Eight weeks have come and gone quicker than I could have ever expected. I will be honest, the first couple of days were not as I planned. I thought that since I had been able to adjust to moving away for college quickly, that this would be an easy transition. I was very wrong, I immediately wanted to come right back home as soon as I got there. I was lucky enough to know some people who were doing the same study abroad program as me, which I thought would make it better. However the start was still very difficult for me. After about the second or third day, I found my group of Pitt friends, started to get closer with my roommates, and was enjoying this new country I was going to be in for the next eight weeks. I am definitely a home body, so this whole experience was certainly out of my comfort zone. However, I am beyond happy and lucky that I had such an amazing experience and made awesome memories that I can hold on to for a life time.

At the beginning of this experience I had personal and professional goals, that I think I have reached throughout my time abroad. When it comes to the personal goals, I started saying yes, and tried foods I never ever thought I would try. And some of those foods I can say that I now actually enjoy. I have a new obsession with garlic mayo, and I do not mind eating sea food chowder. I do not hate muscles, and I like rice balls (arancini). I am more willing to try new foods, and I will have to say that my roommates definitely helped me with this. My roommates are much more adventurous when it comes to eating and they would make sure I tried their foods, and then they got excited when I liked it. Not only did I say yes to new foods, but also yes to different activities and traveling to other countries. We traveled to Amsterdam and Scotland, and I can say I have never seen a place like Amsterdam, and I loved the architecture that made up Scotland. We took plenty of long 12 hour tours, which started at 8 am. Now going out till 3 am and then waking up at 7 am to take a 12 hour tour does not sound like the most pleasing activity. However, I always said yes, and told myself I can sleep when I am back home. Each and every tour was incredible and I was able to see so much more of the countries we traveled to. (And I was able to sleep on the bus rides!!)

Another personal goal I had was to be more independent, and although my growth in this department may seem slim to some, I think I have became much more independent. As silly as this sounds, I used to hate eating alone in public, I would always call a friend or family member. However, during this internship, my co workers and I had to all have different lunch breaks, and the time zone were so different from home, that people we were not able to call, so I was forced to eat alone. I used to think everyone was staring at me, (I am not sure why I thought I was so important, but I did) but I realized no one is looking at me and it was just me. I became more comfortable with eating alone, walking alone, and riding the bus alone. Although I did my traveling with groups, I have a better sense of how to travel alone if I had to. I am able to figure more things out rather than always having to ask someone. Like I said, it may seem small to some, but personally, I feel my independence has had major growth throughout my time abroad.

Regarding my professional goals, I mentioned early on that I wanted to be in sports broadcasting, and I was excited to see a different aspect of my major. After my eight weeks, I can confidently say that I learned a lot about marketing, graphic design, and how to advertise a business. I would not have known this side of my Communications major, without this opportunity, and now I am much more diverse in my skills. These skills are something I can take back to Pitt with me. I am much more skilled in using Canva, Excel, and Shopify. I dabbled in data collection, which is something I have never done before. I was able to see the ins and outs of the business revenue and what months of the year were better for ticket sales. Furthermore, I have also reach a new confidence in speaking up in a work environment. As time went on, I was less afraid to ask questions, or speak up when I did not understand an assignment. My supervisor/boss/co workers/ were incredibly friendly and kind, and this made my work environment a hundred times better! They taught me all the Irish slang, best places to eat, and the history of Ireland, whereas I taught them where each state was, American slang, and how America has much better snacks!!

I am forever grateful for this amazing opportunity I was given going abroad. I gained skills I can use back in America, and I have met so many amazing people that I can now call my friends. I recommend this experience to everyone, even if you are mostly a home body like I am. Step out of your comfort zone, because it will definitely be worth it! Although it was the best time of my life, I am excited to come back home with all my amazing memories, new friends, and fun stories to tell. Thank you Dublin.