🇮🇪 Ireland (June 9–14, 2026)
Ireland was our first stop, and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Europe. Every day was a mix of learning, sightseeing, and just enough free time to explore on our own. Looking back, it was the perfect balance.
📅 June 10 | Welcome to Dublin!
9:45 AM – Arrive in Dublin ✈️
After months of planning (and anxiously checking that I packed my passport approximately 47 times), we finally landed in Ireland!
10:45 AM
- Airport transfer
- Health & Safety Orientation
- Received our public transportation pass
- Checked into Dublin City University
One thing I appreciated right away was that we were given public transportation passes. Before the trip, using another country’s transit system sounded intimidating, but having unlimited access made it so much easier to get comfortable navigating Dublin.
🍴 Lunch: On your own
This was our first chance to explore and figure out Irish cafés!
2:00 PM – Dublin City Tour
This was honestly the perfect first activity because it helped us get our bearings while learning about Dublin’s history.
4:15 PM – St. Patrick’s Cathedral
One of those places that feels even more impressive in person than it does in photos.
7:00 PM – Welcome Dinner & Celtic Nights Show
This was such a fun way to kick off the trip. Great food, traditional Irish music, dancing, and the excitement of realizing, “We’re actually here.”
📅 June 11 | Educational Leadership & Coastal Ireland
☕ Breakfast – we were provided meal passes to enjoy at the campus cafeteria and it was delicious!
10:00 AM
Academic visit with the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD).
As someone working in higher education while pursuing my doctorate, I loved hearing how educational leadership works in Ireland and comparing it to the U.S.
12:00 PM
Train to Howth
This ended up being one of my favorite afternoons of the entire Ireland portion of the trip.
We explored the harbor, grabbed lunch at a small local fish market, had the best fish and chips I’ve ever had in my life, took a boat cruise, and had time to hike and enjoy the coastline. If you’ve never heard of Howth before, add it to your list. Seriously. It’s beautiful!
That evening we headed back to Dublin where some of us watched the World Cup together before exploring places like Temple Bar and other local pubs.
📅 June 12 | Learning at Dublin City University
This was definitely our most academic day, and also one of the most valuable.
We met with the Higher Education Authority before spending the afternoon at Dublin City University attending research workshops.
Some of the topics included:
- Researcher bias and reflexivity
- Design-Based Research
- Making research more accessible to the public
As someone currently working on my dissertation, I filled pages of notes during these sessions.
That evening we had the option to grab dinner with our DCU partners, which gave us an opportunity to continue conversations outside of the classroom, or we were free to spend the evening on our own. Half of the group stayed and grabbed dinner with our DCU partners, and the other half went back to the dorm to rest up for the next day!
📅 June 13 | History, Books & Guinness
Our final full day in Ireland packed in several iconic experiences.
☕ Morning at Dublin City University
🍴 Lunch with DCU partners
📚 Trinity College & the Book of Kells
Seeing the Long Room library in person honestly felt surreal. Pictures absolutely don’t do it justice.
🍺 Guinness Storehouse
Even if Guinness isn’t your drink of choice, I still recommend visiting. The building itself is impressive, the history is fascinating, and the panoramic views of Dublin from the top are incredible.
After Guinness, we took the bus to The Church Café Bar which was a beautiful, thoughtfully converted 18th Century Church with amazing food, drinks, and Irish music and dancing!
By the end of the day, it was hard to believe everything we’d already experienced in just four days.
🏴 Scotland (June 14–17, 2026)
Scotland somehow managed to feel completely different from Ireland while still being equally incredible. Edinburgh looked like something straight out of a storybook with castles, cobblestone streets, centuries-old buildings, and bagpipes playing as we walked down the Royal Mile. If you’re a history lover like I am, you’ll probably never want to leave. Edinburgh is in my top 3 favorite places I have ever been to! Also, if you are a Harry Potter fan, add Edinburgh to your bucket list!
📅 June 14 | Welcome to Edinburgh!
☕ Breakfast on our own before an early travel day.
6:15 AM – Check out of Dublin City University
It was hard saying goodbye to Ireland, but we were excited for the next adventure.
✈️ 10:20 AM – Flight from Dublin to Edinburgh
By this point, airports were already starting to feel much less intimidating than they had just a few days earlier.
11:40 AM – Welcome to Scotland!
After arriving in Edinburgh, we met our local staff, checked into our hotel, grabbed lunch nearby, and had a little time to freshen up before heading back out.
🚶 4:00 PM – Old Town & Royal Mile Walking Tour
I can’t think of a better introduction to Edinburgh.
Walking through Old Town felt like stepping back in time. Every street had centuries of history, and it seemed like there was something interesting around every corner. The Royal Mile quickly became one of my favorite areas because there was so much to see, from historic buildings and churches to local shops and street performers.
🍽️ Dinner was on our own, which gave us another opportunity to explore the city and try local restaurants.
By the end of the day, I was already wondering how a place could possibly be this beautiful.
📅 June 15 | Castles & Royal History
Breakfast was included at the hotel, which was delicious and convenient!
🏰 10:30 AM – Edinburgh Castle
This was easily one of my favorite historical sites from the entire trip.
As someone who loves history, walking through a castle that’s been standing for hundreds of years was surreal. Everywhere you looked there was another incredible view or another fascinating piece of Scottish history.
If you’re planning a visit, definitely wear comfortable shoes because you’ll be doing a lot of walking, but it’s absolutely worth it.
🍴 Lunch on our own: I used this time to grab a quick bite on the go, explore Victoria Street, and go shopping! I went to a local artisan market and bought one of my favorite pieces painted by a local artist of the colorful Victoria Street.
👑 2:00 PM – Palace of Holyroodhouse
After lunch, we visited the official royal residence in Scotland. Between the beautiful architecture, gardens, and history, it was another reminder that we were seeing places I’d only ever read about before.
The rest of the evening was free to relax, explore, or enjoy another dinner in Edinburgh.
📅 June 16 | Loch Lomond & Farewell Dinner
This was one of my favorite days of the entire study abroad experience.
🚌 9:00 AM – Coach ride to Loch Lomond
Sometimes the drive to a destination is just as beautiful as the destination itself, and this was definitely one of those days.
🚤 11:30 AM – Loch Lomond Cruise
Pictures simply don’t do this place justice.
The mountains, the water, the fresh air…everything about Loch Lomond was peaceful. It was one of those places that makes you stop talking for a minute because you’re just taking everything in.
We had free time afterward to grab lunch and explore the area before heading back to Edinburgh.
🍽️ 7:30 PM – Farewell Dinner
Our final dinner together was bittersweet.
Over the past week, our group had gone from classmates to travel buddies. We’d navigated airports together, explored new cities together, laughed through unexpected moments, and learned so much from one another. Saying goodbye to the academic portion of our trip felt much harder than I expected.
It was the perfect way to celebrate everything we’d experienced together.
Although our trip had come to an end, this was only the first half of my abroad adventures. Check out part II for more.