My first week in Ireland was full of new experiences, friendships, and adaptation to living in a different country. As soon as I landed on Saturday morning I knew that my summer in Dublin was going to change my life in more ways than one. Once I arrived on UCD’s campus I was greeted by bubbly, yet jet lagged, Bucknellians. I did not know all of the other students, but I knew that these two months were going to be filled with experiences and memories that will bond us together.
Day Zero provided us with ample time to unpack, shop for groceries, and sneak a nap to help us get through the day. As I explored the campus, I realized how different UCD was from Bucknell. The layout of the buildings and architecture was more industrial than the historic brick and modern buildings in Pennsylvania.
My roommates and I later explored Dundrum Mall where we purchased extra towels and groceries for the next few days. Fighting the urge to go to bed was difficult, but I persevered through the time difference and looked forward to orientation.
Day One started with orientation on our program and was followed by a campus tour from students of UCD. Piecing together where the gym, pond, and academic buildings were in relation to the UCD Village and Ashfield residences was overwhelming, but we realized that campus was smaller than we thought. Despite it only being the first full day of my time in Dublin I had already made friendships. Us Bucknellians were joined at the hip, accompanying each other for meals, workouts, and in the common areas of our suites.
On Day Two it was time for our course with Professor Wilck to begin. In the classroom I met students that I did not know from home, but we all had at least one thing in common outside of our association with Bucknell. After our three hour class I made a quick lunch at home and grabbed a coffee at the Centra in the UCD village before hopping on a bus to EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum. I was excited to visit this museum because my great grandparents on both sides of my family emigrated from Ireland. The EPIC tour guide led us through the underground museum and taught us about what life was like in Ireland during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Before traveling to Ireland, I spoke to my grandparents about their experience having parents that emigrated and they told me stories passed down from the generations before them. At the Emigration Museum I was able to piece together my relatives’ stories with the history of Ireland. I found a new level of gratitude for my ancestry in Ireland and recognized how much my family went through to move to the United States in hope of a better life.
Day Three was our first day of internship. Connect 123 placed me with a start up on UCD’s campus called Dataships. I was anxious for my first day, but was eager to start working, learn about the company, and create meaningful relationships with my coworkers. Dataships works to improve the MCR, or marketing consent rate, of Shopify platforms. On my first day I read PowerPoints and watched videos explaining how the company increases the revenue of small businesses while helping them comply with new data regulations based on their location. I also met employees from different branches and was able to talk to them about what their roles were at Dataships.
Throughout the rest of my abroad experience I am looking forward to involving myself more with Irish culture, learning about the business world, and forming impactful relationships. I had a great start to my eight week program and am eager for the adventures to come!