My first week in Ireland is coming to a close. So far, this experience is exactly what I expected. It has been stressful, exciting, overwhelming, and also completely relaxing all at once. With the other Pitt students, I have been able to travel throughout Dublin and beyond, getting to see some of Ireland’s beauty. The week began with orientation events through EUSA which were both helpful and stressful due to the large amount of information that they shared with us. While it is helpful that they told us so much at the beginning of the trip, it has been hard for me to conceptualize that fact that I will be in Dublin for two entire months. However, this week has already gone by so fast that I do not imagine that this experience will pass slowly. As seen in my attached pictures, our group traveled into Dublin via the bus, took a train to Howth where we climbed a sea-side hike, and took a bus provided by EUSA to Glendalough and Kilkenny. So far, each place has been breathtaking and completely different from the last. I am excited to see all of the different sights in Ireland, whether it be nature or a city. In addition to experiencing different places in Ireland, I have also interacted with a number of locals. The differences in their mannerisms compared to Americans is extremely interesting. For one thing, many of the Irish that I have met have been extremely welcoming and nice. While I do think Americans are nice, most people are not as talkative to strangers. Many have offered to show us sights or teach us the language, which is much different than Americans who barely smile when you walk by them. I will say that one thing I dislike about this is how I am used to being left alone when traveling alone. When practicing my commute I had many people smile at me while I was walking alone in a new area, which made me slightly uncomfortable. I have started to learn though that this is completely innocent for them.
Come next week, I will be working in the nonprofit sector here in Ireland. Specifically, I will be interning at an environmental nonprofit known as Festina Lente. This industry is a combination of environmental and social work. As the organization works to connect people who have societal barriers to nature, I will be learning about the connection between these two sectors. This industry seems to be more casual than other internships in the area. This is common for environmental and nonprofit work, as most organizations are run by people who do the work due to passion, not a desire for wealth. Due to this, my supervisor has made it clear that she wants my experience to help me develop skills and have experiences tailored to my passions and goals, which is extremely exciting.
There are many different skills and strengths necessary to be successful in the nonprofit industry. Firstly, as I mentioned briefly, you must have passion for the cause. In my case, this is no issue. I am extremely interested in the connection between people and the environment, and even more so in helping people foster this relationship. Nonprofit work often requires a high level of passion because of its intense work level. At least in my experience in the United States, many nonprofits are understaffed and underpaid, but due to the drive of team members they are still able to achieve goals. This leads me into the next skills that is necessary for this work, which is the ability to avoid burnout. Whether this is seen as having a strong work-life split or a determination to participate in hobbies. I think that I have both, which makes me a good fit for this placement. As I attempt to explore Ireland while working, I think that time management and avoiding burnout from work will be the most crucial skills for me to hone.
Looking specifically at Ireland, I think that being social is extremely important for this position. As I help with program development and outreach, I will have to learn to be more social as the Irish are. I am used to keeping more to myself in the workplace, but that does not seem to align with the cultural norms here. Especially since my position is all about the people who come to the property, I will need to be very open with new people. Overall, I hope that my present skills are enough for me to have a strong start at the position as I learn to develop more Irish-centered strengths throughout the internship period.
