After what felt like forever on my Aer Lingus flight from Philadelphia to Dublin, I finally landed in Ireland! My first thought was that Dublin looked like New Jersey, and my second was wondering which side of the sidewalk people walk on after my tried-and-true “stay to the right” mentality was a bit of a failure in the airport. Even after four days, I still can’t figure out the latter.
My first day in Ireland consisted of meeting my flatmates and getting lost on the bus when trying to get to a Tesco. Speaking of Tesco, grocery shopping has been the biggest learning curve, in addition to figuring out public transportation. I’ve been to three different grocery stores three separate times this week, and I swear I never leave with everything I need.
Even though I’d much prefer Uber, I’ve been using public transportation every single day. It gets easier with time, but I am still afraid to ride it on my own, so I’m glad there is such a big group of Bucknell students here.
The city is about 20 minutes from our apartment, and I’ve spent a few hours every day exploring. I’ve walked around and within Trinity College, tried some amazing restaurants, explored Grafton Street, and visited the liveliest mall I’ve seen in the last ten years.
If you’re a tourist in Ireland, the first thing Irish people will warn you about is the weather. It’s extremely indecisive. It will be sunny for 20 minutes, then pouring for 5 minutes, freezing for an hour, and super warm the next. It’s truly unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in the States. The sun rises at 5 a.m. and doesn’t set until 10:30 p.m.! It makes time go by super slowly, but I enjoy having more time to explore.
I also feel extremely lucky to have a great internship placement. My superiors and other coworkers are welcoming and friendly. The work culture in Ireland is amazing, with so much flexibility and days starting at 10 a.m. Even if I don’t get to have this privilege back in the States when I get a full-time job, I am glad to have had the opportunity to experience the work cultures of different countries.
Being in Dublin these past few days has been great, and I’m looking forward to discovering more of this beautiful island and country during my next seven weeks here!
(not all that fun, but so beautiful!)
