I am embarking on an adventure to Dublin, Ireland in less than a week and I could not be more excited! To give a little more insight, I have an eight-week internship set up in Dublin through CIS Abroad. I had the opportunity to experience Ireland last summer with two of my great friends, but it was short lived as we traveled all around Europe after Ireland. While we were there, I hoped to get a chance to experience it further (Wooo! I do!). This time around, I am even more eager to spend my summer in the beautiful country.

1. Better preparation.

Let's just say that my friends and I had to cram space into our Osprey backpacks, so the necessities were not always there. All we had were light running jackets that did not stop water from drenching us. With that said, I will have my cute trench coat and an umbrella ready for the rainy days.

2. Irish food.

This reason is so important. I have spent time looking up different restaurants and various foods— boxty (a type of pancake), Irish stew and soda bread. I had only tried food I was more familiar with last year, except black pudding (by the way, it's not another word for chocolate pudding), so I am looking forward to rallying back to try more Irish cuisines.

3. The festivals and markets.

I have always heard that Ireland has great festivals and markets that offer a lot of activities for tourists. As a big coffee lover, there just happens to be a food festival, World of Coffee Dublin 2016, that I will most definitely be attending.

4. "Irish-isms."

Irish-isms are basically slang phrases the Irish use. I can't wait to learn them so I can confuse everyone back here at home. So far I know of one: "What's the craic?" meaning "what's up," and I have been practicing the phrase endlessly.

(I hope I pick up the Irish accent while I'm there. Bye-bye,Midwest drawl.)

5. The people.

What I remember most about Ireland was how good-natured and friendly the people seemed to be. Anytime my friends and I had been on a bus or a train, someone would ask us where we were from and give us advice on where we should go and what to do while we were there. I never felt really "out of place" because of how kind everyone was. I look forward to interacting with the people and learning about their culture.

6. The scenery.

There are so many sights— the green land, the castles, the history— I could go on and on! I'm excited for those CIS excursions to see all there is to see of the country.

7. Making friendships.

Since I am traveling with the CIS program, there will be several students, like me, from all around the U.S. I have no doubts that I will meet amazing people and hopefully friendships will come about through the process.

8. Working.

CIS was able to set an internship up at TaxAssist Accountants outside of Dublin. My major is in Accounting and Business Administration so interning with TaxAssist will be a worthwhile experience. I will get a taste of my career field, building skills and knowledge while living in another country. I think it will enable me to become a better employee for any future job along the way.

9. The culture.

I will be living there for eight weeks, meaning I will be submerged in the Irish lifestyle and can answer to my curiosity. What do most people do after work? What is the most popular food to eat? What are popular weekend activities? What is going to church like there? The questions never end.

10. Getting outside of my comfort zone.

As excited as I am, I definitely have a mixture of emotions. I am nervous, scared, happy, stressed, but I really believe my excited emotion outweighs all of the other ones. I am not going to know anyone at first. It will take time. I am going to get lost. It will take time. I am not going to understand everything on the first day at my internship. It will take time. I know being alone in a new place is not going to be all rainbows and butterflies in the beginning, but I just have to be patient with the process and most importantly myself. Doing this will help me to step out and learn so much about life, people, working, culture and other things I don't even have a clue about yet. I have to remember that it is all God's work and I just have to strive to stay positive.