I have safely survived my first flight and landed in Ireland no problems! I was so nervous getting on the plane. I ended up loving it! I had my own TV, a blanket, a pillow and headphones! I made it to Germany and had no problems getting onto my connecting flight! I did hear some horror stories from other students whose flights were delayed or cancelled or missed. So glad that didn’t happen to me!
When I got to the airport I took a cab with my roommate to my apartment which is BEAUTIFUL. A two-story flat in Dublin with a spiral staircase. I couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect.
The first night there we went out with our group to a pub called ‘The Barge,’ we got to meet and talk to a bunch of locals who told us the best places to go, the least touristy places to go and where to absolutely avoid. The Irish love Americans! The think we are ‘grand’ and ‘brilliant’. It’s so interesting to hear all of the slang. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to understand!
And who knew things would be so different here! We went to the grocery store the first day and didn’t realize you had to pay for carts so we ended up taking fruit boxes and putting all of our food in them because we didn’t have 2 euro. We also didn’t realize you needed to pay 20 cent for bags so we had to carry everything home in the boxes! At least we all got a good laugh about it.
This week was filled with information sessions, get-to-know-you introductions and lots of coffee breaks! I was falling asleep (along with everyone else_ during orientation because everyone is so jet-lagged. It’s funny because the directors of IES just laughed because they are so used to it. I got a croissant on the morning of orientation from this little Brazilian coffee shop down the road where they had these amazing little treats. The next morning I went back and the little old Irish man who works there knew I was coming back for more and made me two! On the house! I was so excited. The people here are so incredibly friendly!
So far I have absolutely fallen in love with Ireland! If you’re in Europe make sure you stop here! It wont disappoint you!
Location: Dublin 2, Ireland
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That sounds awesome! My mom was born in Dublin and I have a lot of family there, so I plan on visiting a couple times since London, where I’m studying, is so close. The Irish and the British are very different, but some of the slang is the same. Both cultures have very cheerful and witty people, which I especially enjoy. Have a great semester!