Preparing for Dublin

I am currently sitting on my couch at home located in a small town in Southeastern, PA, with only a week before I finally depart on my journey to Dublin, Ireland. Many of my friends and family have asked me how I felt about leaving so soon, but I struggle to give them an actual answer. The truth is, I have no idea how to feel because I haven’t quite processed it yet. Going to Ireland has been a dream of mine for years, and I can’t believe it’s now just around the corner. 

I believe that I am the definition of a homebody—until traveling comes to mind. On an average day, I would likely prefer to stay at home reading by the pool or watching movies, because those are two ways I love to spend my time most. However, I also have the desire to travel around the world, as I’m sure most of the other bloggers on here do as well. 

My first trip that gave me this feeling was a high school trip to France with some of the other members in the French club, including my best friend. We got to travel throughout the entire country, visiting some touristy spots as well as other hidden gems. It was definitely a special experience as it was my first time traveling without relying on my parents to do everything for me. I then went on a similarly structured trip in May of 2023 through Pitt Business’s study abroad program called “Plus3,” where I got to travel throughout Ecuador for two weeks with 14 other students. I often reflect on this trip and how eye opening it was for me; it is an experience I never want to forget. 

These trips gave me such a passion for exploring the world and I truly cannot wait to continue that passion in Dublin, even including all the “bad” parts of traveling, because sometimes those are the best stories. 

As for preparation, the stress feels never-ending. I didn’t realize how much went into living in another country for a few months until now. My planner and notes app have been lifesavers because there is no way I could keep track of everything otherwise. There is so much paperwork to be read over, or signed, and we have more for when we officially check in. I am hoping that I am prepared for the Ireland weather and climate due to attending school in Pittsburgh, which can be quite a gloomy city—which is something I often really enjoy. I am also hoping that going to school in a city will help me with the public transportation in another city, since I go on buses so often. 

However, there is something that is completely new to me that I will be doing that is unrelated to being abroad: my first internship. I decided to partake in a part-time internship because I feel that this will help me gain experience and knowledge as a business major, as well as confidence going into my first internship in the United States a month after I return home. I am eager to know the company with whom I will be working, along with the rest of the Irish-related classes I will be taking in Dublin.

But of course, I am most excited to travel. Whether this means around the city, around the country, or around the continent, I just cannot wait to explore new places with the people I meet along the way. I have a list of places throughout Ireland I want to visit, but I know the list will only get longer when I arrive. 

This will be a life changing experience that I embark upon all by myself, which is why I decided to document my journey throughout the semester. These will be blogs that I will look back on in the future, but also will hopefully help the readers get a taste of Dublin.