It’s official- my time with Caffe Parigi/FXCH has officially come to an end. It’s all very bittersweet to bid farewell to this experience. Or semi sweet, if we’re talking in terms of chocolate. On one hand, I am sad to see this experience come to an end. I say with complete sincerity that I looked forward to each and every day of work. No two days were the same, which always left me eager to get out of the bed in the morning to see what surprises the day would hold. What unexpected conversations the day would hold. I will miss the people that I have been immensely privileged to spend the past two months with. It’s been so interesting to compare my slight expectations with reality in terms of building relationships. My office was almost entirety international, which created such a dynamic environment and invited tremendously thought provoking conversation. I think back to my experience and one of the most impactful pieces of it was getting to form friendships with Emma and Clare, two of the other interns in the office who were from France. Emma and I ended on the same day and celebrated our last day, along with Clare, with a visit to a bakery to share a final cup of tea. We unanimously agreed that we would meet again, whether that be in Paris or Pittsburgh, their final remarks being “if you’re ever in Paris…”

It was another rather unconventional week at my internship. My boss Victoria was back in London all week. On our final day (Friday), we all took a picture and honored Vicotira’s absence with a note (see featured picture; from left to right: “Victoria,” me (Nora), Emma, Clare, Paulo, Jan (taking the picture)). Although she was working, it wasn’t quite the same considering she was working remotely. As with last week, there were more gaps in between tasks and small projects. Once again, these gaps invited time to converse and time to enjoy the final days in what has become such a familiar space the past couple of months. I really tried to savor my final moments working in Dublin. I stayed a few extra moments at Fallon and Byrne in the morning, justified eating out with friends after work, and found myself paying visits to spots that had been recommendations for a while. I feel no regret with regards to my final week in Dubiln. I’m very thankful for what I was able to see and experience and want to savor those moments as oppose to focusing on what I perhaps didn’t get to see.

Looking ahead, it will be so interesting to see how this experience translates into the future. I’ve been thinking about context rather frequently and extensively throughout this experience. It’s been interesting to identify the ways that business operate as the do in ways that are influenced by the context in which surrounds the organization. From contrasts in policies to societal values to the specific attributes to an organization, one company can feel a lot different from another. I think about my experience last summer in comparison to my experience this summer. They have been different in many ways, some ways being unique to the contrast in companies. In other ways, however, those differences can be traced back to the contrast in context and the significance of context.

Although the end of the experience marks the end of a chapter, a new one is beginning. This experience has been an adventure I will cherish. I’m looking forward to the ways this experience will impact my perspective as I transition back into the life in the United States and the reality of being a student at Pitt. Before then, however, some time in between. As we speak, I’m currently on day 3 of traveling with my mother throughout the countryside of Ireland. While sad to see the internship come to an end, another part of me was excited to see this part of the adventure begin. The first portion of our adventure has been spent visiting family in Ballycastle, Ireland, which is located in the North West region of the country. My father’s extended family lives out here. When his grandmother immigrated (my great grandmother) the majority of their siblings stayed behind in Ireland and generations that followed still reside in Ballycastle. It’s been nothing short of incredible to learn and better understand where I come from and how that has impacted the present. A very unique opportunity that I am immensely grateful to have.