Although I have been in Dublin for 3 weeks now and have spent every possible minute exploring the island, culture, and history, I still feel like I am just scratching the surface of Irish culture. To tell you the truth, my favorite part about being here so far is the people. From the different conversations I have with locals at a pub to the deep personal connections I am making with my coworkers, everyone here seems to go out of their way to make conversation. Honestly, after some time, I am sure it will run its course, but right now I’m all here for it! Being able to learn the unique Gaeilge phrases used across Ireland, along with all the new phrases that everyone uses, is truly so much fun. On the other hand, last week, I was able to explore a lot more of the city center than I ever thought I would get to do. This came from mainly looking to explore the music scene in Dublin and hopping into any music or record store I could find and just talking to the people who worked there. Eventually, I stumbled into a Pub with a live band, and the atmosphere was better than anything I could have imagined. Everyone was singing and dancing throughout the building like they were at a famous musician’s final tour, and the only thing you could do was join in. It was electric! This week, I was also able to experience the ice-cold water of the Irish Sea, and it was no joke to say the least. Jumping in from the ledge felt nothing short of the coldest ice plunge I have ever done to date. Although it was extremely cold at the time, I can proudly say that my body and immune system have never felt better after I got out of the water.

            Now, let me get to the real point of writing this blog. Working in an internship is hard. Yep, that’s it, it is just hard. Although I am having a grand time with all my coworkers and learning all about their lives, working in the field of intellectual disabilities is mentally draining. Draining in a way that makes a person who hates naps because they make him feel lazy (me) want to take a long nap after work. Now, what I have come to discover is that this mental drain comes a lot from the randomness and uncertainty in the field of ID. At St John of God ID Services, we take care of and rehabilitate a large range of individuals, each with unique triggers and reactions to certain scenarios. And because of this, every day has its own unexpected treat within it. So, managing this and navigating how to deal with each solution takes effort and continues focus, which over a few weeks starts to take its toll on everyone. One of the things that I have found helps is a constant reminder of why I am here, in Dublin, working with ID instead of being at home working for my summer job from high school. When I do this, I always come back to two simple but comforting and empowering answers.

The first and most important thing, in my opinion, is who I am doing the work for. Coming back to the idea that the things I do in this line of work are not for me but are for those around me. This allows me to recenter myself in my line of work and find the motivation to continue and provide all the users with attentive and uninterrupted care. But it also does much more than that; it allows me to recenter my life. A lot of times, I become distracted by the busyness of the world, and I forget a lot of the important things in life. I forget my faith and how this life isn’t about me; it drives me to strengthen my relationship with the Lord and become the person I’m meant to be. It allows me to take care of the things in my life that really mean something, like my drive to help those around me. The second thing I come back to is the thought of what I could learn from the experience if I give it my all. Coming up short has always and will always be a fear of mine, and it can be a very good thing at times or a very bad thing. But in this case its one of the best things that I have. Being in Ireland for the summer could be the experience of a lifetime, but it can only be that if I actively work towards it, and the constant reminder of this allows me to gain the focus and energy to keep going even when my body tells me I need a break.