Elisha Arbuckle - Summer in Minnesota

"As Winnie the Pooh once said - "How lucky I am to have something, that makes saying goodbye so hard."

Countless memorable moments

While I stayed in UMD, there were many moments which I'd call memorable. Far too many to fit into just one blog post. Not only did I find new friends and connections from America, but I found a home with Russians, Koreans and my fellow Irish friends too - who had also travelled to UMD to study for the summer. My life at UMD became my home.

The Glensheen Mansion, Studio Cafe, Gooseberry Falls, Mall of America, and canoeing down the river, were all great experiences to have together, as a class of nearly 40 people - from all different cultures and countries. We were also directed to the website "Perfect Duluth Day" to help us discover some different activities outside of the classroom ones!

My favourite moments, however, were the slower, more grounded ones. Sitting in the common room, with my new friends, trying American, Russian and Korean food. Taking polaroids together around campfires, as we discussed our different family cultures and hobbies.

Cultural discoveries

The classes were always so interactive. I found American culture to be vastly different from my own, as when people ask "how are you?" in America, most of the time they actually mean it, unlike my home town. Since I had never stayed in dormitories back home, I had nothing to really compare the living aspect to, except what I was learning/ experiencing in UMD.

I enjoyed the idea of journalling our thoughts, fears, hopes and feelings within the classroom every day. Back home, this would be seen as just a hobby, not something to be brought into a classroom setting. It was refreshing in its own unique way, and now I have these feelings wrote down, so I can reread my memories whenever I like.

One massive similarity I picked up on, was that we all wanted to make new friends, new memories, and to take lots and lots of photos together!!

Adapting to new norms

A challenge I discovered was the cultural difference of local places, and in the classrooms too. In cafes, we were always greeted by a staff member, and asked a few moments into our shopping trip if we needed any help. This wouldn't seem like a big difference written down, but it was a little hard to get used to as an introverted person, and someone who comes from a town where people tend to keep to themselves. Usually when you think of being away from your own bedroom for over a month, you'd think homesickness would have been the first challenged I faced - Reassuringly, I didn't feel homesick at all in UMD!

Finding my people

Feeling lonely and anxious sometimes is inevitable, but everyone was feeling it. Because we were exposed to group activities to force us to speak to new people, I'm grateful for those classroom tasks. Most of us gravitated towards each other in the common room area. Or if we saw someone enjoying something we also like personally, a specific book for example. I found it a little unnerving at first, being in a different country, miles away from my own bedroom. But in the end, not only did I find friends with these new souls in my life, I found my family.

From Duluth to NYC

Even after everything we had experienced in Duluth, I had the opportunity to travel to New York City, with some of my new friends in the cultural programme at UMD. It was a lovely experience to travel with my new friends from different cultures, before saying our "see you next year."

Advice to others

Take the leap of faith! Don't worry about the money, you can always earn it back. Don't worry about that job you have to leave, or what your family's going to think of the opportunity. Or what you're going to do once you come back after being away. Do everything with the people you meet, even if you're feeling a little jet lagged!!