This week I spent most of my time in Dublin, while also traveling to Galway for the weekend.
To begin describing this weekend, I would like to start with how Dublin and my internship celebrated Pride Month, or Pride Week in this case. Pride weekend is a huge celebration for Dublin and the office, as almost everything in the city and at the office was decorated with bright colors and LGBTQ+ flags. I thought it was amazing to see an environment so open and inclusive, coming from the US, where I feel like it is not as welcome in certain areas. It was honestly wholesome to see how happy everyone was in and out of the office because of the festivities. Specifically, my internship decked out the basement lounge area with flags hanging from the ceiling, rainbow doorway decor, and a large Pride cake in the shape of a heart that one of their coworkers made. They had also provided lunch for us, bambino pizza, which tasted delicious. I think the US could learn a thing or two from celebrating marginalized groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, and from organizations that promote inclusivity.
After work, my co-workers and I went to The Church Cafe to celebrate one of our coworkers leaving and moving on to a new chapter in his life. It was really nice to talk to my coworkers outside the office, as I had not had the chance to before. I received some great new places to try and visit during the rest of my time in Ireland, and I shared some of my own experiences from back home in the US and here. All of my coworkers are so fun and easy to get along with, so this celebration was something that another intern and I were looking forward to.
On Saturday, my friends and I began our adventures to Galway, a town on the complete other side of the country. Despite what it may sound like, Ireland is a relatively small country, so going from one side to the other only took about 2.5 hours by train. We arrived at the station by 10:45 and had to hurry to catch our tour for the Cliffs of Moher.
The Cliffs of Moher were actually some of the craziest views I had ever seen. I had always seen it on Instagram or other social media platforms, but seeing it in person is truly a whole different experience. Now, was it absolutely pouring when we first got to the cliffs? Yes. It was. Some had to run and buy a poncho because the rain was coming down so hard. But after it cleared up, we really made the most out of that trip and got to see some great views while also exploring this area of Ireland. While at the cliffs, we also met a fellow Pitt-affiliate! She is an English professor at Pitt, and it was really nice to meet someone from a town similar to ours. Later that evening, we enjoyed live music and watching the World Cup game at a local pub.
On Sunday, we had to be up bright and early to catch our bus to tour the Arran Islands. We had to take the bus for about 40 minutes to the ferry, then another 45 minutes by boat to the island. What a rocky boat that was… It was not for the weak, let me tell you. On the island, we made our first stop at the sweater store where almost everyone purchased an authentic cotton-knit item. We then ate some food at a local cafe, and bought e-bikes for the remainder of our time. Around this island, there’s a huge path to ride bikes and enjoy the views, and let me just say, wow. I don’t know if anything will beat the views of Ireland, especially this area. It was so peaceful yet fun as we rode fast on the e-bikes.
We ended up going back to Galway soon enough and barely made the train back to Dublin. Overall, it was an eventful weekend, but we all had a great time exploring a new side of this country.
Throughout my time in Dublin, I have developed several transferable skills, especially communication, adaptability, and time management. Working in a fast-paced office has taught me how to prioritize tasks while collaborating with different teams. I have also gained technical skills through using Excel more efficiently, conducting recruitment research, organizing data, and supporting projects for my supervisor. My global competencies have helped me navigate cultural differences by being open-minded, asking questions, and adapting to Irish workplace norms. These experiences have made me more confident working with people from different backgrounds and strengthened my professional skills overall.