This Plus3 Ireland trip was quite an incredible experience (10/10 would recommend it). Sure, I did research on what the country is like before departure but getting to observe it myself was something else. 

Although I didn’t see it the first day we arrived (granted, I was sleep-deprived from travel), further exploration of the city of Dublin revealed just how it became one of Europe’s leading technology hubs. From what I gathered, Ireland’s low corporate tax rate attracted companies such as Microsoft and Google along with young talent from around the world. Going on company site visits also helped me gain a better grasp of the differences in doing business in Ireland—lots of high-context communication and calculated improvisation. 

In that regard, I think that understanding foreign business cultures by meeting clients (domestic or international) is crucial to success in the business world. Besides, there’s only so much info you can acquire from the internet—the surface level things that you otherwise wouldn’t get from interpersonal interactions. As a rising business professional, this trip has really shown me that there is a lot that can be learned from talking to people, and that learning does not and will not ever stop—especially in a rapidly changing environment (world). So, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself through this trip, it’s that I know that there is a ton that I still don’t know and will be discovered sooner or later. 

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Our journey back to Pittsburgh was nowhere near as smooth as when we left. There was bad weather and several delays, and I think it’s a sign that Ireland wanted us to stay longer than two weeks. I’m not sure when, but I know I will be back in the future! 

For the final interesting tidbit (11/11), I’d just like to say that even though the pandemic prevented me from going on the Plus3 Argentina trip back in 2020, it opened up the opportunity for me to have an even better experience with a greater group of people—friends AND faculty—in a country that has changed so much since the beginning of the century.