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| Dublin |
I had the
privilege to be a part of a group that toured the country of Ireland between
the dates of May 7-15. The course that this trip was a part of was Horticulture
499 – Gardens and Landscapes of Ireland. To begin with, many of the stereotypes
that exist about Ireland and Irish people are false. However, there are a few
that are true. For example, it rains almost every day in Ireland. On the first
three days of our trip, we experienced overcast conditions with rain and no sun
throughout the whole day. This was not a major issue though because our group
came prepared for this type of weather. After spending considerable time
touring Dublin and mingling with the people of the city, I learned that the
Irish people as a whole are extremely friendly and polite. They are always
willing to converse with you should you desire to talk to them. In addition to
this, they will always use proper manners and thank you for things. It
fascinates and delights me that you can travel over 3000 mile across an entire
ocean and still be able to connect with someone of a different culture and
upbringing on a personal level.
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| National Botanic Gardens |
This
ability to converse with the Irish people was instrumental in helping me to
develop my communication skills. I enjoy meeting people and making new friends
so this course helped me do that with both the members of my group and the
people that I met while in Ireland. Spending a week with the same group of
people might frustrate some people because of grievances they may have the
other group members throughout the week. This was not the case with our group.
We quickly realized before we left that we would have a blast spending time
with each other in Ireland. Everyone got along with each other very well and no
one we left out of conversation or activity at any point on the trip because we
all enjoyed each others company so much.
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| Feeding the seagulls |
Not
only was touring and sightseeing an integral part of the trip, learning was
also a central focus of our time. Because of the amount of time spent on a bus
traveling from one destination to another, we were able to learn about Irish
culture and history from the incredibly insightful talks our tour guide gave
us. He was extremely knowledgeable on his country’s history. This knowledge
allowed him to give us an unbiased view towards the events of Ireland’s long
and storied history. It was fascinating to learn about why the Irish people
believe some of the things they do today. Certain events or situations may have
forced them into thinking one way or influenced a decision that would have led
them down a particular path. It was very evident through the talks that our
tour guide was passionate about Ireland’s history and culture.
Overall,
the trip was an incredible experience and I am very thankful to have been given
this opportunity. I would love to go back to Ireland at some point to
experience certain things again as well as see some new locations that Ireland
has to offer.
