When traveling around Ireland in our Mercedes bus, I learned a lot about myself, the other students around me and the community within the beautiful green island. I really enjoyed visiting some of the small hostels in the rural areas, and near the coast. The different types of people you will find living and visiting among the hostels are amazing. One experience that stuck out to me was in Spiddal a very quiet village in Galway. After experiencing music provided by the friend of our professor, the other students all went out to grab a pint at the local pub. The pub was the same place we had eaten before and had great food and a great atmosphere. There was live music in the afternoon that was provided by locals playing their favorite instruments and having a wonderful time. This was not the first time we went to a random village pub and heard folks playing their own instrument. This style of community will not be found in the states and I have really come to enjoy it. In most places in America, the pub will pay a band to come play for them and the expectations are very high and you are limited to the music they want to play. The Irish way is interesting because it allows the locals to really connect to the music and create a great atmosphere. In addition to the great vibe if you know how to play, you can join in and play your part. This offers a connection that I could not have imagined in any other location in my hometown. The bar closed down fairly early and we all left and walked down to the water. After meeting some locals, they offered me a foreign beer I’ve never heard of and were listening to music that was played out of a mate’s pocket speaker. This lad was fairly drunk and he yelled “this is the place we live in” the young Irish man was referring to the beautiful night we had on the water with a full moon and a very observable ocean view. After asking them a few questions, I soon realized these guys were younger than me and unfortunately very poor. They all had jobs to make enough money to move into the city. What I really liked about the people in Ireland is that they are very grateful, and they were willing to give a beer to a stranger, even though they didn’t have much for themselves.