Posted On August, 14 - 2017
"You come for the attractions, the history, and the unreal deep green land; but you stay here for the people."
Hi everyone! My name is Piper, and I am from Alabama in the United States of America. I don’t exactly fit people’s perception of a southern girl. I didn’t pull up in cowgirl boots and a cowboy hat casually chewing on some barn hay, and while I do love my roots and my vowels are a little longer than most, I’m just your average 20-something year old with an itch to travel.
When I got the chance to intern abroad in Dublin, I was ecstatic. I was getting the opportunity to gain work experience and travel all wrapped up in a single trip. For the past seven weeks, I have gotten to explore Dublin and intern with the World Meeting of Families 2018 team working on all things exhibition, and it has been nothing short of amazing.
Upon arrival, all that I knew was that my professor told us that we would know Dublin like the back of our hand by the time our seven-week experience was finished and that Dublin had a population of about one million. Consequently, my idea of Dublin switched back and forth from a quaint village with fields of green and old people with adorable accents to an equivalent of New York City- a little smelly, so fast-paced I wouldn’t be able to keep up, and absolutely huge.
Then I landed, and just like any new place, it wasn’t what I had expected; but I’ll start from the beginning. I hopped in a taxi and headed to my new home for the summer. I dramatically peered out of the window of the taxi analysing all that I saw, and, to be honest, my first thought was, “this is it?” Nothing was wrong with it; it just looked a lot like home. Maybe they were driving on the wrong side of the road and maybe they swear more than I’m used to, but it still looked and sounded a lot like something I’d seen before.
Before I drew conclusions too quickly, I ventured into the City Centre to see the hub of activity in my new city. It was here that I experienced my first great obstacle- public transportation. Which bus do I take? How do I make the bus stop? Where is the bus that I am currently on even going? Miraculously, I made it to the correct place even though I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I hopped off the bus, and a surge of excitement swept through my body. I felt like I was conquering independence. I felt a little like I approved of Dublin and Dublin approved of me.
As I got to know the city, I fell in love with it. There is beautiful architecture, cobble-stoned streets, lights strung between buildings, street singers, gelato shops everywhere (thank goodness), and my personal favourite- window boxes out of nearly every window. Dublin was exciting and new, and as I grew more and more at home here, it became a city with a small-town feel. Even when I got lost, I knew that somehow I wasn’t far from a place I would recognize. When I wanted to relax, I could find a coffee shop to sip on americanos until the sun went down, or when I wanted to have fun, I could find a place to dance until my feet hurt.
In the seven weeks I got to spend in Dublin, I had the opportunity to learn about Gaelic games and even see a Gaelic football game in Croke Park. I experienced the culture of pubs and the tradition of rounds. I went to a music festival. I toured the Guinness Storehouse and the Jameson Factory. I found myself in Howth eating the freshest salmon burger I’ll ever eat. I ate at Nando’s because Niall Horan (the Irish member of my generation’s beloved band, One Direction) once said it was his favourite. I walked up and down Grafton Street, then up and down again. I saw traditional Irish dancing breakout in the middle of a pub. I day-dreamed of moving into one of the condo-homes on Botanic Avenue that I passed each morning on the way to WMOF and painting my front door a soft yellow. I explored Trinity College, and I bought pretty postcards for my family back home.
As incredible as all of that is, there is one thing I’ll remember most about my time here. Now, I’m thinking the same thing as you here. Dublin has something better than spontaneous Irish dancing? Better than shopping on Grafton? Better than a pint at an authentic Irish pub? It does. It has something more beautiful than its architecture, more fun than Temple Bar, and so much better than a pint of real Irish Guinness. Dublin has incredible people, and, for me, my time in Dublin was defined by its people.
Dublin is Mr. O’Neill, the taxi driver that drove me around at no extra cost when he helped me look for my interview with WMOF. Dublin is Kathy, the cashier at the Spar who gave me a free ice cream when she saw that I looked overwhelmed. Dublin is Conor who walked with me from O’Connell Street to Grafton Street just to make a new friend. Dublin is every bus driver who has ever been patient with me when I asked for directions. Dublin is the World Meeting of Families 2018 staff taking me in and treating me as part of their team.
I fell in love with the city, I fell in love with the accents, I fell in love with the tradition, I even fell in love with public transportation; but what I’ll remember the most is that I fell in love with the people here. If I had to sum up Ireland, I’d sum it up like this: You come for the attractions, the history, and the unreal deep green land; but you stay here for the people. Almost every week I’d declare that I never wanted to leave, and if I had to, I’d figure out a way back. So, until I find a way back, thank you for some of the best weeks of my life, Dublin.
Piper Miles