Irish Jitters

Hey Ya'll! My name is Lawson Barber and I was born and raised in Tifton, Ga. I am currently attending Georgia Southern University and working towards a bachelors in hospitality management. Jesus Christ is the main guy in my life and I have been wonderfully blessed by him with a great family and amazing friends. I run to stay in shape, country music is my favorite, and I love the outdoors!

I have always enjoyed traveling and getting to see new places, so studying abroad has always interested me. When I was meeting with my advisor, I mentioned to him I was interested in doing a study abroad program and asked if it would work into my schedule somehow. That is when he mentioned Ireland. The more I looked into the Ireland program, the more I liked it. I called my cousin Sarah to talk to her about it and see if she thought I should go, when she mentioned she was thinking about going on an Ireland study abroad trip too. It happened to be the same trip, so we would be going together. With a coincidence like that we took it as a sign for both of us to go on the trip. So here I am leaving for Ireland in less than a month and so excited about it!

I am thrilled to get the chance to study abroad in Ireland! One of the things I'm looking forward to the most while I'm there is the scenery. Pictures of Ireland always look so beautiful and green, so it will be awesome to say I've actually seen the beauty of Ireland in person. Secondly I can't wait to get to know the people. I imagine I am going to love the Irish accents but also learning their traditions and customs will be very interesting. Not only do I look forward to learning about the Irish people but I look forward to the friendships I'll form with the others experiencing study abroad with me. Thirdly, I hadn't even thought about it until orientation when it was mentioned, but I can't wait to go horseback riding!
With a great opportunity like this there are always a few drawbacks. I am a little nervous about flying. Even though I have flown once before, I still get nervous when I have to fly. As close as I am with my family, I can imagine I'll probably get a little homesick. So I will definitely have to skype them and tell them all about the adventures I'm having. Lastly and most importantly, I am not looking forward to dealing with euros.

I know this will be an amazing trip and I can't wait for this Irish adventure to begin!!