I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who made this trip possible and provided all students with the opportunity to visit the European Parliament. Many of us were very interested in politics but some may not have considered pursuing political careers. This trip has certainly prompted many to reconsider.

Before the trip, we had approximately two to three hours to explore Dublin Airport’s duty-free area, which was sufficient time to greet and converse with each other. We then boarded our flight to Frankfurt and departed.

We arrived in Frankfurt on Wednesday morning at approximately 10:00 am and collected our luggage. We boarded a spacious and comfortable coach bus. Shortly into the journey, we stopped at a service station for refreshments before continuing to the picturesque city of Colmar in France. Colmar is a beautiful city with numerous Christmas markets and attractions.

We returned to the bus and travelled to the origami hotel in Strasbourg. I have no complaints about this hotel. The staff were friendly, the breakfast was warm and fresh, the fruit and pastries were delicious and the rooms were modern and clean.

The following day, we awoke at 7:00 am and boarded our coach for a 13-minute drive to the European Parliament. We were photographed and then proceeded through security. All that was required was a passport, which was processed quickly, especially given the large number of students present. We received lanyards, which functioned like key cards for the Parliament and were necessary for access to certain areas. As we toured the Parliament, we were able to admire the impressive architecture and the Hemicycle. The building was vast and its intricate design was remarkable.

our topic was cyber security which you study beforehand so there is absolutely no pressure. a lot of the Irish parliament members stood up for a speech which was fantastic, the other topics were also human rights and some more issues in the world today, and in the end, we actually had the chance to cast a vote on multiple topics and issues.

When we left the European Parliament we got some free stuff, including a hat, pencils, and a certificate, and we headed back to the hotel.

We had around 3-5 hours in Strasbourg on our own accord where we got to see a lot of landmarks and just saying one would be the Notre dam cathedral.

this also gave us time to go out and have dinner in the evening which was also lovely as there are plenty of amazing good spots to choose from in Strasbourg.

The next day unfortunately was our leaving day; we crossed the border back into France and we had the honour of seeing the Heidelberg castle and the city of Heidelberg itself with the castle being guided by a tour guide.

in Heidelberg we had around 2-3 hours to grab some food before going to the airport and when we had the time ran up, we made our way back to the bus.

we then checked in at Frankfurt airport and waved goodbye to Germany and France, which was sad but still really nice to get home after a busy trip.

in the plane it’s a good idea to pair up with someone as it could be the last time you see them for a while, I did so with my new friends, jack, donncha Millie.

At the Dublin airport we collected our bags and hugged goodbye a very sad but very relaxing moment knowing we were nearly home.

the trip to Strasbourg and all the other locations is unforgettable and I wouldn’t have changed anything about the people I met on the trip, everyone was so lovely and it was a nice feeling knowing we were all in the same boat and it made us very close within the first day or so.

again, I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity and I want to say a million thank yous to Nora, Aiden, and martin for being such kind and helpful leaders to all the students on the trip.

a trip that I will for sure never forget.