The study abroad experience is unlike any other. You discover things about yourself and about the world you never thought you would. Often when people ask me about my experience the following question comes up “but couldn’t you do all of these things on a trip with your family?” The answer to this is no. I could not have had the same experience in Ireland if I had been there for a brief trip with my family. Living abroad for two and a half months provided me with the opportunity to do everyday things like grocery shopping and apartment cleaning and making use of local transit. Yes, I visited my fair share of tourist locations, but I also wandered local neighborhoods and talked to the same coffee shop guy several times a week. These are parts of my experience that made living abroad unique but also taught me valuable lessons.

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One take away I had from my experience in Dublin was an increased awareness of global issues. Ireland has a very recent history of conflict with the U.K. and it is still very much a part of their every day life and culture. While I was studying and living in Dublin, the U.K. announced Brexit. Since leaving Ireland, I still read the Irish Times at least once a week in addition to any articles I see or find regarding Brexit and the possible implementation of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland as a result. Prior to studying abroad I was mostly interested in domestic news or solely international news that impacted the United States in some way; however, I came to view Ireland as a second home. I have friends in Ireland and Northern Ireland now, all of whom will be affected by whatever decision policymakers come to. This opportunity opened my eyes to a world outside of United States affairs and I am grateful for the perspective it has granted me.

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I also gained an increased tolerance for ambiguity while interning at Paddywagon Tour Company in Dublin. Prior to interning with Paddywagon, I assumed, unjustly, that all workplaces operated similarly to the workplaces I have participated in in the United States; however, I quickly learned that was not the case. On my first day at Paddywagon, I met my boss and then he handed me a stack of magazines and left me to work on my project. I knew I was being brought in to create the content for a travel magazine catered to American tourists, but I did not know how long it should be, what location (or products to cover) when my boss expected a draft, if we were covering hotels or food or tourist locations or just our products, etc. When I asked my boss some of these questions, he said to just come up with some ideas and we would meet at some point. The lack of direction and clear vision boggled me since in all of my work and academic experiences there had always been very clear instructions and expectations. However, I came to appreciate this experience because it gave me license and ownership to create my own work and the confidence to take charge on projects that may need to be altered later, but that need to be started.

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These are just a few of the many skills I gained and lessons I learned while interning and studying in Dublin. For me, this experience was transformative, and I know that numerous other people I lived and worked with in the program feel the same way. This program had a massive impact on who I am today as an individual and as an employee and I am grateful I was able to go and courageous enough to take a leap of faith.