This past weekend me and a group of 8 fellow Pitt students traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland for the weekend! I had already visited Edinburgh a year ago with my family and absolutely fell in love with the city during my time there. When the idea was proposed that we take a weekend trip, I knew I had to go back. There is something so enchanting about Edinburgh, from the castle overlooking the city, to the winding cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. Since it had been so recent since my last trip there, it was fun to be somewhat of a tour guide for the others. I think they ended up loving the city as much as I do.

After a 6am flight on Friday, we decided to start our day off with a hearty traditional Scottish breakfast, complete with Scotland’s national dish of haggis–essentially a savory oatmeal that’s cooked inside a sheep’s stomach. Surprisingly, I liked it more than I thought I would. This meal was great fuel for our morning hike to the summit of Arthur’s Seat. Arthur’s Seat is an extinct volcano that overlooks the entire city of Edinburgh. It was a steep climb, but actually a shorter hike than I was anticipating. The view with the breeze at the top was incredible and looked out to the ocean in the distance. 

After the trek back down Arthur’s seat, we headed to Edinburgh castle. The castle was magnificently built into a large rock that overlooks the city so that in the olden times they could see their enemies approaching from afar. Nowadays, it is the most popular tourist spot in Edinburgh and a symbol of the city. Even though I had already visited the castle last year, it was fun to see it again.

Saturday was a day packed full of shopping. We stopped by the picturesque neighborhood of Dean’s Village before heading to the neighborhood Stockbridge where we stopped by several thrift stores. For dinner, we had a cozy meal at a restaurant I had gone to previously with my family. In my opinion, they have the best sticky toffee pudding in all of Edinburgh. If you’ve never had sticky toffee pudding you’re missing out! Sunday included a walk around Princes Street Gardens where we saw the famous Ross Fountain, and visiting the University of Edinburgh campus. All in all, Edinburgh was an amazing trip and I could definitely see myself even living there in the future. 

Back in Dublin, I am finishing up my internship this week. It feels bittersweet that it’s coming to a close so soon. Because it’s such a small team, I’ve gotten to know my coworkers very well. I’ve learned a lot from them not just about business and marketing, but also more general life lessons and advice about having a job. 

Having an internship abroad comes with a set of challenges. Among these is differences in communication styles. Ireland is overall a more high-context leaning culture compared to the U.S, meaning that communication is less direct and more implicit rather than explicit. Sometimes my supervisor gives me directions that feel very vague, and I have to ask several follow up questions to make sure we are on the same page. I generally try to use my best judgment in situations where instructions aren’t completely clear.

I work 3 days in person and 2 days from home at my internship. Sometimes, communication during my work from home days can be difficult. I often use WhatsApp to communicate with my supervisor, but texting back and forth is not as efficient as when we are in the office and I can go to her desk and have a conversation. Occasionally, we speak on the phone during work from home days which is helpful, but it’s not the same as when we are in person. Another challenge is that I am not in the company group chat, so there are certain important communications that I have missed in the past. Sometimes I can feel a little out of the loop but my coworkers try their best to fill me in when they can.

With my time in Dublin coming to an end soon, I am planning on making the most of my final week in the city. I’ve made so many strong connections with both my coworkers and fellow students in the program that I believe will last past the program’s end. I’m excited to make these last few days count.

Cheers to one more week in Dublin!