My first day in Ireland

By Vasjan Broka, Career Coach

Date: June 3, 2017

After a long journey by plane, train, bus and car I arrived in Ballinrobe, Ireland. Ballinrobe is the town, where I will spend my next months.  At the train station, Liam, the host entrepreneur, was waiting for me. The first things that I was impressed with was hospitality.

As in Albania, one of the most important values of Ireland is hospitality. Immediately after I went down to Ballinrobe, I dined with Liam and then he invited me to his home. Liam lives in the suburb of Ballinrobe, in a nice house surrounded by nature.

There I got acquainted with his wife Noreen and the dog Harris. I had a short conversation with a cup of tea. I spoke about Albania and Tirana, the city where I come from. I immediately felt at home because of the warm hospitality of this family.

After this meeting, Liam introduced me to the office where I will spend the next 3 months. The Sli Nua Careers office is located on the main street and is recognised by all the citizens of Ballinrobe. This office has three floors and has a family environment.

Sli Nua Careers office has several rooms, including a shared kitchen. On the second and third floor is the office of Liam, Niamh and Shane. Shane and Niamh are the other two full-time employees at Sli Nua Careers.

After the brief introduction of the office, I went to my new home. It was a special moment, as I would know where I would sleep and stay the next three months. My new home is very big, beautiful and cozy.

The most special part is the garden, where for the 3 months I can drink tea and ponder over my experience in Ireland.

My first day is coming to an end. I’m happy to have a new home and office for the next three months. The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs experience started very well. As the Albanians say, “well begun, is half done”.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a cross-border exchange programme which gives new or aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to learn from experienced entrepreneurs running small businesses in other participating countries.

The exchange of experience takes place during a stay with the experienced entrepreneur, which helps the new entrepreneur acquire the skills needed to run a small firm. The host benefits from fresh perspectives on his/her business and gets the opportunities to cooperate with foreign partners or learn about new markets. More HERE. Our contact here in Ireland is John Kennedy, Limerick Institute of Technology: