Hi there!
As you may or may not know from reading my “About Me” Page, it wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that my attitude towards traveling the world did a complete 180, and it finally dawned on me that I didn’t want to just be a homebody anymore. All my life up until that point, I honestly never had any aspirations to travel. I was perfectly fine being in my own little bubble that is the Boston area.
Fast forward to almost four years later, and all I want to do is get the EFF out of here! Having had one unforgettable international experience all on my own since then, I am just itching to get back out there and immerse myself in another culture that will enable me to broaden my horizons even further, and hopefully give me more perspective on what is most needed in this world.
Anyway, enough of me expressing my ongoing desperations to see more of what this planet has to offer…
If you’re here reading this right now, you probably have at least just a hint of interest and curiosity as to how you could possibly travel, and perhaps, even work and/or volunteer abroad. So I’m here to ensure you, it IS possible. And my goal at the end of this blog post is to not only convince you that you simply MUST take the leap across the pond to experience whatever it is that your heart desires, but also to show you how you can do just that in a few simple and relatively stress-free steps that will leave you feeling confident and ready to conquer your dreams.
Bank of Ireland on College Green, across from Trinity College Dublin.
Rewinding back to the beginning of winter of 2014, I was researching ways I could complete an internship abroad, when I stumbled upon a program called “Connect-123.”
Before I go on, I’ll give you just a brief background on what Connect-123 is and their mission:
Connect-123 is a program that has spent the last 11 years devoting themselves to providing internships, as well as volunteer and study abroad opportunities for people like me and you who desire to get hands on experience with a topic that interests us, in a location that is unfamiliar, but intriguing to us.
Sounds too good to be true?… It’s not!
Further investigation of this program led me to conclude that it was a legitimate program, and so while it seemed almost too easy, I decided to inquire using the brief application they have on their site.
I didn’t have wait long after submitting my inquiry before I got an email from the Program Director sending me a warm welcome to the Connect-123 Community. In that email were all Connect-123’s links to their social media pages, which would give me access to their alumni network, as well as the latest photos/videos from current participants of the program. In addition to the links, she sent an attachment containing a list of books, movies, and websites that would give me a peek into the history and culture of Dublin and basically get me pumped for the trip ahead.
In order to get things rolling on their end, I had to fill out application forms that would enable the Program Director to find me the best opportunity that would be as closely tailored to my needs and interests as possible. For example, they wanted to know what months of the year I would be available to go abroad, as well as how long I would be available during those months. They wanted to know exactly what type of work I would like to do during my stay. For example, I had the option to get hands-on experience with something related to engineering, agriculture, science, retail, advertising, and so many more possibilities. I should note to you, it is important that you be specific on the application form in order for them to find something that will actually benefit you and your career, or even just enhance your visit. Having an updated resume handy is required and could fill in most gaps in regards to your skill set.
Just like I did, you will need to submit an initial payment of $300 or 300 Euros depending on your desired location, at least two letters of recommendation, your resume, and writing samples (if applicable), as well as have a telephone-based interview before they can start seeking out opportunities for you. Therefore, I would advise you to seek out teachers/employers, etc, beforehand, in order to have a letter of recommendation prepared right when you need it. Also, if you’re sure traveling abroad is something that you want to do via this program, be sure to have at least around $2500 at the ready (the program fee is now $2,450 or 2,450 Euros, which includes the initial payment of $300/300 Euros), and then you’ll want to have enough money for your round trip plane tickets as well.
Once you’ve submitted the essential application forms, payments, and letters of recommendation, work/volunteer opportunities will start to trickle into your inbox from your Program Director, as well as any other knowledge you may need to know for your trip such as Visa information, the items that you will need to prepare in order to get through customs, international insurance, passport/flight/cellphone information, and anything else that you may want/need to know.
When the Program Director finally sent me an offer that resonated the most with me, I let them know, and they handled the process of confirming my placement. I had to complete a couple more forms and it was also recommended that I obtain a letter from my college’s supervisor to help prove to customs that I was only in Ireland for educational purposes (at the time I applied, in order for me to work in Ireland without needing a visa, the work would have to be unpaid and therefore voluntary and educational). Once all that was sorted out, I was all set in that regard. It was so exciting once I got that confirmation email! I was officially going to Dublin for the summer!!! (Or at least there would be something for me to do once I got there).
After that, the Program Director reached out to me about where I would like to stay in Dublin. I was told that during the summer, most program participants house at University College Dublin (UCD), which is about 15 minutes by bus from Dublin city center, and back then, would have been 165 Euros/week, which would have included my own single room in a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment (shared with other program participants), as well as internet, a safe neighborhood with nearby amenities, and the use of the residence gym.
While this sounded like a great housing arrangement and I know it definitely worked well for some, the cost was honestly a bit steep for me, as I was going to be paying for the vast majority of this trip by myself. But in addition to that, I really wanted to immerse myself in the culture of Dublin. If I chose to live at UCD, I could just foresee my daily activities revolving around whatever else my roommates/apartment mates were doing. I figured that the likelihood of me being able to do whatever I wanted, basically whenever I wanted, without being influenced by whatever else it was that the other participants were doing, would probably be greatly hindered. Maybe for some people, the security of having friends to hang out with and make plans with would be a selling point for living at UCD; but for me, I wanted this experience to completely disconnect me from the culture and the type of people I was familiar with. I wanted to meet new people with much different backgrounds, and have the freedom to roam around by myself and not feel obliged to join in on someone else’s plans. I wanted this trip to be MINE, so honestly, making the decision to live elsewhere was probably the best decision I made, and I would never take it back.
The site that was recommended to me to find alternative accommodation was http://www.daft.ie/sharing/. While my Program Director offered their assistance with finding somewhere to live, and even a ride from the airport upon arrival, I really wanted make the living arrangements myself. I suppose I was a bit pickier about where I would be living and I figured that no one would know, better than me, what I would want.
It didn’t take me long at all to become acquainted via the “daft” site with whom I would later refer to as my “Mongolian Mommy” and find an apartment that not only was within walking distance to my internship (~25 minutes) and city shopping centers (~10 minutes), but was also just a mere 700 Euros (back then ~$780) for my entire 2 months stay. I cannot even begin to express how lucky I was to stumble upon this hardworking lady and her wonderful apartment! It was in this apartment where I met one of my very greatest and closest friends who I still chat nonstop with via Facebook Messenger to this day. But perhaps my gratitude for that regard will be a topic for another post.
Anyway, I think that’s about it for this post! I know that was probably a lot of information to soak in, and perhaps you are now overwhelmed with the steps you would need to follow in order to work/volunteer abroad, but I promise, it’s not nearly as stressful as it may seem. Using Connect-123 to plan your first solo trip abroad is a great way to break the ice with other cultures because your Program Director (and other helpers from the program) do most of the work for you!! They keep you up to date with what is required of you and do their very best to make sure the planning of your trip is as seamless as possible. My greatest advice upon joining the Connect-123 Community is to give yourself (as well as your Program Director) enough time to plan!! That is key. The farther in advance you start planning, the greater the shape you’ll be in, and the process shouldn’t be nearly as daunting.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to me!! I respond to all of my readers. 🙂 And be on the lookout for my PDF which outlines more specific tips about planning your solo trip abroad, especially via Connect-123.
Thanks for reading!
-Brianna-Marie
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