Time has flown by and it’s hard to believe we only have a week left. Over the weekend I explored around Dublin and went on some mini adventures. On Saturday, Valerie and I rented bikes from Phoenix Park and 20 minutes into our trip, the chain on my bike snaped and completely broke off. We had to walk it all the way back to the shop to get a new one before continuing to ride around. On Sunday we explored Dun Laoghaire, a little town just south of Dublin, before heading to the Guinness Storehouse. On our way into town we noticed a small beach along the DART route and decided to go and swim later that day. The Guinness Storehouse was interesting, albeit very touristy but it was definitely cool to see how they make Guinness and the view from the Gravity Bar was a beautiful view of Dublin. We did go back to the beach from earlier with our swimsuits and took a short dip in the freezing water. It had been hot all day so although we were freezing it felt nice. On Monday we went back to Dun Laoghaire to jump off the Forty-Foot. The forty-foot is this swimming hole with a small cliff to jump off of and people do it year-round, including on Christmas Day. I think they are crazy but maybe they just get used to it. Again the water was freezing but it was super fun to jump off. My office was closed again on Wednesday so I took the opportunity to cross a must-do off my list. On Tuesday after work I headed to Cork where I grabbed dinner and stayed the night before waking up bright and early for a train to Killarney. Near Killarney there is a place called the Gap of Dunloe that runs through the mountain range and you can bike, walk, or ride a horse carriage through it. My dad had done a trip to Ireland in his 20s and had done the same bike ride so I decided to follow in his footsteps. You first take a boat through the three lakes in Killarney National Park before disembarking and beginning the ride. The lakes themselves were amazing and our guide gave us some history of the area and animals. The family that runs the boats have been doing it their entire lives. One man was 70 and is out on the lake every day with no plans to retire. Most of the others had splurged on Electric Bikes but I had chosen a regular one which made it more difficult. The climb up was steep and for most of it I ended up walking my bike up. But the ride down made all that pain worth it. As you twist and turn along the gap the views are absolutely amazing. It winds its way through the valley and on a bike you can coast most of the way. The road was narrow which made it difficult to pass the horses and cars but they were usually good about letting the faster bikers through. With a quick stop at Kate Kearney’s cottage for a pint and some food I finished the loop back to Killarney before catching the train back to Dublin. While I was absolutely exhausted it was amazing and I am so glad I was able to squeeze it in.

Communication has been very easy in my internship. My supervisor checks in with me periodically and is always available if I need help. Early on there was some miscommunication about what she was looking for in the exhibit but it was easily resolved as we continued to talk at lunch about what direction I was going in. In compared to previous jobs there has been more communication. Almost every day that I am in the office, my supervisor makes sure that I don’t need any help or any further resources while in the past other bosses have check in less frequently and that sort of made it difficult to feel comfortable in approaching them. As the weeks have gone on it has been easier and easier to ask for help if I need it or even just approach my boss about what she is working on. It’s definitely felt more casual and relaxed which lowers the pressure and anxiety around asking for help. Having open communication about what I am working on also makes it easier to make sure I am staying on track because although the real deadline is at the end of the internship, I do feel the need to have some work to show each time my supervisor checks in which makes it easier to set smaller goals for myself.