Hi, so this makes my second blog for my time abroad in Spring 2021, however this is the first time the site and my login info has worked for me. For anyone reading, I can give a brief reintroduction: my name is Josh Falejczyk and I’m a Computer Science and Mathematics double major who’s been studying abroad at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland for the Fall 2020-Spring 2021 year through a direct enroll program. This means I’ve spent a total of seven or so months in Ireland now, and things are still going steady and well for me. But not much has changed, as the initial two-month lockdown I mentioned in my last blog has been extended until April at earliest and could last until May.
Unfortunately, many of the trips I went on last semester are currently not possible with the current lockdown (as I’ve of course been abiding by government guidelines). UCD sponsored and paid for all the previous trips I went on, so aside from appreciating that aspect, I’m really just grateful for them working to provide us study abroad students with pandemic-safe trips while it was possible. In the meantime though, I’ve been spending more time taking walks on the many paths UCD’s campus has to offer, such as the photo in this blog. I’m happy to say online classes here haven’t been too overbearing, and the electives I’m taking this semester (like one on pirate history) have been pretty interesting. Overall, my time in Ireland is still going well, though I can’t say it’s been too eventful.
All in all, though I wish I had a bit more to report, I’m very content with how things have been going and don’t regret my decision of extending from a single-semester to full-year program one bit. Living in Ireland itself and being able to take in the natural beauty it has to offer even just right outside your door is a real blessing, though here’s to hoping I’m able to share a photo from outside the five-kilometer radius we’re restricted to by the time I’m writing my last blog for the semester.