*It was the summer before my senior year of college and I was about to be studying abroad on a ship for an entire semester. I was expected to be in Hamburg, Germany by September 9th, for disembarkment. So I decided, why not make a little pre-trip out of it and see where the cheapest flights would take me? It turned out, the best option was to fly from Newark to Ireland first and then buy a separate airline ticket from Ireland to Germany. In Germany, I would end up taking a 2 week road trip around the country.*

 

 

I arrived at the Newark Airport with the biggest smile on my face, I couldn’t believe this was it… I was getting to live out my dream of traveling around the world. Before this point, the only international travel I had done was to Scotland a few summer’s back. I said my goodbyes and with 2 huge rolling duffles in hand, I made my way to the United Airlines check in counter. 

 

I had been researching the whole summer and signed up for the United credit card so I could have my flights to and from study abroad paid for in points; by putting all of my travel/school expenses on the card I was able to meet the minimum spending amount. *I guess this is a travel tip for anyone who plans to spend a large amount in a short period of time- many airlines and hotels have wonderful reward point deals upon opening an account* I was on a BUDGET so I found the cheapest flight/worth the least amount of points. 

 

 

Day 1:

 

 

My flight from Newark to Dublin had one quick stop in Keflavik, Iceland and then before I knew it I was in Ireland!! My flight landed around 10 am on August 28th and I remember being exhausted from both the crying baby and the redeye flight. Either way, I was so excited and determined to make the most out of my 2 days in Dublin. 

 

I stayed at a quaint AirBNB in Beaumont, located in a suburb between the airport and the city. I dropped off my bags and decided I would venture out of the city for some fresh air. Obviously 2 short days was not enough time to travel across the country to the cliffs of Moher (still on my bucket list btw), so I settled for something a little closer: the Howth cliff path. The bus ride to the summit was just over an hour from my airBNB, I took both the H3 and 14 buses, transferring at the Marino College stop.

 

 

 

When I arrived I was awestruck by the cool breeze and the beauty of the waterfront. The path up to the cliff was simple to follow and very scenic. I stopped probably 50 times to take pictures and just soak in the view. 

 

 

 

I don’t know if it was because I hadn’t slept in over 24 hours or if the trails at the top of the cliff were just hard to navigate; I did my best to follow along the yellow/green trail but definitely strayed off the path a few too many times. The hike itself was fairly easy and the view of the mother cliff was 100% worth the confusion. On the way down the hill I was able to stop at a private beach and take in the realization that I was actually here!

 

 

 

Once I reached the bottom of the summit, I headed towards a restaurant called the King Sitric Fish Restaurant, where I was able to get a feel for what Irish cuisine looked like. I ordered the crab mornay and was surprised that it was not an actual sandwich, but a dip and 2 slabs of bread. It was delicious, but again, this was my first encounter with the food in Ireland and the small/appetizer sized proportions. After finishing my meal I hopped back on the bus and got a much needed night of sleep. 

 

 

 

Day 2: 

 

Tip #2 ALWAYS have the right amount of change when getting on the buses in Ireland or you’ll get yelled at by the mean scary bus driver. Hopefully they have updated the bus systems since I traveled here and maybe put in the option of apple pay, but my experience was a tad… embarrassing because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. 

I quickly got over it because this day was going to be a great one! I was making my way to Trinity College to meet my AirBNB host’s girlfriend, who just so happened to be a professor at the college. Because we had such a wonderful conversation when I checked in, she offered to meet me, so I could skip the long line and get into the Book of Kells exhibit for free! “The Book of Kells is one of the most famous artifacts in the world. It was assembled by Scottish or Irish monks in around 800 AD, the book pictures the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament.The work is the most famous of the medieval illuminated manuscripts for the intricacy and majesty of the illustrations.” 

I couldn’t believe I was standing in front of an artifact that is so detrimental to our history, the penmanship and detail were unreal to me. I also had the chance to walk through the Old Library and admire the rows of books, if I had more time I could have spent hours in there… It really was a sight to see. 

From Trinity College, I walked a quarter mile to another famous destination in Dublin, the Temple Bar Pub. The bright red exterior makes it stand out from all of the other stops along the street. It is a staple when visiting the city and has a really laid back vibe on the inside. I ordered lunch and decided to take it to go, so I could sit outside and observe what everyday life looked like in Dublin. I was again disappointed in my meal because my “sandwich” was actually just pieces of meat and cheese thrown on a plate with bread on the side… I fed most of it to the birds while watching the people pass by. 

The last thing on my list was to take a tour of Dublin Castle, which I wish I had learned a little more about before actually visiting. “ The Dublin Castle was Built in the 13th century by King John of England. It served as a military fortress, a prison, treasury, court of law, and the seat of English Administration in Ireland for 700 years. Today it’s used for important State events and Presidential Inaugurations.” 

I felt like there was so much to take in when it came to the history of the castle, it was hard to keep up! My favorite part however, was the royal chapel. It was so old and beautiful, I tried to imagine all of the monumental things that have happened there over the many many years. 

On my way back to the bus stop I strolled through the St. Partick Cathedral Garden and admired the church from the outside. I knew I had a big day of travel to Munich the next day, so I returned to my airBNB to organize all of my belongings and prepare myself for the next chapter of my journey in Germany.

 

Overall, my short pitstop in Dublin was a great beginning to the next 4 months of my life. I ran into a few small challenges that gave me the confidence to conquer bigger ones that were yet to come. My only regret was not coming to Ireland with others; I really would have loved to explore the pub/nightlife scene with my friends. I feel like drinking and socializing is a large part of Irish culture and is something I wasn’t comfortable doing alone in a foreign country at the age of 21. 

So… until we meet again, Ireland!! Can’t wait to introduce you to my friends xo