This week was filled with some of the best highs I have had since being here in Ireland. The workweek felt like forever; however, as soon as the weekend came around, I got to experience some of the most amazing aspects of Irish culture.

On Thursday, my mom came to visit! She flew from the Philadelphia (PHL) airport to Dublin (DUB) and arrived at 6:30 AM with one of her friends. After work, I met up with them for dinner and showed them some of the lively areas Dublin has to offer. We went to a nice restaurant for dinner and, of course, took a look at the famous Temple Bar. Surprisingly, it was not as crowded as we had anticipated, and I was able to find seats and listen to the great live music. Surprisingly, this was my first time sitting and staying in Temple Bar since being here, because it is always way too crowded for my large 12-person group I typically find myself with. 

Now, because I had work at 8 AM the next morning, we made it an early night, and I got to sleep in her hotel room, which was a nice change from my typical bed in the dorms. Additionally, her hotel was about 3 blocks from my office, so naturally it made the most sense to stay with her while she was here.

My mom and her friend had gone on a bus tour to Howth, so when I finished work, I figured I had some free time to grab lunch and hang out in the room while they were gone. I decided to try this viral sandwich shop I had seen on social media, and boy, did it not disappoint! It was a chicken parmesan sandwich on focaccia bread from a shop called MORSO, yum. I will always recommend this shop to anyone who plans on visiting. Later in the day, I met up with my mom and her friends again, and we walked around the city more, exploring the alleyways and markets.

Saturday was filled with shopping! We went to Grafton Street, which is where many of the nicer stores are located, and my mom had bought me a Claddagh ring. Claddagh rings are known for being the Irish ring. The jewelry piece features a heart with a crown on top and two hands surrounding it. I got mine in gold, and there were options with birthstones in the middle of it, I simply wanted the plain gold.

Aside from the shopping, we also visited and toured St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Marsh’s Library, one of the oldest libraries in Dublin. It was really fascinating how, in some of the books, you could see old bullet holes from battles being fought. St. Patrick’s  Cathedral was just beautiful. It truly was one of the most breathtaking cathedrals I have walked through, aside from one in London I had seen in previous years. The colorful stained glass was intricate and bright. The structure of the building itself was really well done, and I am glad I was able to see more of Ireland’s history. 

Now, onto my favorite day of this weekend, lamb holding! My friends and I traveled to Glendalough to hold baby lambs on a remote farm in the middle of nowhere. Boy, was it a trek to get there and back; however, it was well worth it. We saw their farm dog and heard a few sheep around, but learned that he actually owned over 200 sheep that roam freely across the acres of the mountain range. It was truly such an amazing experience, not to mention how adorable baby lambs are.  

Moving into the workweek, I would say the most difficult part of being in the workplace here is the lack of direction or the indirect messages we receive. Everything we have to complete is sometimes very broad, and half the time, I am unsure exactly what to do with what is given. That can get difficult and a little bit frustrating, as I am someone who likes to get things done as soon as possible. I would also say that if feedback is important to you, you most likely will not receive much of it. Luckily, I am not someone who needs a constant check on how I perform, but for others, I know it has been difficult to learn. Something not related to work that has been an adjustment is the social culture of Ireland. The people here are very, very friendly and among the most outgoing. They tend to be nosy and love to start chitchat, even if it’s unwanted. I usually do not mind the conversation as I find them interesting to learn about someone’s life here; however, sometimes their callout to us comes across as a little creepy or unsettling. I think it comes across that way because of the experiences we all have in the US (do not say hi to strangers, keep walking, etc.). However, I think for the most part, people are genuinely trying to be friendly and mean no harm.