I’ve been living in Dublin for almost a month now, and my fourth week here was definitely one of the most eventful so far. It was a mix of work, travel, and learning about both Irish history and American traditions.
On Friday, the company I’m working for, Happythreads, organized a photo shoot for their new line of scrubs. I spent the whole day helping out with the other interns, and it was really fun to see everything that goes into setting up a professional shoot. From arranging the products to helping with the lighting, there was always something to do, and I enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at how the marketing materials are created. After work, I met up with Zoe and Emilia. We grabbed some coffee and did a bit of shopping around the city. I found a new blue bag that I’ve been using pretty much every day since then. Later, we headed back to UCD for dinner and celebrated the Fourth of July together.
The next morning, we woke up early to leave for our trip to Northern Ireland. Our first stop was the Titanic Museum in Belfast. I thought it was incredibly interesting, especially when I learned that the founder of Bucknell was actually on the Titanic. The exhibits were really well done and interactive, and I came away with a much better understanding of the ship’s history. After the museum, we had lunch and went on a taxi tour around Belfast. During the tour, we learned about the long-standing conflicts between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. It was eye-opening to hear about the years of political tension and the impact it had on everyday life there.
Later that afternoon, we checked into our hotel, and then Emilia, Lucie, and I went out for some ice cream. I was pretty tired by that point, so I ended up going to bed early to get some rest. The following day, we visited a bridge that stretched between two massive rocks along the coast. The views were beautiful, and we took a lot of photos. From there, we headed to Giant’s Causeway. It was interesting to learn about both the scientific explanation of how the rock formations were created and the old folk stories about giants who supposedly built the causeway.
After lunch, we continued on to Derry, where we visited a sheep farm. We watched sheepdogs herding the sheep, which was surprisingly impressive, and my favorite part was getting to hold a little lamb that was only 12 days old. She was so small and adorable. That evening, we checked into our hotel and got ready for dinner.
On our last day of the trip, we had a chance to sleep in a bit before going on a walking tour of Derry. The guide shared a lot about the city’s history, including the events of Bloody Sunday. It was sobering but also important to learn about. After lunch, we got back on the bus and returned to Dublin.
The next day, I was back at work, which was pretty routine. Since the weather was so nice afterward, I decided to take a long walk along the coast. I walked through Blackrock and Sandycove and eventually made it all the way to the Forty Foot, where I saw lots of people swimming.
Overall, this week felt like a perfect balance of exploring new places, learning about history, and enjoying little moments with friends. I’m excited to see what the next few weeks in Dublin have in store.