Traveling Day #1 - Stuck in New York

Mom and I left for Ireland this morning from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport! The flight to JFK went smoothly, however... as is the norm with standby flights, difficulties arose once we arrived in New York. We tried to make it to Shannon International Airport in Limerick, then tried for Dublin, but no luck. So we are spending the night in New York and trying tomorrow. We may stop at the US Open and watch a match or two during the day!

For Students Looking to Travel Abroad:

• Don't fly standby! If you do, make sure to plan far ahead. Thankfully I do not need to be to Limerick until Wednesday- plenty of time to catch a flight. 
• For all flights, I would still advise planning to leave at least one or two days before you need to be in Ireland. There were quite a few stressed travelers at the help desks trying to rebook flights because of weather delays and missed flights. 

**Also, one interesting thing I learned today. Only Visa and Master Card debit and credit cards are accepted in Ireland. Do not try to use an American Express card at the airport for currency exchange or at ATMs in the country!

Count Down to Departure!

I will officially be in Limerick, Ireland in less than 2 days! 

The last couple weeks of summer have been dedicated to packing, getting trip documents in order, checking and answering lots of emails, and repacking some more. It has been fun getting to hear about friend's and coworker's trips to Ireland. My list of places to visit and things to watch out for keeps growing. Newest alert: make sure to look both ways and expect cars to come from the right when crossing the street! It is crazy how many people have told me this one.

For Prospective Students Looking to Study Abroad:

• Make sure to keep up with your emails over the summer! I have been receiving emails from the UWSP International Programs Office as well as the Study Abroad office at the University of Limerick. Questions will come up as you receive emails from two different offices, but don't worry! Everyone is willing to help- just an email or phone call away.