After a series of delays and what felt like the longest layover of my life, my friends and I finally landed in Dublin at around 8:30 am on Saturday June 7th. Getting through customs was one of the most painless experiences I have ever had while traveling across countries and continents. All it was was a few simple questions and a quick stamp on my passport, and next thing I knew I was officially welcome in Dublin. And as anyone does when entering Dublin for the first time, my friends and I rushed over to the nearest bar in the airport and had our first pint. I feel as though there was no better way to jumpstart the next eight weeks!
Later that night, my friends (now roommates) and I ventured into the center of Dublin to meet up with one of our fraternity brothers who just so happened to be in Dublin for the weekend. Along the way, we stopped at a restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat and fuel us up to explore the city and look around. The architecture here in Dublin is absolutely stunning and I absolutely love how the sun stays up so late! The night was so much fun as we talked to locals, watched sports at the pubs, and got a firsthand look at what night time in Dublin was all about!
My Sunday consisted of a brief orientation in the morning, and then afterwards I had a chance to catch up on the sleep lost due to traveling halfway across the globe. The orientation was very helpful as I feel like it helped me get a grasp on the fact that the Dublin program was finally here and now there is nothing else to do but dive in headfirst!
On Monday we had our first class in which we learned about differences in data privacy between the United States and Ireland. The class definitely got me thinking about the differences in cultures between the two countries as reflected by the differences in their laws. Later in the afternoon, we were able to go to EPIC, which is the Irish emigration museum. It was very cool to learn about the history of Ireland and its people. The museum was unlike any other I’ve been to as it was almost entirely virtual, but I still feel as though I was able to learn a lot about the culture and practices of Irish people and the struggles they faced.
Tuesday was the first day of internships, and I was able to jump right into atomic force microscopy and learn the ropes behind the AFM machines. After getting an understanding of what I was doing and why, they introduced me to the main project I would be working on. They want me to construct an AFM machine out of LEGO pieces and then work on some educational outreach once I am done building. It feels like a lot right now, but I guess at the end of the day you’re never too old to play with LEGOs!
All in all, these first few days have been busy, but they have also been super fun! I am very excited to see what the rest of this program has in store for me.
