Galway Girl by Taylor

Galway Girl by Taylor - November 2017 Scholarship Essay

From Neanderthals, to Celtics, to Vikings, to Normans, the small island of Ireland has a rich history spanning back nearly 13,000 years. No bigger than the state of Indiana and surrounded by the frigid waters of the Atlantic, Ireland’s inhabitants have left behind an unmistakable footprint on the archaeological record. Passage tombs, burial cairns, Viking long ships, medieval castles – all of these and more pepper the island’s archaeological history, a playground sandbox to an archaeology major. My dream destination, Galway, Ireland, boasts a rich history spanning back hundreds of years, as the city evolved from a small village of thatch-roofed homes to a bustling seaport, the 6th largest city in Ireland.
As a future anthropologist, studying abroad echoes the practice of participant observation, a major tenant of the field in which anthropologists engage their target culture through living among the people they are studying. As a future archaeologist, the history of Ireland, particularly the period of time the island was occupied and controlled by the Vikings from the 7th to 10th centuries, is something I am interested in exploring as a focus to pursue in graduate school. Not only does the culture stand out as a possible subject of specialization, I am also considering pursuing my graduate degrees abroad, and Ireland is at the top of my list. Living there for a semester as an undergraduate would allow me to dip my toes in the Irish culture as well as tour schools with promising graduate programs in Irish archaeology.
Also, though I have traveled a lot, this will be the first time I have truly lived abroad, which offers a unique insight into the culture of a foreign country. Like the age-old adage goes, a ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. In the same way, though I love flourishing at my home university, I long to test my metal outside the shelter of the harbor.
As an anthropologist, an archaeologist, a student, and a traveler, studying abroad speaks to me in ways that learning in a classroom cannot. I thrive in fast-paced, hands-on academic settings. Studying abroad would offer me a unique opportunity to explore a world I have been curious about for most of my life – both the history the island holds buried beneath her soil and the future of studying there as a graduate student. Spending a semester in Galway could be the first domino in a series of life experiences that leads me to becoming a well-rounded archaeologist, traveler, and citizen of the world. And all of that could start next semester if I become a Galway girl.