Ever since I was in high school, I’ve always wanted to travel across the world. My friends would always joke that I would never settle down because I’ll be too busy in a different country every other month. I always laughed at this because I grew up poor and traveling was always just a dream. I still, however, always had this empty feeling inside of me that I was missing out on so many opportunities. I graduated from SUNY Oswego a year early, which gave me little time to even think about studying abroad. I would always see my friends and other students travelling outside the country and I would say to myself, “I’m going to do that, I want to do that” but never did.
Soon after I enrolled in Graduate school at Columbia University and truly didn’t have the time to go abroad. It wasn’t until the summer of 2017 when I was talking to a good friend of mine about my regrets of never going abroad, that she suggested interning abroad after I graduated. I couldn’t believe I never thought of this! What better way to get the actual work experience I needed and so badly desired than to work in another country? I had a variety of internships before but none ever gave me that feeling that the field I was choosing, was for me. I began doing my research and came across an organization called Global Experiences. I was so nervous because everything about the organization seemed too good to be true.Nevertheless, I took a leap a faith and was accepted to be an intern for the Spring 2018 semester. GE then began preparing me with resume/cover letter assistance, interview preparation, and other career training skills before I embarked on my journey. By December 2017, I was totally prepared to finally live my dream.
Since I arrived in Ireland back in January, I have been exploring the country nonstop. Through my internship I also have the opportunity to work in another city, Galway, Ireland, a few days out of the week in their office. My program has even set up numerous cultural excursions for us that has made travelling more accessible. I have visited the breathtaking sights of the Cliffs of Moher and our group then spent the weekend there and went to the bars and clubs in Galway. Galway is more known for its younger population so it was a great breakaway from the working city of Dublin. If you’re ever there, you have to visit Coyote’s which is a club inspired by the American movie Coyote Ugly and plays a lot of American music. I have also visited Rock of Cashel and Blarney’s Castle where you can kiss the legendary Blarney stone. Our program has coordinated a trip for us to visit Giants Causeway and Belfast, Ireland. I will also be going on a Game of Thrones tour in Belfast the next day. A lot of the scenes for the show filmed here in Ireland so I had to book a tour!
The pubs in Ireland are so cute and you can always find a packed bar of people singing and laughing. I have found that like English in America, there are also numerous variations of the Irish accent depending on whether the speaker lives in the countryside or Dublin. The phrases that Irish people use have been fun to learn. Phrases like “thanks a milli” or “mind yourself” and “just grand” are heard at least 15 times a day in and outside the bars! Irish people even have their own take on an American accent as well which I find to be hilarious.
For the past two months now, I have been working in Dublin, Ireland as a Psychotherapist at Let’s Get Talking Dublin, and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I completely fell in love with my work! The impact of culture on mental health is astonishing and it is amazing to see the vast differences between how mental health is viewed in Ireland versus back home in America. Ireland is heavily rooted in Catholicism which has consistently discouraged people from reaching out for any help outside of the church. This has been changing in the past decade as people are coming to realize the importance of taking care of their mental health! Observing and conducting my own assessments of clients, I have seen the drastic impact of culture on client’s views of mental health. Even family dynamics are heavily influenced by religious views. I hope to one day work in marriage, family, and youth therapy/counseling services in hopes of understanding varying effects of culture is pertinent to understanding an individual’s needs.
Through my current internship, I have found true passion in my work and it has been so rewarding. A few weeks ago, I conducted my first solo assessment of a potential client and it was second nature for me. I used to be nervous and joke that I have too many issues to be trying to help anyone else, but it comes so naturally for me. I have also been creating a wellness program for high school students that will teach them different ways to take care of themselves emotionally, physically, and mentally. This has been my favorite part of my internship because I realized that I love working with youth. This is what I love to do, help people. To think, I may not have discovered this if it wasn't for this opportunity.
Not only have I been able to explore and work in a country so different from America, but I have been able to visit other countries as well. It’s so cheap to travel throughout Europe that you can get on a plane and spend a weekend in a whole other country! The problem isn’t finances anymore, it’s finding the time to visit all of these amazing countries. So far, I have already been to London and Munich which were both amazing. I also have two more trips booked for this month to Amsterdam and Rome. I have definitely caught the travel bug because before I head back home in April I plan on travelling solo throughout France, Greece and Spain. Although I have a small fear of travelling alone, I know that I will be okay. I have always been extremely independent out of necessity, growing up, but being in a whole other country has settled a lot of my fears. I frequently navigate myself through new countries every which has unleashed an amazing confidence in myself. I have learned to take advantage of this opportunity and every opportunity I receive in the future. I am more grateful for the things that I do have and I no longer focus on what I don't have. I have knowledge, experience and culture which can never be taken away from me. Everything I have learned from travelling has helped me become a well-rounded Black woman who can and will take on anything put in my path.
"Little girls with dreams become women with vision."
Sometimes I find myself just getting up and going places. I have become way more efficient at planning and being organized. I want to make sure I am doing all that I can to make the most out of this experience. I will be sad to leave but I know I have a community back home with whom I can share all that I’ve gained. My wins are their wins.
See you soon, New York!
Ireland is of course also known for its liquid gold -- beer!