Greetings from Dublin! As the end of our program approaches, we have all become quite busy here. With only three weeks left, we are trying to squeeze in all of the activities we haven’t had a chance to do yet. Although I have been here for almost 3 months, I still find new things each day that I want to experience. Much like Portland, Dublin has so many restaurants, book stores, and sights to see!
In addition to exploring Dublin, many of us have been making the most out of living in Europe by traveling internationally. Last weekend I visited Copenhagen with some friends, one of which has an aunt that lives there. We visited museums and learned about Denmark’s history, explored the beautiful canals, and ate some delicious food! Staying with my friend’s family, even though I had never met them, was a great experience and made me feel as if I were at home, though I was 5000 miles away. The ease of international travel has definitely been one of the perks of living abroad. With discount airlines such as Ryanair, it is both relatively cheap and easy to visit new countries. However, discount airlines do have their downsides. This weekend a group here was supposed to visit Iceland on WOW Air. The morning of their flight, they were notified that their flight was canceled because the airline went bankrupt! Though disappointed, they managed to find some new sights to see in Dublin.
On top of this desire to make the most of our last moments here, our coursework has really started to pile up. Thankfully, we do not have a typical “finals” week at our school here. Instead, we have final papers for all of our classes. As a biology major, I have not had to write a traditional academic essay since E&D my first year, so this has been a new experience. Though they have decreased in frequency, we have continued to have our co-curricular activities. Last week, we had the opportunity to visit Pavee Point Traveller center with our Irish Welfare class. This engaging and informative talk gave us a new perspective into one of Ireland’s minority groups who we have learned about in class. Next week, we will have our final theatre outing, where we will see Ulster American.
Our internships are also coming to a close, with only 6 days at our organizations left. Today during our internship class, everyone shared stories of their internship and many reflected on how fulfilling the experience has been. Whether it has been new work experience or new friendships, we have all greatly benefited by this international internship.
Overall, we have truly experienced so much in our short 3 months here. While it is sad to think that our time here in Ireland is coming to an end, I am excited to go back home and share stories of my experience with family and friends.
Overseas and Off-Campus Programs is located in room 206 of Albany Quadrangle on the Undergraduate Campus. MSC: 11
