As week three comes to an end, as stated before, this experience has been nothing but a blast. Not only have I learned immensely from a technical and professional standpoint (at Financefair) but also have been able to immerse myself in Irish culture, and Bucknell in Dublin program had really showcased that this past week! In all honesty, while waking up to depart usually at 6:50am on the weekends may seem rough, the sleep on the bus is completely unmatched.
(Sidebar… I can 1000% say that the snack I will miss the most at the end of this experience is Flapjacks, the office always has them supplied and it is my go to. So if you are in Europe, give them a try!)
But before I get ahead of myself, lets take a step back and reflect on my time at Financefair this week! I feel as if my excel skills have definitely flourished. Whether it be “ifs” statements to conditional formatting to even some charity work, there is always something new to learn, especially with the keyboard shortcuts! Without a doubt, I can say that the Financefair team is like no other. The team has never failed to be constantly welcoming and positive, making the environment as supportive as it could be. A highlight of my week resides with the amazing company culture. As the summer had started, Financefair has seen an jump in incoming members of interns and full-time employees, and as a result they had held a welcome get-together at Farmer Browns for a couple of pints after work this past Thursday. Something I had learned at that get-together was the meaning of craic! Hearing it for the first time, I was definitely caught off guard because it had sounded completely like something else that is typically illegal in most countries if not all. But with time and some good explanation, I know the meaning of “good craic/bad craic” and “what’s the craic”. It usually stands for fun/good time, but there’s so many more variations to how you can use it, definitely interesting at the least!
This past weekend, the Bucknell in Dublin program had headed out west to visit sites such as the Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, Galway, Inish Mor, Kylemore Abbey, and Killary Fjord! A jam packed weekend at the least, but a whole lot of fun, and a filled camera roll. Outside of the program’s itinerary, I had one of my own from my coworkers, Galway’s must haves and must visits. While they knew I was visiting the major attractions, they had given me a list of recommendations of where they love to go. Standouts from this list was Dough Bros and Dail’s bar, and after visiting these local finds, I would highly recommend it to anyone to give it at least one try. Dough Bros is beloved in Galway and you have to try its Hail Caesar pizza! In all honesty, I am the biggest NON-fan of pizza and even of Caesar dressing, but after trying their pizza and their combination of ingredients, I was so shocked to find that I had actually liked it and went for more. Secondly, Dail’s, a local bar in Galway but with special drinks. My coworker at Financefair had told me that I HAVE to try the Peach Cobbler cocktail, stating that it was a 100/10. Peach cobbler in a drink? Uncanny, but it did not fail to intrigue me. I don’t want to spoil how it tastes, but get ready for the minty taste! What surprised me the most about this drink was that as you took a sip, the taste constantly changed in your mouth and now I understand why my coworker had told me that I just have to try it and see for myself because there isn’t a consistent taste! So I will do the same to everyone reading. Give it a try!
Lastly, I wanted to end off this weeks blog with my favorite event of the weekend, and I would hands down say it was the bike tour Inish Mor/Aran Islands. At first, I was tremendously nervous to ride a bike (I haven’t ridden one in +5 years!). But muscle memory is amazing, I had picked it up as soon as I had started to pedal and it was off to exploring. What I love most about Bucknell in Dublin is that they have a good balance of free-time during these events. For example, on this excursion, we were allowed to bike around the island at any pace or direction we wanted but just had to be back at a certain time. During this biking tour, I was able to truly have a “wow” moment as I passed nature’s greatest gifts. This event takes the cake so far for being my favorite, it was so calming and will forever be memorable.
One thing that sets your blog apart is the depth you go into when describing moments that make your story personal and engaging. This week’s highlight, your experience with Flapjacks, was especially enjoyable to read. I haven’t tried them myself yet, but I’m looking forward to it. Another aspect I enjoy about your blog is how you consistently tie in your internship and reflect on how it’s shaping your experience in Ireland, which adds a meaningful layer to your posts and gives readers a broader sense of your journey. I also liked the paragraph you included about the different foods you’ve tried. It might seem like a small detail, but I think it adds a lot of personality and color to your writing. I’ll definitely take inspiration from that and find ways to incorporate similar details into my blog. Overall, this was a fantastic post, insightful, personal, and enjoyable to read.