Day 8: Howth

Woke up early this morning to go running with Sara Teesdale in the park on campus. Only about 20 minute, maybe a 1 mile run, but it was pretty in the park and it woke me up nicely so I didn't feel as sleepy in class this morning haha. Class was a lot more interesting today, we went over Reformation era events and got a 500 word assignment over any topic in Irish culture we choose. 

After class Erin, Sara and I went to Howth with Laura and Sara, Taylor, and Sam, Amy, and Rebecca. Navigating the DART was... a cultural challenge to say the least! But we made it, and the coast was beautiful. We had to take a crazy intense walk to get to the summit, but the views were great. 

We made it back down and found a restaurant that served us a generous portion of good food for decently cheap and then took the bus back to city center, then straight back to campus. Good day, now looking forward to a quiet evening at home catching up and eating my half of the chocolate cake Erin and I split! Cheers!

Day 7: Gaelic Football

Woke up around 10 today and got ready to leave to meet Katy and Blake, Ali and Jonathan's Chi Alpha friends who live here in Dublin. This was my first time taking the bus into the city by myself, and I was a teensy bit nervous. I ended up getting off the bus a lot earlier than I needed to (first stop on O'Connell street, not first stop after O'Connell bridge), but I had my map with me and was able to reason out how far I needed to walk and found Katy no problem. She was so sweet and reminded me of Ali immediately!

We walked to church and she told me that it was the same church where Oscar Wilde was baptized and that John Wesley had once spoke there. They took me to lunch at a nearby hotel after church which was super nice of them. I figured out how to get to Croke Park from there and walked to the stadium (I was pretty proud of myself for not getting lost haha). Found Erin and Sara McBurney and watched the 1 hour Gaelic football game. I liked it a lot, it's like a vamped up version of soccer but you can use your hands like in basketball and the movements are more like American football. Lots of families, everyone in blue, lots of cheering, and Dublin won the game!

Came home, made dinner (avocado sandwhich!) and will be chilling for the rest of the night, catching up with people over Facebook and maybe trying to watch some Irish tv online. Much better day!

Day 6: Chill Day

Well everyone woke up late today because we all stayed out so late the previous night. I walked with Sara McBurney and Erin to Omni to go to Penney's and had much better luck than I had the previous day. Everything was very cheap and there was lots of cute stuff, so I'd say it was a successful shopping trip. Hit Tesco so now I actually have food at home to eat (yay!).

When we got home I found out a bunch of people had gone to Hoath and watched the World Cup at a bar there and had an awesome time, which was kind of a bummer. I wished I had gone with them. Spent the rest of the night in the common room with Taylor, Sara, and Erin and kind of went to bed feeling like I had wasted the day... :/

Day 5: Viking Tour

On time for class this morning (yay!). It's very easy, I hope it gets harder. After lunch we all went to meet Martin in front of Trinity to explore the medieval section of the city and see the remaining evidence of the Viking presence in the city. It was an extremely long walk, but a nice quieter section of the city. We saw the ancient wall that used to circle the city, had a short tour through St Audeon's Church, and ended at Dublin Castle, where the Black Lake (after which Dublin is named) used to be.

A group of about 8 then hit up the nearby Queen of Tarts pastry shop (not worth the 2 euro), then Lidl (very crowded at this time), before Dakota, Margaux, and I broke off for Penney's to find something to wear out (I wasn't very impressed with it).

Everyone went out tonight. Most people went to the club, but Laura took Sarah Masser, McBurney, Erin, Taylor, and I to her favorite bar Cassidy's in the city. It was extremely crowded, but fun atmosphere. All the walls were covered in stickers or Sharpie writing. We moved on from there after maybe an hour and a half to around Temple Bar to a small bar called The Garage with extremely loud music and a fun girl from Brazil who danced and took pictures with us. We ran into Emily and Foster here, who accompanied us to our final bar, Turk's Head: very nicely decorated with colorful glass and stone and a live reggae band that kept trying to get us girls to dance.

Left there after about 2 hours and hit up McDonald's before cramming the 8 of us into a van with a very nice cabbie of whom we asked a lot of questions. I have about 20 euro in coins right now because I payed him and took everyone else's cash. It was about 2:30 when we got home. Oops again! ;)

Day 4: First Day of School

Well, on this particular morning I woke up at 10:20 for our 10 o'clock class. Oops! I couldn't remember which classroom we were in and didn't want to make a fool of myself by walking into the wrong one, so I walked around aimlessly hoping to find someone for about 20 minutes before I chanced it (it was the right room, thankfully). So far I like our teacher Patricia.

After class, Laura walked with 8 of us 20 minutes to where the botanical gardens are, which were really pretty and fun. From there we took a turn through the Glasnevin Cemetery to admire all the ornate headstones. Drinks at the supposedly haunted "Gravediggers" next door before splitting up: most people just walked home, but Dakota, Margaux and I were hungry and found a pub. Decent food, but very expensive so I got the cheapest thing on the menu. Then had a headache trying to find the bus to get home in the rain!

Made dinner at home that night then went over to the bar on campus for a few hours to chat with a group of girls before heading to sleep.

Day 3: Rainy Free Day

Wednesday was a free day, so since we didn't go to bed until almost 4am the previous night, I didn't wake up until almost 2:20pm! Woke up to a message from Dakota asking to go into the city, so I caught the bus with her, Sarah Smith, and Sarah Masser.

We found a quiet, modern pub off Grafton called The Exchequer and split delicious lentil potato soup. Then a few errands in the city (Sarah S wanted a cell phone and Sarah M wanted to price her tattoo) followed by grocery run to Tesco. It was raining at this point, so we caught the bus back, made dinner at home (Ramen, for most of us), then chill at the bar on campus for an hour or so before bed. Quiet, but very enjoyable day!

Day 2: City Tour

Woke up this morning and walked as a group to breakfast at 1838 on Martin. Went over 6 euro and felt guilty because Martin said not to go over 5, and I didn't finish most of the stuff because it wasn't that good. The scone was really good though, I could've gotten just that and been okay.

Then orientation in the classroom. Pretty much all stuff we'd already heard. Break for lunch, pasta salad at The Helix cafe with Sara McBurney and Erin. Got my burner phone working, then met to go to the bus and walking tour of the city centre.

Off the bus at about Trinity, then walk up Grafton Street to the park, round George, Martin pointed out ***tons*** of places to "explore" in that block. Then Temple Bar, out cross the bridge again to the north side, up Henry Street, Spire, back down the south side to Trinity.

Then Lidl with Erin, McBurney, Taylor, and Margo. Got a bit of stuff but not much, less than 10 euro. Everyone else got much more than me, so we had to go back home to drop it off. We all decided to go out together around 9, so ate my left over pasta salad then took a short nap. I started to feel a bit sick and tired and like I didn't want to go back to the city, but decided to and am glad I did.

"Prink" in Dakota's lounge for 45 minutes. Emily wanted to go to Temple to see this cool musician play and invited me to come, but I wanted to check out what everyone else was doing first and said I would meet her there. Denisa told Brianna and her about a club called "The Village" that was suppose to be fun on Tuesday nights, so we found that but turns out they're only open on the weekends. The 3 other Sara(h)s besides me and Teesdale, plus Erin and Taylor stayed at a pub next door.

The nice bartender at "Opium" suggested a place called "Lost Society", so we got vague directions there, started walking, got confused, and asked some random cute and very nice Irish guys. They said that at Lost Society it was gay pride night and that it was also "drug central", but they knew a very good bar up town some.

We walked with them a very long way, past where we had gone on our tour, under the bridge that was suppose to mark our boundary. I was kind of regretting not going with Emily in the first place. The bar really was very cool though.

Then we went to "Lost Society". 6 euro cover charge: Foster, Margo, Kelly, and Brianna went in with the Irish guys. Teesdale caught a cab home with the Oregon Girls, but Dakota, Ben & Natalie, and I wanted to stay and grab some food. We found a McDonald's on the next street and ate upstairs (it tasted like heaven!). Then we grabbed a cab, not the friendliest cabbie, but no matter.

Started writing this, the other girls came home so we all met in our common room to chew the fat for about an hour, then got told off by the security guard for making too much noise. Very good day, glad I made the choices I did. 3:30am now. Oops! ;) Cheers

Day 1: Arrival

My flight from Denver to O'Hare was largely uneventful. I arrived in Chicago with some trepidation as to where to go and what to do, but I found food and Maggie alright, passed 2 wonderful hours eating bagels and catching up with her, then back through security.

It was waiting at my Dublin gate that the fear set it. I realized that some of the people around me were Irish. I called Mom and Grandma and read Mom's note and almost cried. Then I went and spent $8 on crappy Chicago pizza as everyone watched the world cup at the sports bar.

Boarding: it was a very large plane, I hadn't been on one of these in many years. I ate dinner and American Hustle started playing. It ended, I slept. I woke up several times, annoyed. By the last time I woke up it was light and I had breakfast. Then got off the plane, my last little slice of America. The airport was small, signs distinctive, and crowd easy to follow. I was shocked at how calm I was, how non-culture shocked I was. It was all very similar.

Customs/baggage/finding CIEE was a breeze. 5 students already there playing cards. Sara Teesdale arrived and I liked her instantly. Everyone was awkwardly silent and didn't seem like they wanted to be here. The drive was very disheartening. I didn't want to be here at all. Arrived at DCU, no rooms, short tour, break off with Kelly, Teesdale, Dakota, Erin to buy lunch at Spare (Snapple-first purchase). We eat outside and walk around the beautifully green nearby park.

Real tour now, walk to OMNI. Hang with Emily and Erin in grocery store. Walk back. Feet hurt, but go out that night anyway. Irish teenage girls fascinated by us on the bus. Dinner at one pub (goat cheese salad), then follow Foster as we walk around a lot up Grafton and through the park, stop in another pub for Guinness, listen to band for an hour. They play American music like Wagon Wheel. Take picture on bridge, back to home. Skype Mom and Beck, write this blog post. Will edit later. Should be in bed. This seems fun, but maybe too easy still. The people are great, I'm glad I found them. But I still don't know what this adventure will bring.