1 WEEK BEFORE LEAVING FOR DUBLIN...

I leave for Dublin in one week, and I could not be more excited! While I have some concerns and nerves, I really believe that I’m ready to take on this adventure.

On June 1st, my parents are going to take me to the Kansas City airport around 3:45 PM CST to ensure I have plenty of time to find where I need to be. My flight departs at 5:45 PM CST, and I’m set to arrive at the Chicago airport at 7:23 PM CST. From there, I have about a 3-hour layover until my flight to Dublin takes off at 10:10 PM CST. After a 7.5-hour flight, I will arrive at the Dublin airport at 11:40 AM (Dublin time). Unfortunately, since I won’t arrive until after 11 AM, I will have to take the official airport taxi alone to get to the student housing site.

My main concern about traveling is that I will miss my flight or get on the wrong one. Thankfully, I should have plenty of time between flights to ensure that I get to where I need to be, and I am not afraid to ask for help or directions. My other concern is that my luggage will get lost, but my excitement far outweighs these minor worries. I’m excited about finally riding in a plane and having the window seat. I’m extremely ready to meet new people from different cultures. I cannot wait to listen to their stories, try their food, and more.

When it comes to my day-to-day experiences, I think mine will be a little different from interns for other companies. I get to work from home on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I am hoping to get to my work done at a local café, in the study room at the student housing site, or somewhere else that I get to be around other people. Additionally, on those “work-from-home days,” I’m hoping to get my work done with plenty of time left to go out and explore the city. On the days that I work in the office, I foresee myself taking public transit to work. I work from 10 AM-4 PM each day, so once I’m off, I have plenty of time left in the day to get dinner, whether that’s at a restaurant or at my apartment. After that, I can either go out and explore the city with friends or stay in to work on homework and recharge. In my mind, I foresee myself wanting to go out often to make the most of my time there, as it will be my first time out of the country. On my three-day-weekends, I’m expecting to want to travel to new places, whether that be other cities within Ireland or to other countries like France.

This week, I’m sharing an image of boxty pancakes I found on the web. Hopefully one of my journals in the future will be an image of boxty pancakes I took myself. I’m so excited to try them, as well as other foods that I never would’ve imagined myself trying one day. I’m excited for everything to come from this adventure, as I know that it is going to transform me both personally and professionally.