing that meadow the most. It was the solidification of what my study abroad experience was for me – an escape to a new and freeing time and place that altered me for the better. I found increased independence and confidence in myself, as well as much-needed distance from the stress of life back in the States. Though I had my share of stressful events going on while in Ireland, the people and places there comforted me more than I had ever experienced in the States. Folks at Maynooth University helped me with mental health and financial struggles, and I was treated very well by the Irish medical system in the several hospital visits I underwent, especially the big one: an emergency appendectomy with a weeklong hospital stay. But overall, the general public tended to be kind – the cashier at the off-license, the drivers of the buses. All of these comforts together brought me a sense of calmness and faith in the future.

Ireland has stuck with me after my return here. I still retain some of that peace I gained in my secret spot, and carry with me the lessons I learned and the strengths I gained while abroad. I still carry my Irish ID in my wallet, even though it’s expired. And my LEAP Card (bus fare), hoping maybe I’ll return soon and use the bit of money left on it.

I miss the C3 bus I took to Dublin and back numerous times. I miss the Aldi in Maynooth. I miss my friend’s apartment in nearby Leixlip. I miss the hidden cliffside swimming hole near Dalkey, and the sun shining on my face there as I watched friends jump into the frigid ocean water. I miss the music and bustle of the city, split by the broad River Liffey, and noticing the sun on the water as I crossed the footbridges from one side of town to the other.

Most of all, I miss the self I found in that meadow, and I’d like to think he’s still with me.

Thanks, Aspen!