I had an amazing summer in Ireland! During my stay, I traveled to all four provinces of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales. I saw terrific castles, old ruins, and beautiful natural views. I also loved going to many towns throughout Ireland. A couple of my favorite towns I saw were Westport, Kilkenny, and Sneem. Westport is a coastal town in the Northwest of Ireland. Kilkenny holds a lot of medieval history including a castle, archaeological museum, and inn that used to belong to the first person ever convicted of witchcraft in Ireland. Sneem is a remote village in Killarney national park. Some of the most stunning places I visited included the Giant’s Causeway, Killarney national park, and Glendalough. Below is a picture of me at Glendalough. 

I also enjoyed working in Prof Simpson’s lab at University College Dublin. I worked with fluorescent microscopy to compare the localization of the protein Rab33B compared to its mutant versions. At the end of the Arcadia Abroad program, I presented my findings at a poster session at University College Dublin. Below is a picture of me with my poster. 

The biggest surprise for me was how comfortable I was able to feel in a new country after only a couple months of living there. Even though there were still moments of confusion due to cultural differences, when I was in Ireland, I felt confident in my ability to navigate all that I needed to. This comfortability became most evident when I took small trips to other countries. For example, I took a day trip to London and had an amazing time. However, when I came back to Dublin after that trip, I felt calm and a sense of familiarity that wasn’t there before. 

I also gained a lot of independence during the summer that I will apply to my future. My advice to others looking to study abroad is to not be afraid to do things by yourself. For example, I flew and traveled around London for a day completely by myself. It was a great day that I’m glad I didn’t miss out on because my friends weren’t available to go at the same time as me. Below is a picture of me at the Tower of London.

This summer solidified my future plan of study and professional goals. I plan to go to grad school and pursue a career in biomedical research. Before this summer, I had only ever worked in one lab at the University of Pittsburgh. When I started at that lab I knew very little. The experience of working in a new one not only furthered my interest in research but also made me realize how much I’ve grown and learned about research and biology in my time at the University of Pittsburgh. Those skills will continue to help me in the future.