Questions Answered

Ireland Update:

The job and host family information has at last been delivered! Days of checking my email incessantly can finally come to an end.

Today, when I least expected it, I got a response from Amy at CCI with the final details of my trip. It’s exactly one month before my departure, so I was glad to read “Host Family Placement” in my inbox.

For those of you reading this for the first time, I am traveling to Ireland for a two month summer internship. I have just found out that I will be working at Lifetimes Newspaper, assisting with writing, layout, and photography. From what I can tell it will mostly be work in classified sections or advertisements. Of course, I won’t know until the first day what to expect!

The office is located in Philsboro, Dublin 7 and I begin work Tuesday, June 30^th at 10am. At first I thought I would have to start the internship immediately after getting off the plane, because I will be arriving Monday opposed to the typical arrival on Saturday or Sunday. Luckily, the employer was fine with me starting on a Tuesday. Thank goodness… I’m going to be exhausted and five hours off of my normal time zone.

My host family lives in Finglas, Dublin 11 in an area called Charlestown. I will be living with Mrs. Valerie Hays and Mr. Kieran Hayes. They have two children – one 12 year old named Sean and one 6 year old named Eve. I’m excited they have kids, and their residence seems to be only about 15 to 20 minutes away from my office by public bus transportation.

Speaking of Ireland, it’s been raining a lot in Virginia again. I know this is good for farmers and such but now the pool is open and I am so done with the lack of sun. Since I don’t have any Ireland picture yet, I’ll share this one:

Baxter the Basset Hound had surgery recently and we didn't want his stiches to get wet. Unfortunately, with one umbrella I was not as lucky.

Questions Answered

Where Are You Going?

Ever thought of interning, volunteering, or studying abroad?

As many of you know, my Ireland trip is fast approaching. In six weeks time I will be flying over the Atlantic, headed for the unknown. Several people have asked how I found an internship and host family for two months, without going over $5,000. Here is my research:

The program I am going through is the Center for Cultural Interchange, or CCI. Founded in 1985, this company helps over 7,000 students annually travel abroad. They also have a strong interest in volunteering and environmental awareness.

Of all the organizations aimed at college students, this was both the most affordable and flexible. There are no set program dates; you pick the weeks that fit your schedule. I never received a single automated email or voicemail, and worked closely with one consultant throughout the whole signing up process.

Each summer during my college years I wanted to be in a different place. Freshman year I stayed at Christopher Newport University and lived the beach bum life while taking classes. Sophomore year I went to North Carolina for the majority of my break and worked as a camp counselor in the mountains of Montreat. Finally, I have the chance to travel internationally.

For those of you also interested in being submersed into a new culture, volunteering, or studying abroad, CCI may be a helpful tool. With over 30 countries to choose from, you can travel around the world.

Good Luck!

Where Are You Going?

You Know It's the End of the School Year When...

I have too many exams to actually write a full post, but I thought a little blog update was in order. My junior year in college is coming to a close (yikes) and exam week here brings out some interesting behavior…

You know it’s the end of the school year when…

1. Every student is walking around, facing the ground and holding random sheets of paper, cramming last minute notes into their brain before exams.

2. Not only can you not find a study room at the library, but you also can’t find an available printer, computer…or seat.

3. You can no longer see the floor to your room but you justify this by saying “Well, I’m moving out in a week anyways.”

4. Laundry really needs to be done. But again, this can be justified (see question #3).

5. You find yourself eating the most random things because there is no point in going to the store if you have to leave in a few days. Peanut butter, turkey, and pita bread isn’t that bad.

6. If you sleep, your hours have shifted from about 4am till 9am. Some days it’s better, some days it’s worse.

7. The phrase “You trying to pull an all-nighter?” has become cliché.

8. People’s Facebook statuses talk about how much they love Adderall.

9. Trips to 7-11 for Slurpies seems exhilarating. This has become the highlight of your weekend.

10. You have no…more…money. And the money you had went to printing points.

11. “Work parties” are common, whatever that means.

12. There has been a noticeable increase in the amount of cigarettes people consume.

13. Headphones, Pandora, and coffee are essential elements to the work environment.

14. Showering is an option. Well, maybe it always is.

15. Your house is not clean, the vacuum cleaner is broken, and the windows no longer stay up by themselves. But trying to fix these things seems pointless, and you don’t have the time anyways. So, you learn to embrace it. Love that college life you lead.

Embracing college.

You Know It's the End of the School Year When...