Only one week left. It feels like I just arrived in Dublin yesterday, and it’s crazy how fast my time here has gone by. I only have one week left in Dublin, and I hope to make the most of the rest of my time still here. During this past week, it was sort of a mixed bag in terms of excitement and experiences. Last Monday, all of my friend group and I went out to celebrate my friend Ethan’s 21st birthday. It was a lot of fun to celebrate with everyone, and it is something that I hope to do with everyone during my last week here, especially considering this upcoming Friday and our last day in Ireland will be my 20th birthday. I am really looking forward to my birthday and can’t wait to celebrate with the friends and people that I’ve met and bonded with during my time here.
Reflecting on my stay, I’ve realized how much I’ve grown and learned. Dublin, with its rich history and vibrant culture, has been a constant source of inspiration and adventure for me. From exploring the cobblestone streets and historic landmarks to enjoying the lively pub scene and traditional Irish music, every day has brought new experiences and memories. The friendly locals and the sense of community here have made me feel at home, despite being miles away from where I grew up back in the States.
Looking ahead to my final week, I plan to revisit my favorite spots, try a few more local delicacies, and maybe even pick up a few souvenirs for my friends and family back home. I also want to spend my last couple of days here making new and unforgettable experiences and memories with the friends that I have met during my time here. I want to savor every moment, knowing that this chapter is coming to an end. My upcoming 20th birthday adds a special touch to my farewell. It feels symbolic, like a rite of passage, marking not just another year but a milestone in my life, as after this week I will have lived for 20 years, which is kind of crazy and surreal to think about. Celebrating it with my Dublin friends will be the perfect culmination of my journey here and will be lots of fun.
In these last few days, I have been filled with a mix of sadness and excitement. Sadness for leaving behind a place that has become so dear to me, and excitement for the new adventures that await me. Dublin has given me so much more than I ever expected, and for that, I will be forever grateful, and it will truly be bittersweet to leave this place and head back home. Still, I have missed being home, and it will be nice to see my friends and family there again and to start getting ready for my junior year back at Pitt.
Regarding the communication within the office and workplace at my internship here in Dublin, I feel like I have adjusted quite well over these past few weeks. While it is very different compared to my experiences back in America, I feel like the differences between the two were not really super monumental. One thing that I was more equipped to handle in the office where I worked was the slang that my coworkers used, as I able to connect it to the more American and Pittsburgh slang that I was used to and adapt from there. It was a little bit tougher to adjust to the way that they interacted with each other and towards me as they are very blunt and joke a lot with each other, but once I realized that this was them having fun and being friends with each other, I was able to grow and function much better in the office environment and work better with my coworkers and supervisor. Another thing that helped me adjust was that my coworkers were able to quickly adjust to way that I interacted with them and how I worked within the office environment, which helped me adjust much faster and greatly improved our relationship and made work at my internship placement more enjoyable and more interesting.
All in all, I have really enjoyed the time that I spent living and working in Dublin and hope to make the most of the time I have left. Dublin is a great city, and I truly am grateful to have experienced it over the past few weeks, and someday hope to make it back here again.