When I go to Dublin, Ireland this summer, I want to try a lot of new things and develop new skills. The first thing I want to try is making new friends. I am going far out of my comfort zone by traveling to a new country by myself without knowing anyone and I am a pretty shy person, so I’d like to challenge myself by meeting as many people as possible and making a lot of friends. I’d like to be friends with other people in my travel abroad program, but I’d also like to meet people that live in Dublin, because I think it’s important to meet people from different backgrounds who have different perspectives. This goal is more personal in nature, but I think it will also help me complete my project because I will be interviewing local people.
Another thing that I want to do while I am in Dublin is explore the city. Since I am going to be living there for two months, I would like to get to know the city. It would also benefit me to figure out how to get around a foreign city by myself. Also, since I am researching the effects of flooding on different neighborhoods, this will help my project as well. The final thing I want to do is travel outside of Dublin by myself. I want to travel to northern Ireland or fly to London by myself, because I want to go even further out of my comfort zone. Also, since I am already in Europe, I want to explore as much as possible. This is more of a personal goal because it doesn’t necessarily help my project, but it would help me gain confidence and get new experiences.
I also want to gain some new skills while I am in Dublin. First of all, I want to gain lab skills and learn more about my field. I am going to be doing research in a geochemistry lab at Dublin City University, and while I have some experience in an environmental chemistry lab at FSU, I don’t know much about geochemistry. Therefore, I’d like to learn more about how to work in a lab, and I’d like to find out more about geochemistry in general. I am majoring in environmental engineering, so I love the environment and I want to have a career in which I am helping the environment, but I still am not sure exactly what I want to do with my degree. I hope that working in this lab will help me figure that out. I also think that the skills that I develop in the lab will hopefully help me get a job later on.
I also want to develop my communication skills while I am in Dublin. Since I am shy, I feel like it is difficult for me to talk to new people sometimes, so I would like to practice talking to new people, especially from other backgrounds. This is not only a personal goal, but I think it would also help me in my project and in my career. Good communication is important in all aspects of life, and I think going abroad will allow me to open myself up to develop better communication skills.
One quote that encapsulates how I’m feeling going into my experience is “Change brings opportunity” – Nido Qubein. This quote resonates with me because living abroad for two months is a big change in my life, and while I am nervous about it, I am also excited about the opportunities it will bring me. First of all, it is a chance to meet new people and learn about a different culture, which I would not get to do if I stayed in the United States. Second of all, I will get the opportunity to learn more about my field of study, and gain important skills that will hopefully help me land a job in the future. Overall, I am very excited about being able to intern abroad because of the opportunities it brings for my personal and professional growth.
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