During my time in Dublin, I was able to learn a lot about myself and also was able to overcome fears or insecurities when it comes to interacting with new people. I was working in a bakery and got assigned the job as a barista, so I interacted with the customers firsthand. Since people came from different regions of Ireland and also from all around world, I was confronted with dialects or accents I haven’t heard yet, so building up the courage to ask questions back or even just saying honestly that I couldn’t understand something completely, was a challenge for the first day, but after a couple more days it became very easy to understand people. I also learned that the working environment is a bit more relaxed than it is in Germany. When things don’t go as smooth the first couple days it’s alright, which was something that I really needed to get used to. Also, during those three weeks I realized that working in cafes and restaurants can be exhausting and amazing at the same time. Due to walking around a lot and being on my feet the whole time I stay active, which I love, but of course it gets tiring after a rush hour packed shift. In the end of the day I always felt like I accomplished something and worked. My speaking abilities improved a lot through me needing to multitask a lot of times and switch tasks quickly but also answering customers questions while, for example, completing their order. It helped me being able to find words even quicker now and forming answers so much easier which in return made communicating with my host parents easier but also with strangers or even during ordering in restaurants or small talk in the grocery stores.
To sum up this experience I will recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to do it. In those 3 weeks you will grow so much and will learn so many incredible things about yourself which you didn’t even know. Yes, the 3 weeks pass by very fast but they are so worth it and it shouldn’t be something to miss.
Emma
