WEEK 2 IN IRELAND

As week two in Ireland comes to a close, I reflect on what has changed since last week. I am now much more confident when it comes to taking the bus and knowing when to get off. I’m certainly missing some of the foods and restaurants from back home (Olive Garden!!!). I also miss my parents and my cat more and more as the days pass, but I’m also thoroughly enjoying my time here.

My internship has been great so far! The team gets along really well, and everyone is super positive. Collaboration and teamwork are important, as different people have different specialties. For instance, Alex is our graphic design whizz, and Garvit is the best at Google ads. While we all have our own clients/accounts that we manage, we often ask each other for opinions and tips. It helps us all bounce ideas off one another. There hasn’t been any conflict so far. Like I said before, everyone gets along really well, and the work environment is very laid-back.

I wrote a blog for Escalate’s website this week. The topic was why brands should be on TikTok. I was worried my bosses wouldn’t like my work because I had never really written a blog before, but they loved it! They gave me a lot of praise for it, which I really appreciated. I’ve also been working on content calendars and Instagram highlight icons. I’m enjoying getting to explore my creative side! My favorite part of work so far is definitely getting to know my coworkers. They’re all pretty different, but I like all of them! They’re all interesting, fun, and nice. The most surprising part of my internship so far is how laid back my workplace is compared to the United States. Our office is very open and doesn’t even really look like an office (see pictures below). Also, three of the full-time staff members are on holiday all of next week. I don’t think that would be allowed back home for multiple people to all go on vacation at the same time! Our bosses say, though, they don’t care what time you work, how long, or where you work from. As long as you get done what you need to, that’s what matters. I think that’s a great motto, and more U.S. companies should incorporate a more laid-back atmosphere like that.

Outside of work, the weekdays have once again been pretty chill. After work, most of us just make dinner here at the apartment and go to our rooms. However, this weekend will be loads of fun! Tomorrow (Friday), a few of us are finally touring the Guinness Storehouse. Then on Saturday, Faith and I are going to the Taste of Dublin food festival. Besides that, I’m not sure what we’ll do. Most of our API group went to London this weekend, so there won’t be too many people here (I’m going to London a different weekend. I have a friend there, and he’s not available this weekend, so I decided not to go with the group this weekend.)

Below are some pictures of my workplace, as well as some pictures from the Howth Cliff walk and Blarney Castle last weekend. I can’t wait to share pictures from the Guinness Storehouse and Taste of Dublin in next week’s journal. As always, I’m excited for another week!