Over the past few months, I have had many opportunities to experience life and culture of Ireland. One of the most meaningful experiences I have had is being able to participate in my hybrid internship with the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. I have been working throughout the semester on developing a bespoke private tour of the Society House to hopefully be open for visitors during the holiday season. During one of the weekly meetings, my manager walked me through each room of the Georgian townhouse to help me understand more about its history, the collection and just how special the space is to Ireland’s history. In one of the upper rooms, I was able to see a couple watercolor paintings by George Victor Du Noyer and the shelves around the room housed the Dublin Weavers Collection from the 1680s.  This not only helped me, visualize how the tour might flow, but it gave me a special connection with Ireland’s history.

Listening to my manager speak about the Society’s mission to preserve Ireland’s cultural history, showed me just how special this opportunity was. Not only was I learning about Ireland’s artistic and historical legacy, but I was contributing to how others would experience this space in the future. I have really enjoyed being able to learn more about the history of the place I have been fortunate enough to call my home over the last few months. I have adjusted and adapted to many things such as the new academic system, one with fewer assignments, long weekly lectures, and an emphasis on independent study has been challenging. I had to develop new habits, like scheduling study time on my own, reading more consistently, and finding coffee shops around Dublin where I could focus. At the same time, I was learning how to navigate life in a new country, from figuring out public transportation to managing the five-hour time difference with friends and family back home. In addition, I am traveling and keeping busy most weekends which has been one of the best parts of study aboard.

This past weekend I traveled to Barcelona, Spain, with some of my flat mates! It was an amazing trip, and we saw lots of famous sites like Palau de la Musica Catalana, Casa Batlló, Casa Mila, La Sagrada familia One of my favorite sites we went to was Montjuic. I went on a cable car ride and toured the castle grounds.

Overall, I have experienced so much in the last few months, and I am excited to see what my last month has in store for me!

More later,

Maddie