Regan Fuertes, our Griffith College Dublin and USA Ambassador, shares five things she misses the most about living in Dublin…

There are so many amazing things to enjoy about living in Dublin. Since moving back to US suburbia I have discovered there are certain things I miss. Here are just five…

Hospitality

The Irish are famous for their hospitality and outgoing personalities. Not once did I feel unwelcome in Dublin. I toured all of the tourist sights and explored off the beaten path to find my own hidden gems in the city. Every store, street, and shopping centre I entered was full of kind people always willing to have a good craic (good conversation and fun).

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Food

The food offerings in Dublin are diverse ranging from traditional Irish to Asian or Middle Eastern cuisine. All of the food tastes fresh and delicious and with stringent EU regulations on food processing and handling, the food in Europe tastes vastly different than that of the USA. Although many exchange students will be from EU countries, those from America will undoubtedly miss the quality of food experienced during their time abroad.

Laid back classes

The classroom atmosphere at Griffith College was very laid back. I spoke about this to a degree in my last blog post. From scheduling and class selection to the actual learning and lectures, everything was conducted at a more relaxed pace, which I enjoyed. Returning to my home university has reminded me of the high-pressure atmosphere of college back in the states. I’ll miss the laid back attitude at college in Ireland.

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International city

Dublin is an international city teeming with people of every nationality. Walking around town I would hear multiple different languages such as German, French, and of course English. Depending on the location of your current school the population can be rather homogeneous. It was amazing to live in a city with so many people from all around the world and I’m sad to leave that diversity behind.

Friends

One of the things I’ll miss most about Dublin is the friends I made while living in the city. From the international students I met at Griffith College to the other exchange students in my study abroad program, the friends I found are what made the experience so great. There was always someone willing to walk to the grocery store with me, grab coffee or study. Although we are all from distant parts of the world, I know that some of my best friends will always keep in touch.

Interested in studying abroad? Visit the Education in Ireland website for more information.