As I reflect back on our trip to Ireland, I can’t help but be in awe of everything we did and accomplished. There were many challenges, but our perseverance and optimism led to a fantastic trip overall. We truly blossomed where we were planted! Seeing so many aspects of Ireland just makes me want to go back and explore more. It is quite diverse and offers so much that I did not initially expect. I hope I get the chance to go back in my lifetime to see it all and more again someday soon.
I can say with confidence that this trip as made me a stronger business woman and a better person with everything we experienced on this trip. From site visits to tours to chaotic travel days, our group was also able to grow as better business professionals and people. Before visiting Dublin and I only knew very little knowledge. I was aware of the technological boom, however, I wasn’t aware how that affected the culture and the individuals growing up in Ireland. These major historical events happened not long ago which is also something I wasn’t aware of. The people that we met grew up and still to this day are living in major historical events. That is one of the things I found so fascinating. Our tour guide, Dr. Kelly recalled historical events that impacted his childhood and adulthood later on. He witnessed Dublin change through his eyes and explained that it was such a quick and major transformation of their culture and their landscape. We saw the city of Dublin filled with buildings for major corporations, but natives recall those buildings never existing not too long ago. Everyone we met explained how diverse Dublin has become in the blink of an eye as foreigners came there to look for work when not to long ago it used to be natives leaving to do the same.
Furthermore, It was magical to witness Thinkhouse in person and get to talk to the employees about their company. They were full of passion for their marketing agency and after the visit, so am I! It was interesting to see how all of our prior research and expectations were blown away and exceeded immensely after our site visit. It was great to see the business culture within their company and how they functioned versus the other companies we met with and how their styles differed or were the same. Thinkhouse felt different then the other visits, in my opinion. It felt super welcoming and invigorating as soon as we walked in. You could tell all of the employees in their small office loved what they did and loved what they were creating for their company. This visit and many others really made me grow as a business professional. I got to meet and network between a culture that I wasn’t used to. At Pitt, it is easier to network because you have many things in common to talk about with others and build connections faster. In Ireland, I still felt that I could build those relationships fast, but it felt more personal as we discussed things other than our work. I really enjoyed networking and talking with the people we met. The stereotype stays true that they love to talk and build relationships with everyone. This is something I really want to take into school for the fall. Being in different organizations and events, I want to feel like a very welcoming person and show that everyone’s opinion is valued and to always share their thoughts. With that being said, I believe that this skill can definitely continue to help me better network myself in future events.
I learned a lot about myself which I didn’t anticipate on this trip. I found myself taking on more leaderships roles in all aspects within those two weeks. Moreover, I felt confident in myself to ask questions and speak individually with everyone we met. This new found confidence is something I hope to also take back with me as I go onto my junior year at the university. Thank you Ireland for everything you’ve taught me and my group. I can confidently say that I had a wonderful time and hope to travel back soon (maybe with less travel chaos). Until we meet again Ireland!