This past week has been one of my busiest work weeks yet. It was all in good company because this past weekend was one of the best weekends I have had while being here in Ireland. My two roommates and I, who also go to Pitt, went to Killarney for one night. It was my first experience in a Hostel which was a fun experience. The mountains were insanely beautiful. We were there from Friday night to Saturday evening. We had to be back in Dublin before Sunday because we were attending Mumford and Sons Sunday evening in Dublin. They have been on my bucket list for the longest time and they delivered. The energy in the crowd was so thrilling. Everyone was dancing and knew every word to every song. Mumford and Sons even brought out Hoizer as a special guest which was so exciting. This weekend was one of the best and it was spent with some of the most amazing people I have met through this abroad experience. 

When we were in Killarney I really felt like I immersed myself into Irish culture. The town is small but lively. There is live music outside every restaurant and since the World Cup is on right now, there are makeshift screens outside for everyone to watch along with the music. The shops are really quaint. My favorite store we went into was an Irish music shop. As a musician any time I find a guitar, I will always start playing. I think we spent at least 30 minutes in that shop just playing the guitar and also looking at the other instruments in the store. I thought all the fiddles were really interesting because that is a pretty common instrument you see in a lot of the live bands in Ireland. The food and atmosphere was really good in Killarney. We went into the Killarney gardens and we were able to see the  mountains in the distance. It was a really nice and clear day on Saturday morning as well. The pictures we took do not do enough justice for what it was like in person. It was one of those moments where you were like “I cannot believe I am in Ireland right now.” It was a big realization moment for me because it made me realize I only have two weeks left in Ireland. I want to enjoy every moment of it. 

Before coming abroad I would say my leadership style was very controlling and independent. I didn’t trust anything to get done unless I did it myself. If it didn’t micromanage everything that was being done, it was not being done right. I still do think aspects of this leadership style can be helpful, like the independent mindset, but overall it is a toxic leadership style for yourself and those surrounding you. While being abroad, my leadership style has changed for the better. I have learned to become a leader that works alongside others to get work done more efficiently. I had to change my leadership style because things are much more collaborative in European culture compared to U.S culture. I find this really rewarding because connections between one another are deeper. I find a lot of interactions in the U.S to be surface level because most people are worried about their own work. In Europe it is more collective. There is no one leader, everyone works together constantly. I am becoming a better leader because of this experience. I still consider myself an independent individual and worker, but collaborating with others is a major skill that is needed in the professional world. 

Some of the leadership skills that I feel I have improved upon while working in Dublin include, but are not limited to, are listening, collaboration, communication, and problem solving. These are all skills that I feel are necessary to be a successful leader and I feel I have gotten the opportunity to build on each and every one of them while working at The Buff Day Spa. As an overall result, I feel more confident in taking initiative while remaining approachable and focused on continuous improvement when it comes to leadership.  So Thankful for everything Ireland has been giving me.