Two weeks down and six more to go. Time truly flies by here, and it has been loads of fun. This past week a group of us went to go see an Ireland verse Hungry soccer match at the Aviva Stadium. The Irish pulled through and won 2-1 scoring their second goal in extra time. It was an electric atmosphere with a beautiful stadium, and an absolute great time.

Last weekend, we decided to venture out of Dublin and travel to Galway. With very little planning, and flying by the seat of our pants we booked a bus ticket from Dublin to Galway an hour before the bus departed. We arrived in Galway and it was absolutely stunning, so many shops and pubs with live singers on every corner. This was almost everyones first hostel experience as well, and that was quite different than what I am used to. It felt like I was at summer camp with the six bunk beds in one small room. The next day we decided to make the trek to the Cliffs of Moher. Again, we booked the bus tickets an hour before departure, but it all worked out. Once we got there, the bus driver told us it was one of the worst days to see the cliffs, but we were determined that it would clear up and it did. The view was breathtaking but the wind was something else. I thought someone was going to actually blow away. However, it was definitely worth the trip. We spent the rest of the day busing back to Galway then taking a train to Dublin, and a bus back to the University. Although it was a long two days, we were able to see and do all that we wanted and everything worked out perfectly. (Which was very shocking for our group because we really were not planned at all).

This was also my first week at my internship, The Laughter Lounge. The first day was light, and I was able to see the Laughter Lounge venue. The second day was my favorite, I was able to sit in the production room of a comedian podcast. My supervisor runs a Laughter Lounge podcast called YOU MUST BE JOKIN’ and it was a real treat watching the two comedians and the special guest chat, and crack jokes. The comedians touched on mental health, meditation, and self care. This is such an important topic and as comedians I thought they covered it fantastically. I think laughter can help so much with mental health, so having comedians give advice, crack jokes, and connect with the listeners, was a great experience to be able to watch live. Towards the end of the week I was able to dive a bit deeper in the marketing and social media for the Laughter Lounge. I made a TikTok of what a night would look like at the Laughter Lounge, including clips of the audience, comedians, music and graphics!

In regards to managing my time, I feel as if I have been doing a good job managing my tasks in a timely manner. Although it has only been the first week of my internship, and the work load is not as much, I believe I am completing tasks in a timely manner. I am given a big task to complete throughout the day instead of many little ones. This makes it a bit easier to manage my time, because I know I only have one task to complete before my day is over. However, it can be a bit difficult when working with new people because chatting is something I enjoy just as much as my co workers do. I mostly try to get a good start on my task in the mornings, so that when a conversation sparks up and I want to join in, I am still making good progress with my work. I also have been better with focusing on my work instead of always joining in on the conversation. My supervisor has been very kind with answer my questions and giving me enough work for the day but not too much in which it is overwhelming. I am excited to see what other work I will be completing and I am sure my time management skills will be put further to test as time goes on.

I have truly enjoyed my time in Dublin, and now Galway so far, and I am very excited to see what these next six weeks have in store. Everyone is so kind, helpful and fun to be around, I can definitely see myself making friendships that will last a life time. Although I am missing ice in my water, I love the weather and good company that Dublin has given me thus far.