Dublin was a learning opportunity for me in so many ways. Before moving to Ireland for a few months to intern at a non-profit organization working with homelessness, I had only lived in my small-town community. I went from knowing everyone on my street and saying hello to all my friends, family and neighbours in the grocery store to not even knowing one person on that side of the Atlantic. To say it was a drastic change would be an understatement! Luckily for me I had plenty of support from Connect-123 throughout the entire process. I left Ireland knowing that a piece of my heart will always be there. My host family made me feel welcomed and valued and became my Irish family. In my internship, I had plenty of support from the hard working folks there and I linked in with people from all different backgrounds and places. Dublin gave me the space to explore and to be myself. I am certain that without the support of the Connect-123 program throughout the entirety of my experience I would not have made such progress in my future and in myself.