Upon arriving in Dublin, I knew that there was much that I wanted to explore but only a limited amount of time to do so. Arriving from the U.S. to Ireland of course posed the initial difficulties of fighting jet lag, but I found this to be an easy challenge to overcome by taking advantage of all the culture that Dublin has to offer. One of the first things I did do was explore the historic Trinity College campus, where we stayed for the week. 

The routine of having “morning meetings” with our study abroad group and then continuing with the conference presentations for the day helped to set a consistent schedule early on in the trip. I found this helped my days look similar to regular mornings during the school year. The evenings, however, varied by night which allowed us to explore different aspects of Dublin culture each night. Each day consisted of a different cultural activity around Dublin and I found the easy accessibility of so many attractions close by made this all the more convenient. 

We attended the World Association of Infant Mental Health Congress, which has been a very great experience so far. I have noticed, however, that the conference culture in Europe is different than that of the United States. Where North American speakers tend to be very lively- walking around the stage, using hand gestures, and even throwing in a joke or two, European presenters tend to be more direct and focused on getting information across to the audience. While the presentations were still very informative, it was interesting to see different formats of presenting from other parts of the world. Talking about the differences with my other classmates and professors, and recognizing that these are just some of the varying norms that exist helped me to understand why these differences occur. I was also initially worried about feeling uncomfortable attending the conference as an undergraduate student among a population of experienced clinicians, scientists, and professors. I was surprised, however, to find that I was able to follow along with a good part of the content presented with what I’ve learned through previous classes and readings. The presenters and other attendees were also very welcoming and open to conversing and answering questions about their research and experiences. 

One of my favorite experiences so far has been visiting the Little Museum of Dublin. Although the museum consists of two small rooms, it contains over 200,00 years of history. This was a very entertaining and interesting walk through Ireland and Dublin’s history, ranging from the early Vikings to Irish life and culture in the early 2000s. I’ve also enjoyed hearing the live music offered in Dublin, ranging from buskers on Grafton Street to the local musicians who play at the pubs. There was a great mix of traditional instrumental Irish music combined with a great deal of covers of American songs and also a great way to meet new people from other areas as well.

Settling into Dublin was been going pretty well thus far, and I am excited to see what else is in store from Ireland!