My experience this summer was amazing, I can’t believe it’s already over – it definitely went by very fast. Dublin, Ireland, now holds a very special place in my heart as it’s where I decided to start my study abroad adventure, and where I decided to continue traveling around the world. The city itself is fun with busy shops, restaurants, and pubs, and sometimes the cobblestone streets are blocked off by cars, so you can truly wander around. Some of my favorite memories happened outside of the city, though. I became friendly with other girls from Pitt, and we started to travel to different spots throughout Ireland. With Michaiah and Luiza, I went to a coastal town called Bray where we walked along the beach, did a hike with amazing views, and ate at a delicious seafood restaurant. We didn’t have a plan except to hop on the train to Bray, but sometimes not having a plan is better, as it was one of my favorite memories.
Personally, I grew a lot as I went to Dublin not knowing anyone from Pitt, and I made friends when I got there. While it was great making new friends and new memories, I also became more confident traveling by myself. The first thing I did by myself was a tour to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway, and that was my top sight in Ireland overall. That day in Dublin it was pouring rain, and the bus driver kept saying he hoped we would be able to see the Cliffs when we got there. Since they were a 3-hour bus ride away, the weather there had passed, and it ended up being perfect. It wasn’t too hot, so I enjoyed walking up the cliffs, and it also wasn’t raining or foggy, even though there were clouds in the sky. I could see the cliffs perfectly, and it was an indescribable feeling. Since the cliffs run along the Atlantic Ocean, I really felt like I was on the edge of the world. After that, I started traveling through Europe independently even more. I ended up going to Scotland, Amsterdam, Belgium, and even Portugal. Overall, I learned a lot more about myself on this trip, particularly how I love exploring new places.
Professionally, I definitely learned a lot at my internship. I was an intern for the IT department at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. I did a lot of different tasks, including evaluating their Smartify app and offering UX feedback, using MetaCompliance to build cybersecurity awareness campaigns, and designing and implementing new Shopify templates to improve IMMA’s online shop experience. I learned a lot about both the work I want to be doing after I graduate and the work environment that I like the most. I have had previous internships before this summer, and while they were great, it was hard to connect with other coworkers. My last internship, the one other intern my age was remote, so I was surrounded by people who had much more experience and had been there a lot longer. While they were super nice and welcoming, a lot of people were hybrid, and I got the feeling that a lot of people were friendly during work but didn’t get together outside of work. At IMMA, it was the complete opposite. On my first day there, I was introduced to two other interns my age, who I ended up having lunch with every day, and we became fast friends. Also, I was introduced by their supervisor, who didn’t even know me but saw I was the only IT intern and decided to introduce me, just so I’d have “lunch buddies,” as she put it. Another thing that surprised me was how their “hot desking” setup, which allowed people to switch desks based on availability, led to even more connections. At first, I thought it was a little strange that people switched desks so often, but it made me meet more people, all of which were extremely friendly and wanted to get to know me. People also frequently talked about events happening outside of work hours and asked their coworkers who else was going. So, I would say I learned that a friendly workplace environment is important to me and something I would love to have in my future career. In terms of professional skills, I really loved working with Shopify for their merchandise website. This experience strengthened my interest in UX Design and creating work that others will see and that will help them have a better virtual experience.
