Living and Working Abroad in Ireland
During the summer of 2023, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend ten weeks studying and interning for a medical device company in Dublin, Ireland. You can read more about my work with the company on the My Internship page of this website, but on this page, you will find out more about my personal and cultural experiences living in a different country from my home country for two and a half months. Scroll down for more!
Bray, Co. Wicklow
Howth, Co. Dublin
Howth, Co. Dublin
Gap of Dunloe, Co. Kerry
Challenges and Lessons
Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim
Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
Dublin Castle, Co. Dublin
Living in a new place always comes with its own set of unique challenges, but I found that living in a new country was even more challenging than any domestic move I had previously experienced. For instance, I had assumed that since one of Ireland's official languages is English, I would have no trouble understanding others speaking to me. In reality, my first challenge was adapting to the accents and colloquialisms of my coworkers and others who I interacted with. For instance, on my first day of my internship, my supervisor asked me to come the next day at “half nine.” I was not sure if this meant 8:30, 9:30, or some other time. Luckily, I was able to figure out the correct time by confirming with her later in the day, but the situation was certainly a moment of realization that a language barrier of sorts still existed.
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Another challenge that I faced while abroad was a sense of loneliness and occasionally even homesickness. While I was incredibly thankful to have the experience of living abroad, some times still came up when I missed home. Additionally, even though I had a UF community with me, I missed my close group of friends from home, and I wanted to work to establish a group of friends and acquaintances based in Ireland, as well. Trying to develop this new community for myself was certainly challenging but rewarding in the end.
Some of the most important lessons I learned during my time abroad were to always advocate for myself, to seek opportunities and offer to help others--this always helps to open new doors and strengthen connections in a new place--and to greet change and challenge with open arms.
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As I return to UF, I plan to use this intercultural experience to better my interactions with those from different cultures and to understand the different points of view that may arise from having distinct backgrounds. The university itself is home to a wide array of cultural groups, and holding this experience with me provides me with the chance to have more positive interactions with these groups. Moreover, having to overcome feeling out of place, not understanding all of the colloquialisms of the people around me, and generally adapting to life in a new place have all made me more resilient to other challenges that may arise in my life. With regards to my future career, I plan to use the international experience that I have gained to treat patients from diverse backgrounds with more personalized care.
Cultural differences were not the most immediate challenge in my workplace. I found that Irish workplace culture was generally similar to American culture. That being said, many differences did arise. One cultural difference that I began to notice as time went on was how egalitarian my workplace was compared to other groups I have worked with in the United States. In the past, my bosses have been much further removed and more authoritarian than my supervisors in Ireland. This difference was probably also exacerbated by the small size of the company. I found myself acting much more deferent towards my supervisors than others in the workplace, and the lines between different roles were very blurred. I started to respond to the difference by working on the balance of my independence within the lab and always offering to help others, whether or not the task seemed urgently important at the time.
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Outside of the workplace, I also enjoyed learning about aspects of Irish culture that were different from my home culture. I found that in general, people in Ireland were very friendly and open about their personal lives, even in the workplace. Going to the pub to grab a pint and chat or enjoy music was commonplace. The musical culture of Ireland was evident from the beginning of my travels, as evidenced by the live music pouring out of pubs on nearly every corner, and the national symbol of Ireland, the Celtic harp. Prior to going to Ireland, I had already been a huge fan of modern and traditional Irish music, so getting the opportunity to take in so much Irish music while there was an amazing privilege.
Irish Culture
A short video on Irish music
Irish musician Hozier, Malahide Castle, Co. Dublin