This morning we had the pleasure of taking a short tour with Dr. Darren Kelly. The main topic of conversation during this tour was how Ireland went from being “second or third world” to a booming business magnet within 20 years. This is quite interesting to consider when you think about how long Ireland has existed as well as how they went about accomplishing this feat. While most of Dublin today seems to have been industrialized, there are still remnants of the old lifestyle that was present up until the mid 90’s. For example, walking down Meath street one can view the mom and pop shops that were the heart of the city for quite some time. Places like this are one of the many gold nuggets that tourists can find all around the city showcasing the true essence of Ireland. On a separate note, we visited the Google headquarters in Dublin which was quite enjoyable. Google is known for its unique workspaces and inclusive culture and to see it first hand was eye-opening. As I am a rising senior, I will soon be out in the workforce making a name for myself and a place like the one we toured seemed to be an ideal environment to do so. A key takeaway was the fact that Google does not penalize its employees for making mistakes, but emphasizes learning experiences from them. Additionally, employees are provided with a number of free classes ranging from yoga to dance and so much more. It also does not hurt that all of the food on the facility is completely free. All in all, it seems like a wonderful place to learn and grow.