Currently studying the MSc in Management at National College of Ireland, Education in Ireland and NCI International Student Ambassador Pratik Hublikar shares some reasons why he loves living in Ireland's capital.
Dublin is a mix of heritage and culture, modern yet laid-back. I had never dreamed of being away from my home country, India. And when it was time to decide for me to choose a country to study, Ireland was one of the top choices. Before going deeper into why I chose Dublin to be my place of study, I would first like to say that it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.
Meeting lovely people on arrival
My first international flight was different to how I imagined it would be: a blend of boredom and tiredness because of the 18-hour flight. The whole journey, my mind wandered to the streets of India, the food I was going to miss and my family. My first step on Irish soil was at 8 am in the morning. The orange sky, the cold breeze and busy streets outside the airport freshened me up and gave me a taste of what entering this new life was going to be like.
There might be Internet and Google to help and guide you with almost everything, but the thing you need most when you are in a foreign country is human conversation. When I arrived in Dublin Airport, a lovely Irish lady approached me and asked if I needed any help. She helped me in many ways, from buying a ticket to helping me board a bus. It was the first time that a person from another country helped out of concern, and believe me when I say it has been a never ending experience since then.
Dublin has it all
It is not the just the people of this country I have fallen in love with. Each day has been a new experience, from the changing weather to the people performing on the streets.
I have seen people talking about the ever-changing weather, but once you get used to it, you become proud of it because you have already started loving it. The evening sunset on the river Liffey, the beach at Bray and the cliffs of Howth – and all in one city.
I would summarise Dublin as follows:
A city of art, continuously decorating itself,
A calm and peaceful river Liffey, flowing by herself.
History on the streets and the blue orange skies,
A city of dreams, where every person flies.
This blog post was originally published on the Education in Ireland website.
