This September, I will enter my junior year at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. Being a student at Princeton has presented me with a world of incredible opportunities, the most recent being an eight-week summer internship in the Baboró office.

Now three weeks into my time at Baboró, I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring Galway and the West of Ireland. Last weekend, Danielle (the other Princeton intern) and I traveled to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. The sites were absolutely breathtaking, and it was difficult to comprehend the untouched beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way. More locally, the unique cafés and shops in the Galway City Centre create a vibrant and cheerful atmosphere. Luckily enough, the Baboró office is located at the heart of all that is happening in Galway.

Each of my mornings starts with a walk through Eyre Square just as the City Centre awakens for the day. Once in the office, I begin to work on my assignment for the week. I have had a wide range of responsibilities, including writing news articles, editing the Baboró website, developing festival information documents, and compiling information from traveling theatre companies. The office is always busy with people stopping in for meetings with the Baboró team, some of which I have been able to attend. On most days, I head to a local café for lunch and enjoy a cup of coffee to recharge for the remainder of the afternoon. After completing my responsibilities for the day, I spend some time exploring Galway before heading home.

My time in the Baboró office thus far has been an invaluable learning opportunity. It has given me insight into the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to successfully produce an event as sizeable as Baboró, especially considering the very small Baboró team. Overall, I have gained a greater understanding of and appreciation for the children’s creative arts industry. Baboró has reaffirmed my belief in the importance of the arts in the lives of children, and I am incredibly excited to see what the next five weeks have in store.