Arriving in Dublin around 10am on Saturday June seventh, I was eager to get out of the airport and start experiencing a new culture and exploring Ireland. I have been looking forward to the trip for a little while now and despite being tired from the flight I wanted to soak in as much as I could the moment I walked out of the airport and boarded the shuttle to UCD.
The bus ride to UCD was about an hour or so but was very scenic, with an amazing view of the ocean for quite a few miles. As I was looking out the window and looking at the different architecture and beautiful landscape, I was feeling more and more excitement to envelop myself in this new place.
Once I was moved into my room in UCD my first exploration that I went on with some friends was figuring out where to go to get picked up by the right public transit to go to the Dundrum Town Centre to purchase some basic necessities. Despite some initial troubles with utilizing public transit efficiently, I was able to return safely to UCD and have since become comfortable with the public transportation. I really enjoy the giant windows on the buses that essentially convert every bus into a tour bus similar to those you see in NYC, allowing me to take in the environment and interesting scenery as much as I can even if the journey was only to the local Tesco for some groceries.
The feeling that no matter where we go it’s a constant adventure where we are learning more about our surroundings and the culture is one of my favorite things about my stay so far in Dublin. I have been feeling a little bit of childlike wonder staring out the windows of the buses and walking through the streets noticing the difference in the structure and layout of the streets and city compared to any city in the states I have ever been to.
I have been enjoying my first couple of days in Dublin a lot and can feel how much I am going to experience and grow from this trip. I started my internship today and had a great time meeting all of the very nice and friendly people I would be working with and immediately felt like I was part of the team. I appreciated and enjoyed learning all about everyone’s roles in the company and what their and the company’s long term goals and ambitions are from the start of the company to the present and for the future.
I am very excited to continue my internship as I feel very comfortable with my coworkers and how much I will learn in the coming weeks about Irish culture while developing myself professionally.
