We’re finally in Dublin!
At the time of writing this, I have been in Dublin for a mere three hours, but I have already practiced my problem-solving and communication skills. Most importantly, however, I have practiced keeping my head level. Issues started to arise when my flight from Newark to London got delayed, causing me to miss my morning flight to Dublin. Having never travelled internationally on my own before, this was a big stressor. However, I was reassigned to a new flight right at security: one problem down!
The rest of my travelling woes had to be resolved by direct and clear communication, something that I have trouble with, as I tend to be more reserved. These issues included finding out the status of my checked bag given the missed connection and speaking with airline employees when my flight had still not been assigned to a gate 15 minutes before it was supposed to close! What I realized while doing this was that issues I believed to be really serious could in fact be solved by a short conversation; all I had to be willing to do was have that conversation. This realization encouraged me to ask for help once I got to the Dublin airport and needed information on the location of pickup zones.
After almost 20 hours of travelling, I got to University College Dublin.
Going into this experience, I didn’t realize how afraid I would be of being on my own. That fear didn’t hit me until I was waiting at the gate to leave Newark. However, I noticed that it was a fear that didn’t have a lot of substance. Every time a problem arose, I found a way to solve it on my own. Oddly enough, that fear of being alone would only come up during times where I wasn’t facing any immediate issues, like when I was waiting for my flight from London or sitting in a taxi. It made me think about how what threatens how I am feeling is not necessarily the situations I am in, but my own perspective. In other words, throughout this summer, I must actively remind myself not to worry unnecessarily about issues that aren’t even presenting themselves. While I was already aware of this, successfully traveling to Dublin on my own has reminded me of it. As I enter my internship next week, this will be a good lesson to keep in mind.
As stated in my previous blog post, I am working with a councilwoman in the coastal Dublin suburb of Dún Laoghaire. Her term began in 2019 and ends next May, so I will be assisting her with the completion of this term and her reelection. Based on my previous experience working with a campaign, I know that it requires a lot of communication, particularly with voters. As stated before, this is something I sometimes struggle with. My goal is that through constant exposure to a highly communicative environment like this campaign, I will overcome some of my fear surrounding speaking to people I don’t know about subjects I do not know a lot about; in this case, local Irish, Dublin, and Dún Laoghaire politics. I anticipate that being able to effectively communicate will be particularly pertinent in an Irish political campaign, because at today’s orientation, EUSA representatives talked a lot about the friendly culture of Ireland. This was something I experienced on my way from London to Dublin; between the gate, plane, and baggage claim, three Irish individuals struck up a conversation with me. Coming from New Jersey, where strangers often keep to themselves, this was surprising. In order for me to be successful in my internship, I know I am going to have to be a lot more open with people I don’t know well, and definitely strike up a few conversations myself. This might be challenging, and sometimes uncomfortable, but I believe that with more time in Ireland, I will soon feel better about it.
To be successful in my work, I will also have to become more adaptable. I know that campaign and political objectives often change quickly and dramatically, especially as the political circumstances in the surrounding environment change. As someone who often feels uncomfortable when I don’t know exactly what to do or what the situation at hand entails, this is going to be challenging. However, I am confident enough in my problem-solving skills to say that I will be able to handle most objectives that come my way; I may not get it right the first time, but I do have the persistence to see it through until I do.
I am looking forward to the rest of orientation week and the beginning of my internship next Tuesday!
