Well, the 8 weeks have passed officially. I thought it was going to last forever, yet here we are, writing this final week conclusion blog post back in the United States. This last week I experienced was the most relaxing, exhausting, and fun 5 days I could have imagined for my final week in Dublin. After returning from Edinboro, we made it clear to each other that we would hang out every day and night up until our conclusion of the trip, and that’s exactly what we did. On Monday, we decided to celebrate our one friends birthday who didn’t celebrate it with us back in June, followed by a long heart to heart talk with the entire group about our lives and other things going on. Tuesday night we went out for a more casual drinks night, followed by Wednesday which was a very long night, for me at least! I met some great people from the University of Virginia who I had not met until unfortunately the final few days before, but this still allowed me to have enough time to get to know them personally and enjoy my last moments not only with my group, but with them as well. On my final day of work, I didn’t truly know what to expect, except that I wrapped up my final projects, presented them to my supervisor, and I assumed that was it. However, while everyone was packing up, my supervisor surprised me with an announcement and round of applause for the work I had done at Jobcare, as well as a parting gift of chocolates and a card. I will forever be grateful for the impact I was able to make on others going into the workforce, but especially the team of friends and connections with colleagues I made within the organization. And then, came the final day which consisted of packing, and of course, one last night out with my best friends. I will be honest, I don’t think I’ve felt so emotional about something such as this in my life; this experience was all new for me, and when you spend 60 days with the same people, they became your family away from home. I could go to any of them when I needed to just talk, or even have a happy conversation; it felt like comfort, and that’s all I ever could’ve asked for. Leaving this group was so bittersweet, but I know I will be seeing many of them often this upcoming school year at Pitt, and will be visiting the others who do not go to this school in the next few months.

After spending my entire summer at Jobcare, I learned that success is a very subjective term in Ireland. They care a lot about effort, and constant forging forward to experience new ideas, experiences, and when one is stuck in a rut, to reach out for assistance. Success is not defined in a one-layered type of line that goes from step 1, to 2, and so forth. However, it is important to note that my placement was in a nongovernmental organization focused primarily on leading struggling individuals to employment, so this idea of learning where people are at, and going from there is ingrained in the entire company. However, from what it sounds like with other friends I’ve spoken with, most have a very laid-back experience at work, sometimes to the point where work becomes a thing of the past. However, my industry in Ireland is one of the most contested and exhausting industries to be in right now. Ireland is experiencing an extreme housing and immigration crisis where many individuals are hitting redundancy and career breaks for long periods of time with no look in receiving employment on their own. So, to be in the industry I was placed in, you must never bow your head and think all hope is lost. Sometimes it can take upwards to a year for people to receive employment, so positivity and creativity is strived for at all times. I do think sometimes in the United States we put hard deadlines on certain tasks, and when it passes, that’s it as it is given up on. I didn’t see that much in my workplace as the task was always edited and tried again unless it was showing drastic stagnancy. Feedback is accepted and encouraged anywhere you work, but I saw a bit of difference in deadlines.

This trip changed my life in so many different ways, from physically(my boot is finally off however!) to mentally, and I couldn’t thank anyone enough for the opportunity I was given. I loved it all, and I’ll remember this and everything in it for the rest of my life. All love, and as they say in Gaelic, go raibh míle maith agat! Thanks a million.