Upon arriving in Dublin, I did not experience the same level of culture shock as I expected. The people here are incredibly lovely; they speak English, and my living arrangements were similar to my apartment in College Station. The biggest difference I could find was their dedication to a healthy work-life balance. Every meeting begins with 5-10 minutes of small talk, regardless of the length or urgency of the gathering. Most co-workers go to “have a pint” after work to decompress and socialize, even on weekdays. No one comes into my office before 9:00 am; the latest they stay is 5:00 pm. Working over 50 hours per week is unheard of. This sentiment is not shared in the American finance sector, where new employees can work more than 80 hours per week. I have also noticed that my coworkers take EXTREMELY long holidays. A woman I am working with recently went on a 3-week vacation to sail around the Mediterranean. The rest of my co-workers acted as if this was extremely normal and started talking about their extended holidays planned for July. In America, people rarely take vacations longer than a week; if they do, they do it for a special occasion like a honeymoon. No one in my office works on Fridays, which I have taken full advantage of. Flights in Europe are incredibly cheap, so I have had the opportunity to visit Prague, Geneva, and Edinburgh on my long weekends. Overall, Dublin is highly similar to America, but the people protect their social lives much more fiercely and prioritize having personal relationships with their co-workers. I have enjoyed my time so far, and I cannot wait to see what the second half of my internship yields!
