Having a first full day in Ireland was quite surreal. Waking up to the early morning sunshine was surprising, but it also meant we got to explore where we will be for the next two weeks so I couldn’t wait. My initial impression didn’t hit me until we woke up the first full day. For some reason the adjustment period and the shock of being abroad didn’t hit me until we started our tour early morning today. This was mostly due to the numerous hours of travel that we experienced and the exhaustion we all felt when we arrived. Throughout our day today we learned all about the history of Ireland which I was really excited for. Before the tours, I knew nothing but the basics. What surprised me the most was that that every local quite literally was walking on and through history every day. We were staying so close to the oldest part of the city of Dublin and we didn’t know it until the day of the tour.

The history of Ireland is so important, not only to the rest of the world but to the natives themselves. They take pride in their heritage and how they got to this point today. They said so many times that they were still “living in history” and that we are living through it too. Knowing a country’s history as a business consultant is crucial in forming relationships with one another and creating a true trusting bond. Understanding the proper etiquette and manners and overall standards of how another country functions can be highly important to them. From a more economic perspective, understanding a country’s culture can help marketing projects and preventing potential errors.

One thing that I enjoyed the most so for was experiencing the culture and people! Everyone is truly so nice and they love to talk to you, especially if you ask questions about their heritage or Irish history.