My knowledge about Ireland before getting here was slim to none. Today marks the second day in this beautiful city; I am positively overwhelmed with how much I have learned and seen. After landing yesterday morning, I’ll be honest, I was exhausted and started to feel the effects of jet lag. However, after leaving the airport, we began with a cliff walk in Howth, followed by my first Irish breakfast. The food here is good but has some noticeable differences then the food back home in America. I don’t know what I was expecting with the food, but I was pleasantly surprised by how everything tasted so far. After breakfast, we went to StayCity (my home for the next 12 nights) to drop off our luggage, and then we walked to Griffith College for a short orientation. I was told before arriving in Ireland that it was a walking city and everything was within walking distance; after actually experiencing the walking firsthand, I can confirm everything you could ever need or want to see is just a short walk away. Plus the walks offer beautiful scenery of Dublin. Following our orientation, we returned to StayCity to check into our rooms and get ready for dinner. We ate at a really nice restaurant in the center of Dublin. The food was delicious, and I enjoyed my first night in Ireland.

Day 2 is when all the learning and exploring really started. Today’s schedule started with a historical walking tour of Dublin. The tour was absolutely amazing. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable of all there is to know about Dublin and Ireland’s history. We went to some very popular historical landmarks, including the Christ Church Cathedral Dublin and Dublin Castle, both of which have a very long and vibrant history. I really enjoyed hearing the stories and the past. The way our tour guide explained it made me feel like I went back in time to really experience it. The citizens of Dublin and all of Ireland fought really hard to get where they are today. We also saw Trinity College, which I was surprised to learn has a lot of famous alumni who studied literature and has a really strong writing program. After getting to Trinity College, we had a short but nice lunch which was immediately followed by our second tour, which was a bus tour that took us through the city and explained even more about Ireland’s history. In the next couple of day we will be doing site visits of some of the most popular business and corporations in Dublin. Today gave me a good foundation of Ireland’s history and culture. By learning about the history and culture of Ireland, business consultants can gain a better understanding of the values and customs that shape the way people do business. It is important to understand the historical context of Dublin so consultants can build trust with their clients and partners. By showing an interest in local history and culture, consultants can demonstrate that they are invested in the community and interested in building long-term relationships. So far, my experience in Dublin is going really well. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this trip has to offer.