Robbie Wade Public Relations Specialist

Across The Sea

by Robbie Wade

Nearly fours years ago I was a starry eyed Irish lad who was about to go on scholarship to the land of dreams and opportunities. Everything is bigger and better in America.

At least, that was the perception that I got from the Hollywood movies and American sitcoms I saw before I came to college in Chicago.

The thought of traveling over 3,000 miles to go to school didn’t really faze me or at least I thought it would not. The actual day I was leaving, however, realization set in.

Over the course of my life I always would take everything in stride; my philosophy is to roll with the punches.

At the airport, after the final farewell to my family, I did as many of my fellow countrymen had done before and left the Emerald Isle in search of good fortune across the Atlantic.

However, I first had to compose myself and reassure myself that I was making the right choice, since I was going somewhere that I had only heard about and seen in pictures.

After checking on what time the plane took off for over 10 times, and stressing out about my visas and emigration papers, I finally boarded the plane and said good bye to the scenic green fields and the Irish Sea.

Over eight hours later, the sights from the widow changed to the metropolis of Chicago and the shores of Lake Michigan. This place was to be my new home for the next 4-5 years.

The contrast between Chicago and my home village Portlaw is extensive. Nonetheless, the one similarity is both Loyola and Portlaw share a sense of community which to me is something that made the transition to my new lifestyle easier.

Portlaw, Ireland

When I go home I notice the many differences between the two cultures and sometimes I feel that I’m Americanized and no longer belong in rural Ireland.

For example, how I have to drive 20 minutes just to find a coffee shop like Dunk’n Donuts to have the French Vanilla coffee I desire, or how I just want to take the “L” to my destination.

However, home is where the heart is, and there is a sense of belonging for me in the village of Portlaw.

Yet, while both places are thousand of miles apart and very contrasting, both places make me feel at home due to the strong community feel.

I do get the same feeling of belonging in Chicago when I walk by the Jesuit Residence lawn on a clear sunny afternoon or when I attend Sunday night mass at Madonna della Strada Chapel.

When people back home in Ireland ask me to explain my life in Chicago, I find myself talking about the high-paced lifestyle and the fact that the city never sleeps.

Everything is bigger in America, including the cars, houses, and buildings, and if you have the money, whatever you want or need is always available.

When people ask, “Is it like the movies?” I respond, “It could be…if you get the opportunities”.

Similarly, when Americans ask me questions about whether Ireland is really as green as the photographs, whether it rains a lot there, or if the pubs never close, I answer yes, yes and yes.

I try to re-enforce the stereotypic beliefs and believe that for people to understand another country’s culture, they need to experience it for themselves.

This is why I count myself really fortunate to have had the opportunity of going to study in America.