I have officially been in Dublin for a week and a half, and it is safe to say that it is already starting to feel like home! My program focuses on History, Politics, and Social Change, where I am taking both a literature course and a film course. I was particularly drawn to these and studying in Ireland, because I feel as if we have never focused on much of its history in school growing up. As a Psychology and Business major, I also rarely get the chance to learn about history. Excited to learn more, I ensured I was able to get the most knowledge out of my classes. The sessions are very small and discussion-based, which I highly enjoy. It is a refreshing change that makes learning feel more personal and engaging, especially because many of my classes at Pitt are lecture-based. The academic environment here is quite different from what I’m used to at Pitt. IES is much smaller- just one building with a few classrooms- and I often have the same classmates across different subjects, which gives it a close community feel. It’s a big change from a large university, but one that I’m enjoying. The professors here are so kind and genuinely interested in our learning, always encouraging conversation and questions.

I especially love learning about history while also being able to immerse myself in the places where these events occurred. In my literature course, we visited Sandycove, a small coastal town just outside the city, to observe Bloomsday while reading Ulysses. It was very cool to be learning about the place that I was standing in. It has also been incredible to walk past monuments and streets that we often see in films, only now they are just steps outside of my classroom.

I live with six other students, and we have quickly become great friends. We love traveling together, and so far we have taken day trips to Howth and Dun Laoghaire. Howth was only a 20-minute train ride away from Dublin city centre, but it felt like a completely different place. With views of the cliffs and the sea, I was so happy to be so close to nature, as I love hiking, while also living in the city. I was also surprised by all of the opportunities there are to go swimming. I never expected that from Ireland, even if the water is super cold! Additionally, this past weekend, we even went to Amsterdam, which was so much fun. I feel so grateful for the opportunity to explore so much. One of the most surprising things I have learned since being here is just how easy it is to travel around Europe. The flight to Amsterdam was only an hour and forty-five minutes away, almost the same as flying two states over in the U.S.!

This upcoming weekend, we are going on a program trip to Kerry where we will have the chance to see historical monuments, visit a farm, go on a horse-drawn carriage ride, and so much more. I am so excited to see what these next few weeks bring!