I spent the break in my program exploring the lovely green island! I have always loved and wanted to go to Ireland. The rich history of music and poetry has been a sticking point for me for a very long time. I was worried that I was setting my expectations too high, but the second I touched down I realized there was no way this trip could disappoint me. My travel partner Eliza and I began our journey in Dublin. We spent some time in the beautiful St. Patrick’s park, taking in the rare Irish sun and the live music being played. Because of the nice weather, the park was packed which provided great opportunities for people watching. I learned that Ireland seems closer to U.S. culture than Brussels had been. The dress code isn’t as strict and strangers are more likely to chat with you. One of my favorite parts of being in Dublin was the poetry reading that I went to. It was in a very small pub and featured many very talented local poets. There was also a man who played some traditional music. One of the featured performers was named Alex Coel and they had an amazing musical performance. I have been listening to their song “suck it up” ever since I left! It was so cool to watch smaller artists do what they love.

After three days in Dublin, we went to the Cliffs of Moher and it was an unreal experience. The weather was truly terrible. Fog covered most of the cliff faces and it was so windy that I was actually knocked over at one point. I could not stop laughing at how aggressive everything was. Then, the insane wind blew the clouds away and we got a beautiful view of the cliffs. I have never seen anything like it in my entire life. I called my parents to show them, and as I was on the phone with my mom, a hat blew up out of the cliff and landed ten feet behind. So on top of seeing the life-changing landscape, I also got a free souvenir! We spent the next three days in Galway! The weather was very unpredictable and we got caught in more than one hail storm, but it was a very beautiful trip no less. There was a pretty beach in Galway that I really enjoyed visiting. So many of the sights on this trip have made me understand why Ireland has such a long history of poetry. It’s hard to look at the island and not be in awe. We also got along really well with the girls we were rooming with in our hostel! This whole experience has exposed me to so many different people. Eventually, we had to leave and go back to Dublin to catch our flight. It was nice to revisit some of the places we had been on our first day of the trip, but we were ready to head back to Brussels. Overall, it was truly an incredible trip and I am so grateful that I got to see a place that I have dreamed of for so long!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Journalism: Brussels Internship