Welcome from the Locals

The locals played a large part in my positive trip experience in Ireland. The culture of the Irish people is notably friendly. Almost all of the people I met in any area were extremely kind and welcoming towards us. Many of them would first point out to us that they could tell we were Americans before we even spoke to them. They would further go on to explain that it was a combination of the way we dressed and the way that we looked just before ordering food or asking a question. None hesitated to approach in any setting to ask how we were getting along in Dublin or if we needed any restaurant recommendations. This willingness to chat is one of the most notable things from my experience in Ireland.
We had the chance to connect with some local students who were either studying over the summer or currently living in Dublin. We found some of them after they helped us tour the campus and some just approached us after they recognized that we were Americans living in Dublin. This was one of my favorite parts of the experience. They were all genuinely interested in the things that we had to say and loved to explain things in Irish culture that we may not have understood fully. They made us lists of restaurants and fun places to see or visit and even decided to come to dinner and some of the sights with us. It was nice to have people traveling with us who knew the area and how to avoid some of the more trafficked areas.
Feeling “American” abroad provides me with a mixture of feelings. Feeling “American” abroad at first feels just like sticking out in a room like a sore thumb. It was not just about our accents or the way that we dressed, but it was more complex than that. Everyone could tell that we were from America and could not have been happier. I never once felt any negativity because we were in Ireland. The locals were more than happy to show us their home with great pride and hospitality. I did not take any sort of internship or job in my short time in Ireland, but I did have time to greet and interact with University of Pittsburgh Alumni who work in Ireland. Many of these are from the United States originally and moved to Ireland for one reason or another. These conversations were the most inciteful because each person had a different reason for moving and had different experiences in doing so.  Over the short period that I spent in Dublin, I was able to interact and mingle with the locals to further my understanding of this friendly culture.