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Erin In Ireland

my adventures with SWAP

Created on 2006-09-24 06:37:09 (#11224324), last updated 2007-03-26

3 comments received, 1 comment posted

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14 Journal Entries, 0 Tags, 12 Memories, 0 Virtual Gifts, 3 Userpics

Basic Info

Birthdate:	1988-05-17
Location:	Ontario, Canada
Website:	Personal Journal

Bio

My name is Erin Thompson and I grew up in a small town about an hour outside of Toronto in Canada. When I was just a kid I read in a baby names book that my name meant 'Ireland'. Ever since then I've been interested in the country, that interest taking flight when I met my best friend Charlotte in high school. Well that's not exactly true. Me and Charlotte actually met a good 10 years or so ago in elementary school. However back then we didn't really get along, so it wasn't until high school that we became friends, best friends in fact.

I can't exactly when Charlottes dream to go back-packing in Europe came up, but when it did I remember all of us making up little fantasies of going with her, however I was the only one really who stayed true to the idea. Over the years that plan morphed into a more logical, more sicure plan. We decided to go over to Ireland specifically, for 6 months on a program known as the Students Working Abroad Program or SWAP for short.

The general idea of SWAP is for students in high school, college or between, go over to foreign countries and live in, work in and experience the culture.The program helps you get a visa and provides you with a travelling agency and makes sure you have funds enough to go over. They also give you two nights at a hotel for the first couple days as well as free long distance calls and free internet access. Although the company does not guarentee you a job they have an agency to help with that process as well. There are also other SWAPers willing to help out by selling their furtiture and other items when their stay is over.

This coming January (2007), both me and Charlotte will finally embark on our journey. This is the journal I will be using for the six months I am there, to document my feelings and experiences on my first time away from home, over seas and independant.

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