The Irish Summer of a Lifetime

Being able to have the opportunity to travel to Ireland through the Irish Life Experience, was probably the best decision I could have ever made. By far a summer I will never forget. I made some really great friendships from this program. And I will definitely be going back to the motherland soon!

Last summer I did the ILE and it was one of the best summers of my life. I still think about it every day, although it has been two months since it ended. Do not get me wrong: I was terrified as the plane took off from Logan Airport. But soon enough, I was having too much fun to spend time feeling homesick. Whether we were taking classes, or doing a group activity, or going out on excursions, everything we did was amazing. I will never forget the other students, and by the end of the trip I had created a few great friendships. The classes were fascinating, and, although I was a bit worried about them, the teachers made them all really fun. Everywhere we went was really interesting, and I definitely learned a lot over the course of the trip. I think my favorite thing was seeing Riverdance, but it is so hard to decide! The day that we spent biking around the Aran Islands was amazing, the Croke Park match was really fun, and seeing the Giant's Causeway and the rest of Northern Ireland was wonderful. We also had free time in the various cities we stayed in, and I feel as though that time that I spent wandering around cities with my friends might have taught me the most about Ireland. The Staff was great, and although they were always there if you needed them, they also gave us enough freedom that it did not feel as though we were under constant supervision. This trip taught me so much, about Ireland and about myself, and I can not wait for one day (Hopefully.) to be a Counselor.

This trip was absolutely worth it. I had three big positives from the trip. For the first one, my group was pretty great and I think I made some lifelong friends. Without them, the trip would have fallen apart at some points. To anyone going on the trip, BE OUTGOING! You aregoing to struggle if you do not like talking to people and you do not want to be stuck far away from your home for a month bored. Another positive was meeting other kids from other countries at the boarding schools. I found it really fun and interesting to talk and become friends with other kids from different countries and see how they did things. But if your going for the first time, you are also gonna have to put yourself out there for these people, because they are not always gonna be talking to you first. The third final positive was the cites, which were amazing to look at and see (The Cliffs of Moher was my favorite.), but also the Staff was great, thank God. Overall a great experience and I wish I could go back and do it again! Thanks so much Taryn, Miles, and all the other counselors involved! You guys rock!

The Irish Life Experience was everything we could have asked for-and more-thank you so much. Our son Ian was nervous and skeptical about going overseas, not knowing anyone and being away from family and friends. But it was transformative for him. The combination of classes, traveling throughout the country with a new group of people-who became good friends, was exactly the type of immersive experience that allowed Ian to learn and have a great time doing it.

Ireland is a beautiful country with friendly people-just like the Irish Life Experience. My daughter Elizabeth was so very fortunate to attend the Irish Life Experience this past summer in 2019. As an alumni of the Irish Way in 1987, I have spoken highly of my summer in Ireland over the years and Elizabeth was eager for her turn. I dropped off a shy, nervous girl that first day and she came home a stronger, more self-assured young woman. She made many friends from all over the US and had so many experiences, that she cannot possibly top this trip of a lifetime! #ILE19 allowed her to spread her wings for the first time and gave her more self-confidence and poise. She is already talking about when she will be able to go back as a Counselor in a few years. Thank you Irish Life Experience and Taryn for an amazing life-changing experience for my daughter.

Words can not express how grateful we are to Taryn and the ILE Team. Our daughter had an amazing time in Ireland. We had the added benefit of knowing Taryn from our hometown. That did give us reassurance and peace of mind when deciding to send her on this four week trip abroad. Of course, as parents, we still worried. This would be Rowan’s first time traveling out of the country and she did not know any of the other students going on this trip. The mix of educational classes and sightseeing makes this trip one of a kind. The group activities really help the students bond and get to know each other. The friendships made during this trip will last a lifetime. The Irish Life Experience allowed our daughter to travel abroad and experience another culture in a safe and guided environment. Taryn and the ILE Counselors are amazing. I would highly recommend this trip to any parent considering a travel abroad program. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience!!! Thank you ILE!!!