Summer 2014
This year I have an amazing opportunity to study in Dublin, Ireland at the American College Dublin. For the next four weeks I will be living and experiencing Dublin like it is my home. Ireland so far has not been what I expected; it has been so much more. These are just summaries of my day-to-day adventures, so that you can see an inside look at what Ireland is like from an outside perspective.
Day 1: Getting to Ireland
Flying can be difficult sometimes, there is no getting past it- delays and cancelations are bound to happen. I suggest you plan an extra day of travel time just in you’re your flight gets canceled or delayed. My flight to Ireland was canceled so I had to wait till the next day to fly out. Most flights are at night because of the time difference. Just make sure the receptionist helps you because it is their responsibility to find you a new flight with the least hassle to you. But, when I finally landed in Dublin airport it was defiantly worth the wait.
Day 2: We made it, now lets go hiking!
Since my original flight was canceled, I got to Ireland a day later then I planed, but it was a beautiful day. So, instead of sleeping away jet lag, I decided to go on a hike with the rest of the ACD crew. It was a great decision. We first took a train to Dalkey, which is probably the most beautiful village I have ever seen (and also my future home J). We walked through Dalkey, taking lots of pictures of course, in order to get to Killiney Hill. Killiney Hill is defiantly a climb, but it is completely worth it! The view is outstanding! And apparently if you climb to the top of “Killiney wishing stone” your wish comes true, so of course I had too!
Day 3: Orientation and ComedyCrunch
Orientation was today; it was very interesting and fun. We walked to the school (it wasn’t far at all). Colum (Dean of Students) showed us around, he told us a little bit about the school and showed where everything was. After our tour he took us around the city, we walked for a bit, but of course, we ended up on Grafton Street. For those who do not know Grafton has tons of shops and restaurants, it is such a fun street that should defiantly be visited. After some much needed shopping we went to Nando’s for lunch. It was excellent the chicken was so great! I defiantly suggest going there, if you have a chance. Later that night we attended the ComedyCrunch, which was an amazing experience that I suggest anyone to go to! But make sure you get there early the seats fill up quick.
Day 4: First day of ACD and visiting Trinity library
The first day actually attending ACD, I got lost. Make sure you know where a place is especially in another country before you leave the house. DO NOT try to go off memory double check, because I was about thirty minutes late because I took a wrong turn. Other then that mishaps in the morning, the first day went great. We stopped early because we had a meeting about safety. Some police officers came in to talk to us about what is okay and what is not okay in Ireland. The things that they said are really logical and need to be kept in mind especially when in another country. Other countries have different rules, so abiding by those rules is vital or you could get in a lot of trouble. The thing that surprised me the most is how strict Ireland is with weapons, pepper spray, which is common in the United States for girls to carry, is completely illegal here. Also, the common misconception about being able to drink on the streets is wrong; it is not legal to do that here like people usually believe. After this meeting we stopped by trinity library on the way back to our house. The Trinity library is so beautiful and huge, if you love books as much as I do, you defiantly need to stop by, it is also super affordable!
americancollegedublin 