Home Away from Home
By: Amanda Moore
Amanda at the Cliffs of Moher
When faced with the decision on housing in Dublin for my summer GRIP research placement, I weighed the options of independent living vs. a homestay. I originally preferred the idea of living on my own, but I warmed to the idea of a homestay after my mother described her experience living with a family during her semester abroad in college. She had stayed with a family of five in Bath, England as a junior at Union College. To this day, she keeps in touch with her host family and sends them our annual family holiday card. They have even visited us in America. It was a bond that seemed too strong to be true, even unattainable for me since I am not doing a full semester abroad at Penn.
With this idyllic homestay experience in mind, I began my Dublin search. After looking into several options and locations, I happened upon a home with a family of five including three children under the age of 10. To some, a family with young children may have been a turn off, but I was intrigued. What better way to get to know Irish culture than to be adopted right into it!
Even though I have only been in Ireland for a short time, I already feel a great sense of comfort and community, and I owe most of this to my host family experience. When I booked my homestay, I envisioned coming ‘home’ from my day’s work and retreating to my room to give my host family some space. Yet, I find myself joining them during dinner time, chatting about similarities and differences between Ireland and America, and playing with the children. They are also a wonderful resource for all things Irish, from culture to food to travel and more. Anytime I have a question about what to do with my free time, they have a multitude of suggestions for new places to go. After work, I find myself eager to get back to my homestay to share details about my day and to hear about theirs. I especially enjoy telling them about my travels around Ireland such as my recent trip to the stunningly beautiful Cliffs of Moher!
On a recent day, I spoke with my homestay father about the sports I played in my childhood and how I especially enjoyed soccer. We talked about our favorite teams we love to watch and what growing up was like playing a sport in our respective countries. The next day I received a text from him that he had two free tickets for my friend and me to attend the Ireland national women’s soccer game vs. Sweden on the weekend. I was grateful for his generosity and spontaneity. The game was amazing, so full of energy. It was one of my favorite highlights of my GRIP experience thus far!
Though I have only been in Dublin for three weeks, I can truly call my homestay a ‘home away from home’. For anyone debating between living independently or with a host family, I encourage you to choose the latter. Homestays can offer exposure to everyday life of the local people and a unique opportunity to experience the local culture. And if you are lucky like my mom and me, maybe even a lasting friendship!
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.