Hello from my final week in Dublin! I cannot believe this program has come to a close. I’ve had the most magical and rewarding experience here in Dublin and with my internship. It feels unfathomable to think that I’ve been here for eight weeks when it feels like I landed in Dublin just a second ago! 

With it being the last week, there was a lot to get done, especially since I am traveling after the program ends. Over the weekend, I packed up a box of souvenirs and the clothes that I would not really need on my trip, like sweaters and more business type attire like my blazer. GCN let me take a box to use which was very nice of them, but also made for a pretty interesting bus ride back to UCD’s campus as the box was definitely on the larger side. I packed up the box and then took it to the post office to be shipped back to the States. I had ruled out taking the bus because the empty box was enough hassle in and of itself, let alone when it is full of clothes and other items. I tried to use the FreeNow app, which is what is more commonly used in Ireland instead of Uber, since I was told that not many taxi drivers are on Uber. However, I kept not having a driver pick up my ride. I don’t know if the app just wasn’t working or what, but I gave Uber a go instead and, surprisingly, got a driver within a minute. The post office was in a cute little plaza that kind of reminded me of a smaller scale outdoor mall. I think it could be a nice spot to go with my sister when she comes to Dublin soon. 

I also spent my weekend hanging out with my friends as these would be some of the final times we would get to spend time together for the rest of the summer. It was fun, but also very bittersweet. Saying goodbye is always hard, but it was especially hard saying goodbye to my friend Kai who I met during the program and who does not go to Pitt. We’ve made tentative plans to visit each other, though, and I am very glad to have met them. 

The bittersweet feeling lingered into my work week. From the moment I came into the office on Monday, there was talk about how sad it was that it was my last week. And it really was sad. Despite it being such a short time in the grand scheme of things, I felt like I had really gotten to know everyone at the office. I felt connected to them and like I belonged there. The whole week was full of quips that I should just stay and write for GCN forever. 

I got a fun surprise on Monday in the form of a dinner with one of my mom’s coworker’s and her husband! They were in Dublin for the day and invited me to dinner with them. The restaurant was quite nice. I got a cheeseburger with a black bun and bacon jam. 

On Wednesday, I had a dinner with GCN that was to celebrate a job well done during Pride month in June. It was really nice and enjoyable to hang out with everyone in a relaxed atmosphere outside of the office. I even got to meet the team’s financial woman, who was very lovely. We went to a Japanese restaurant near the office called Musashi that was really delicious. We got appetizers to share, including edamame, vegetable gyoza, and tempura vegetables. For my own meal, I got a cucumber and crab sushi roll and then miso soup. It was all very yummy! During the dinner, I was asked questions about my trip with my sister and was given advice about traveling to some of these different cities. I was also asked more about my future plans for my career, which was really nice. 

Writing-wise, I was very proud of my final pieces. I wrote pieces about Hayley Kiyoko, a documentary about the queer history of Northern Ireland, Emmy nominations, a new spin-off of Drag Race, and a piece about Kilkenny (another city in Ireland) Pride. The documentary one made me really excited because I was kind of asked specifically to write it. I wrote a piece a while ago about this queer film festival and one of the people in the festival read my article and reached out to the GCN info email to ask for me to write an article about their documentary. The email was addressed to me and everything. It made me feel very fancy. 

My final day at GCN was really lovely. During the content meeting, I got first dibs on what article to write, which ended up being the Kilkenny Pride one. And then later during the day, I was told we were having a team meeting but then when I went over to the couches with everyone, there was a card for me along with cake. It was so sweet and really made me feel special. The card was full of kind messages from everyone in the office. We then ate the cake and sat and talked for a while. I’m really really going to miss these beautiful people. They’ve changed my life and I will always remember them. Leaving the office was full of hugs and promises to stay in touch, along with an offer to write or pitch an article for GCN at any point in the future. The whole thing just made me feel valued not just as a person but as a professional. 

I feel like this experience as a whole has put my professional career into perspective. Not just in what I want to do (although I will say, GCN has warmed me a bit more to the idea of journalism, even if it is not my top choice) but also in the sense of what being successful looks like. While as a whole I think Ireland and the US have similar views on success, I think Ireland values the human connections that come with that success more than we do in the US. I can’t speak for the Irish workplace as a whole, but for GCN, the connections they have with individuals or even other companies or organizations is a huge part of what makes GCN GCN, which definitely makes sense for a community-focused organization. But I think what makes GCN successful is that they make sure to maintain that down-to-earth community focus. No matter what career I end up in, I always want to make sure that I maintain connections with people and the community that I am trying to uplift. 

This may be the end of my internship and my program here in Dublin, but I will carry these experiences and all that I learned with me forever, and I will forever be grateful for this experience.