Coming to a different country alone for the first time, I was unsure what to expect. I was nervous about who would room with me and who would be at my internship. I got into an Uber and started my first-ever trip alone, and I was nervous and excited at the same time. On the plane, I was trying to look for other Bucknell kids, but I was out of luck as there were so many people.
When I got off the plane, I spotted Bella with a Bucknell hoodie and was so relieved to be able to find a group of people from Bucknell. When we all got onto the bus and got to UCD, we explored some of the campus and went grocery shopping.
It was a very rough first try for us to find our way to the store, but we managed to get to Tesco and got a decent amount of groceries to start the week off. During this time, we learned much about European cultures and how the buses worked in Ireland.
After we returned from our shopping trip, we were ready to start unpacking our groceries and making food for dinner. I struggled to produce edible food, but I could be fed that day with the minimal amount of ingredients I had.
Everyone is kind and supportive of one another, and we can enjoy this fantastic view outside our building. I was thrilled with who I was roomed with because they were all super welcoming and truly eased my anxiety about being in a different country alone with nobody I knew prior.
Starting my internship was scary; I didn’t know what to expect, and those around me seemed very confused. I started introduction with three other people who seemed significantly older than me, so I was worried about whether or not I’d be able to talk to them or if the age gap was simply too different.
There was another intern at Jobcare who is a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh. He quite intimated me because he seemed like such an extrovert, but I thought I would sit with him at lunch because we had so much in common. We had a great conversation, and after that, we collaborated more on our work while getting to know each other better.
My biggest takeaway from being in Dublin for less than a week is how many people I meet. I would’ve never known if I hadn’t been on this trip. I came into this trip completely blind, but in less than a week, I got to know so many people I would’ve never met without this study abroad experience.I look forward to more opportunities to get to know the other students on this trip and immerse myself in the culture of Ireland.