My first day of work was Wednesday. In just a couple days of having a 75 minute bus commute, I’ve had time to ruminate on all I’ve already learned. Here’s my running list so far:
- Dublin is very windy. The dress I wore to work the first day to work was not the best idea.
- If the bus is due at 8:30am, that means it’s pulling off from the stop at 8:29am.
- Regarding No. 2: I can run in my dress shoes; but I shouldn’t. Get to the bus stop with 5 minutes to spare
- A chipper is a fish and chips shop.
- Paying more than 4 euros for lunch is unacceptable.
- It’s always worth it to take chances. (More on this later)
On the first day, I got a tour of the facilities, and I finally got to meet one of my two supervisors in person. Aifric, the program manager, sat down with me to outline my role as an intern. She and I discussed Axis Ballymun’s needs, my interests, and upcoming events. In the end, we identified three programs for me to work on, in addition to assisting with marketing needs. I am assisting with a weekend community festival. The event promotes local mental health resources. In addition, I will be helping with Axis’ Pride programming, and their summer-long Music on the Plaza series. I didn’t know that Ireland’s Pride month is also held in June. As two of these events take place at the end of June, this month is shaping up to be busy, indeed.
I really appreciated the interest Aifric showed in ensuring that I get the very most out of my internship. I told her that one of my goals is to make connections with Irish musicians, so she assigned me to work Music on the Plaza, which is an outdoor music program. In addition, she’s encouraging me to prioritize exploring Ireland by taking remote work opportunities. I’m happy to avoid the long bus trip at least once a week.
While at the office, I learned that Axis was hosting their monthly open mic that evening. Even though it made for a long day (the program didn’t wrap until 9pm), I decided to stay and watch. As a singer-songwriter, I frequent open mics in Pittsburgh; however, I wasn’t sure if I would perform. Once I realized the July open mic is scheduled for after I leave, I decided to be brave, and make those connections I came here to make. I asked to borrow a guitar and put my name on the list.
I met some very talented artists Wednesday night. Tanya Ray, the host and organizer, created an incredibly inviting space. The audience members sang along to covers and applauded original songs. They took the piss out of songwriters who rambled about what their songs mean and where they were when they wrote it (I’m a songwriter, so I can say that).
And then, it was my turn. I introduced myself, and began strumming. I sang two original tunes, and I was pleased with how much people enjoyed the songs. At the end of the night, one of the audience members asked if I would be interested in performing at an event! I excitedly took their information and texted my mom to tell her about the offer. When I got to work the next day, Aifric mentioned that Tanya Ray sang my praises, and she asked if I’d like to perform at the Axis Pride event!! Of course, I said yes. Within 24 hours, I got two booking opportunities. I was no longer concerned whether I would achieve my summer music goals while working for a program manager and marketing team.
Of course, it’s not all magical vibes — I am here to work, after all. My role requires me to manage multiple responsibilities at once, and maintain constant communications with both coworkers and community members. At the moment, I have limited responsibilities and access at work, so my time is easily manageable. As I gain new tasks, I write them down in a notebook, and I also assign a date to begin said task. This is a tool that I’ve utilized in workplaces and in school over the years. As someone with ADHD, I like to write things down, so that I can easily look at what needs to be accomplished. During the week, I also prioritize tasks that need access to the work laptop. Some of the marketing work, like flyers and social media posts, can be done remotely, whereas phone calls need to be made in the office. I’ve only been working at Axis for three days now, so time management will certainly evolve as the internship progresses.
Oh, I forgot to mention. Over the weekend, my roommates and I took a train to Howth to go on a puffin-seeking boat ride. We crowded onto a small boat, braved the very choppy seas, and searched for the elusive bird. I kept my eyes peeled for that noticeable orange beak, but I saw nothing. Our tour guide told us that only 20 puffins populate the small uninhabited island. Hearing that, my optimism was still intact, but I knew that realistically, that I may not see one. And, I guess I was right…because I saw THREE puffins! I was so excited. One of the Pitt cohorts brought her professional camera and got some really good photos. I’ll try to add one here. Because puffins are rather rare to see, apparently you’re supposed to wish upon one when spotted. I’m not a greedy person, so I only made one wish. I can’t tell you what it was (because then it won’t come true). But, I can tell you Dublin is delivering on it, so far.
P.S. We also saw two seals.
