By Paige Webster, Creative Writing Student
wan·der·lust
noun
a strong desire to travel.
I’m standing on the streets of Derry, Ireland, shivering from the torrential downpour that has soaked my pants and shoes. The murals loom around me. I huddle closer to my friend, who was smart enough to bring her umbrella, as I strain my ears to listen to our guide, Neal, as he explains the meaning of the painting that sits behind him.
I think of my friends and family back home as another raindrop lands on my forehead, knowing that they are basking in 26-degree weather while I am halfway across the world, shivering in the middle of June.
How I ended up in Ireland
How I ended up in Ireland – let alone Europe (again) – after not even being home a year after my last trip is still beyond me. But the luck of the Irish was on my side when I discovered the field school being offered in the Summer Semester of 2024.
Travelling after high school had always been a goal of mine, though I was unsure at the time whether I wanted to do it right after graduation or save a bit more money first. But, having graduated in 2020, the choice was made for me courtesy of the pandemic. Spending the next two years (give or take) stuck inside made me antsy to explore. I wanted to start living my life the way I had imagined it, travelling to different places, meeting new people and experiencing other cultures.
Luckily, I had worked hard and saved enough money to finally go on my long-awaited trip in March of 2023. Europe was my destination of choice, starting in England, travelling up to Scotland, over to France, down to Spain, and then back to England to finish the trip off. As a young solo female traveller, I was nervous getting on to that plane – after a tearful goodbye to my parents. This would be the longest I had ever been away from home, and the furthest I had ever travelled without my parents. Every possible thought of what could go wrong raced through my head, but I was grateful to be meeting family on the other side, so if anything did go wrong, I knew I would be OK.
But I know not everyone has that sense of security while travelling, especially if solo travelling. I understand that feeling; it’s how I felt in France and Spain (Spain in particular, as I did not know the language), but I got by. Travelling solo, I understand you may want to go off the beaten path and explore the cities for all they have to offer, and while I recommend doing that, I also suggest sticking to touristy spots. Because if you’re in a country where you don’t know the language, there is a better chance that in those heavily populated tourist areas, there will be someone willing to help you. I tended to stick to myself and tried my best to blend into the crowd, but when I needed it, I would find a tourist info booth, and they were always very kind to me.
That said, my trip did not come without its hiccups. I got really sick when I was in Scotland and was practically bedridden throughout the whole week I was there. I had to cancel the Irish portion of my trip and instead head back to England, three weeks earlier than planned. It bummed me out at the time that I missed out on seeing Ireland, but I figured in a few years I could find my way back to it.
Little did I know that less than a year later, I would once again be at YVR waiting to board a plane to Ireland. But this time, I wasn’t alone.
I first heard about field schools in my Basic French I class. About a month into the semester, the professor began talking about the field school she was organizing in Bordeaux, France. It intrigued me at first, as I’d have liked to explore more of France when I was there the first time, especially considering Bordeaux was a city I had stayed in for a few days, but didn’t explore much of outside the city centre. As the prof went on, the trip started to sound amazing. But the drawback was that it was only 3 credits, and I needed at least 6 to 9 per semester if I wanted to graduate as planned. So, I put my hopes of travelling again to rest.
But a few weeks later, I started seeing flyers around campus for other field schools. Spain, Mexico and Ireland.
What drew me to the Ireland field school was the three classes involved: History, Sociology and English. Three subjects that interested me, in a country I’d missed out on, with people I’d be able to make memories with?
I signed up immediately.
My initial thought was to get my name in the running and think of the logistics later. I’d rather have the opportunity to interview with the professors running the field school than miss out entirely. It’s not necessarily a route I’d recommend for everyone, but if travel is something you’re interested in, but something you aren’t sure how to pursue, I would highly suggest this.
What is a field school exactly?
I found myself having to explain it a lot to my friends and family. A field school is a version of a study abroad program. However, unlike being away for a whole semester and living on your own in a foreign country, you get to know a group of students who also attend Douglas and travel with them for a few weeks in a foreign country. It’s like a field trip! For my field school, we spent the month of May at the Coquitlam Campus, attending classes four times a week. At the beginning of June, we left for Ireland and spent three and a half weeks there. I found that the field school was a great way to get to know both the professors and my peers. Unlike a regular semester where you attend a class maybe once or twice a week and don’t socialize much with the peers in your class, in a field school, you get to know everyone well and can even make some pretty good friends.
I understand a field school may not be for everyone. For those who would rather travel and explore on their own, I would highly suggest doing a study abroad program through Douglas. But if you are hesitant about solo travel, though still want to explore other cultures and parts of the world, a field school is the perfect opportunity to do just that.
There are always opportunities at Douglas for travel.
If travel is something you’ve always wanted to do, a field school or other study abroad programs may be just what you’re looking for. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by, you never know where studying abroad may take you.
It may not take you to the rainy streets of Derry, but if it does, remember your umbrella.
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Paige Webster is a second-year Creative Writing student at Douglas. In Summer 2024, Paige participated in the Ireland Field School. If you are interested in studying abroad, have a look at Myglobal or contact the Global Engagement office at studyabroad@douglascollege.ca