Looking back and reflecting on my first few days in Ireland, there’s so much I’m excited to share. After taking the first night to recover from the long flight, we set out for a busy second day. After attending orientation and the campus tour, my roommates and I decided to go grocery shopping. We got on the bus and went to Aldi, which was only about a 20-minute bus ride away. We bought a variety of groceries, most of which were very familiar, except that all the chips (or crisps) came in unique flavors, which we were a bit wary of trying. We got a little lost on the way back, but we were able to return to campus without any significant setbacks. That night, we went out to dinner in the city center and got to explore the area. On Monday, we had a less busy day, with class in the morning and a visit to the EPIC museum in the afternoon. I found the EPIC museum extremely interesting, as we learned all about Irish history and immigration. As one of many people who claim Irish heritage, it was so impactful to see how far Irish roots have reached.
My internship is at Mental Health Ireland, a nonprofit dedicated to educating, empowering, and connecting communities. I’m working on a project with three other interns who are all on similar programs to Bucknell in Dublin, and so far, it has been really great. The office is located in a building called the Marina House, which is situated right on the water, and I have a beautiful view from my desk. MHI provides interns with $10 per day for lunch, so we all go out and get lunch together at one of the numerous options in Dun Laoghaire. My bus ride to and from work is only about 40 minutes long, and the route is relatively simple, so luckily, I haven’t had any issues yet.
One thing I didn’t anticipate when I arrived in Ireland was the amount of daylight we had. The sun doesn’t set until 10 pm, so I’ll be up late and not even realize it because it hasn’t gotten dark yet. Getting here, I was a bit worried about having to be so reliant on the bus system. At home, I mostly get around by car, and when I use public transportation, it’s typically the train or subway. I’m incredibly grateful that, so far, I have been able to successfully navigate the bus system and find it easy to understand. I’m very excited to continue exploring Ireland with the new friends that I’ve made!
Making dinner with my roommates.
