Livin’ it up in Dublin: A student perspective on Ireland’s capital city

Day 5:

My second day at ACD was more eventful, I really got the swing of the way things run. I did not get lost, which was fantastic! After we were done for the day, we went to Grafton Street where we had a fantastic lunch! The place was similar to chipotle and the food was just as good. Since it was Tuesday night everyone went to Dicey’s, but I was not feeling to well so I stayed back and just walked around the local area. Tuesday’s in Dublin I student night, so the drinks are at a discounted price, which is fantastic with budgets. Even if you don’t want to go out and drink walk around Dublin because it is beautiful at night, just walking around listening to the music is a wonderful experience. But if you are interested in going to the pubs try going to the pubs where the music can be heard on the streets- they are always the best.

Day 6:

Yesterday was a lot of fun! After work with ACD everyone decided to relax for a bit. Then we attended Howl at the Moon. Which was a really fun bar! It is free before 9, and all of the drinks are 2.50! You cannot beat that! It wasn’t that far, actually its pretty much right across the school. After we left the bar we had a late night snack at McDonalds, which was good. If you get a chance do check out restaurants that we have in the US, the ONLY reason I am saying that is because it is fun to compare the differences between countries. But, Howl at the Moon is defiantly a bar worth checking out.

 

Day 7:

Sometimes having a relaxing evening is the best thing to do. After work I went back to the house and hung out for a bit, then we left to go to Color Works (which is a tattoo pallor) on Lower Ormond Quay Street.   My friend decided that she wanted to get a tattoo when she was in Ireland, so we found a very nice tattoo place and they did an excellent job. They were really nice and it was a very clean place. You even had to buzz in to get inside! Amy did her tattoo and I highly recommend her, if anyone was thinking of getting a tattoo while here. She is very sweet and she knows what she is doing. Later on, we got Gino’s again, on Grafton Street. Gino’s is so good, and their gelato is directly imported from Italy!

 

Day 8:

It is Friday! We reached the end of our first week in Ireland! Colum let me got off early in order to go to the Jameson Factory with everyone else, which was a great tour by the way! I suggest anyone to go one it, we even got a free mix drink at the end! It is not boring and the tour guy was really funny. The only thing about this tour is that it’s a bit of a wait, you are going to have to set aside ample time, just for waiting to get on the actual tour BUT, there is a bar and gift store while you wait so you wont be bored.

 

Livin’ it up in Dublin: A student perspective on Ireland’s capital city

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!