Hello there!  My name is Maddison and I’d like to personally thank you for visiting my blog space.  I have a lot of plans in store for my GeoBlog, so I sincerely hope you return to experience Ireland with me each week.  And, just so you know, this will be my last post before I depart for Ireland because I’m leaving a bit early to tour the country with my mother and my aunt before my Dublin orientation begins.

My goal for this blog is to share my experiences and adventures with you, though ideally, it would be great to interact with you in the comments section as well.  I want my readers to gain not only entertainment from my blog, but a sense of culture, fun, and belonging.  It’s a well-known fact that Ireland is considered one of the most hospitable countries in the world, so I want my blog to mirror that welcoming tradition!

Well, I suppose I should introduce myself, as you’re probably wondering who I am and why I chose to start blogging.  First and foremost, my name is Maddison and I’m currently a third-year university honors student who will be studying abroad at The National University of Ireland, Galway during the Spring semester of 2015.  I am double majoring in English and History with an intended double minor in International Studies and Writing.  My hobbies include reading, writing, historical research and interpretation, acting, singing, crocheting, listening to music, archery, watching movies, cooking, genealogical research, riding roller coasters, traveling, and spending time with my family and friends.  But you’ll get to know me better as I post more frequently.

So that’s a bit about me.  But you still may be asking yourself why I chose to study abroad in Ireland.  Well, to me, the answer is simple.  I was raised in an Irish-American Catholic family, so I’ve grown up in an environment that has familiarized me with Irish culture ever since I was old enough to understand what it meant to be Irish-American.  The values, morals, and traditions instilled in me as a child have guided my life in many ways, but now that I am in my early twenties, I am ready to explore and experience Ireland as an adult.  And, if I’m honest, there really isn’t anywhere else I could imagine myself going besides Ireland.  I’ve never been there before, but something inside me already warms to the familiarity of traveling to the place where my family came from.  It’s going to be a very new experience to me, but at the same time, it almost feels like going home.

I can assure you that I will go into more depth about these topics in upcoming posts – this initial post is just my way of saying hello, thank you for taking an interest in my blog, and I hope you’ll join me on my journey.  If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments section and I will respond as soon as I am able.  Thanks again for stopping by and I hope to see you back again soon!

Until my next post… farewell, America!

Maddison

Location: State College, Pennsylvania, 16801