Hello my friends!  I have arrived safely in Dublin!  I got a little bit of sleep on the plane ride to Ireland but it left me feeling exhausted.  We arrived in Ireland in the morning and then went to breakfast at Chorus Cafe and took a tour around Griffith College.  Our apartments we are staying at are extremely nice and I am more than happy with them.  Within an hour of being in Dublin an Irishman already made a Trump joke to us Americans and it was also very evident that the Irish people are very friendly and kind.  Also on the bus to Dublin I noticed many posters both for and against the new abortion referendum.  This demonstrates the great divide currently seen in Ireland and shows how much the people care about their rights.

Hayley is very upbeat and nice.  She seems to be very knowledgeable on all things Irish and introduced us to the city of Dublin.  I think she will be a great asset during our time here because of her professional experience and Irish knowledge. Additionally, Susanne Bach was also helpful and was able to get a little bit of info on what we knew about Ireland. Susanne also touched on relationship management in Ireland.  She commented on how the Irish are very indirect, polite, and expect some banter before discussing business. This is different because most Americans I feel like are more direct and get to business faster.

I can’t wait to eat more food, learn at the site visits, and see the city and its surroundings!