Tag Archives: Preparing

Ireland Awaits!

Hello Everyone!!
2012-08-23 13.36.17.jpgMy name is Kelly Suter and this is my first blog entry!  I am very excited to keep you all up to date about my upcoming adventures in Ireland and my travels through Europe!  First, I will tell you a little about myself.  I am a junior psychology major and human development and family studies minor at Penn State, University Park.  I’m actively involved with research on campus through my work in the Context and Development lab in the department of psychology.  I have also been involved in THON through committees and organizations in my time at Penn State so far.  I was born and raised in the Philadelphia area and I live there now with my family.  I love to cook, run, read, and spend lots of time with family and friends.  I live close to many of my extended family members, so I have been lucky to grow up with a big, crazy, fun family around me.   

When I came to college, I knew that studying abroad was something that I definitely wanted to do.  When it came time to choose a place to go I was overwhelmed at the options I had before me!  I could go anywhere in the world.  After lots of research and reflection, I settled on Europe, and then chose Dublin, Ireland as my study abroad location.  I couldn’t be more excited!  Living in Europe I will have so many opportunities to travel to other countries.  Also, Ireland is very special to me because I have family ties there.   My grandfather was born there and came to America when he was 16-years-old.  I am looking forward to seeing where he came from and to get an idea of what his childhood was like in addition to meeting some of my family who live in Ireland and England.  Dublin will also be a great place to spend my semester because it will be a very different experience and lifestyle from Penn State.  I am excited to try out living and going to school in the city and taking in all of what Dublin has to offer.     

I am very excited and a little bit nervous about the trip.  I am leaving for Dublin in 5 days and right now I’m busy making sure I am prepared and have all the things I need.  I have never traveled anywhere on my own so this will be a very new experience for me!  I can’t wait for everything to begin.  I will be blogging frequently so I can share my experiences with you!

Have a safe and happy new year!  Next time I will write from Dublin!     


Location: Yardley, Pennsylvania

Leaving on Friday

Hi everyone!

Well, I’m finally started packing.  I fly out of Pittsburgh International Airport to Charlotte and then on to Mexico City on Friday.  I think I have to be at PGH around 5:30am for my 7:00am flight, and I live about an hour away, so it’s going to be an awfully early morning for me.
On the brighter side, though, packing has been going well so far, and I think I’m going to be able to fit everything into my two purple suitcases and my red carry-on bag.  So that’s good.
While in Mexico I’ll be doing all kinds of touring and stuff that I’ll be trying to keep you all updated on, but I think my first Mexican blog post might take awhile to get started.  I think I’ll probably need a few days to settle in with my Mexican “mother” before I’m back posting here.
I’m a little scared and overwhelmed about how fast everything is moving, but I’m also incredibly excited about this trip.  It’ll be my first solo airplane flight, and my first time “alone” in a foreign country.  
2 days to go…  ðŸ˜€

Location: 6068 National Pike, Grindstone, PA, 15442, United States