From Finland to Ireland

Name: Taija Rauhala
Country of origin: Finland
Country in which she realized the mobility project: Northern Ireland

Throughout my stay in Ireland I have visited many different famous monuments and statues. Not only have I experienced the culture of the place I have stayed I have also taken trips to surrounding areas. In my free time, I liked to visit the city centre where I could shop around in the local shopping centres and visit high street shops. I also had an interest in visiting the cities local library, where I could relax and enjoy some peaceful reading. Overall, I feel that the people of Ireland are very friendly and outgoing, which makes the county a very nice place! I will return to Finland at the end of the project but I will always remember my time in Ireland and look back on the time fondly.

My favourite thing about my work placement in a care home was the fact that all of the members of staff were extremely friendly and very kind, which made me feel very happy as I enjoyed myself whilst working. This really helped me to integrate into the local culture and feel like a part of the new society. My main hints and tips for new students that are arriving include planning your weekends well as I believe that they go by very fast.

The things I have gained both professionally and personally from this project are improved language skills as my language level is now better than ever and I believe this was an entirely new experience for me. Improving my language skills was one of the main reasons I took part in this mobility project so I am very happy that I have improved. I would also highly recommend doing this project.