Arrival in Dublin!

((Sorry for not posting last night. Anyway, here's my first blog entry since landing in Dublin!!))

When I got to the airport on Saturday, I was surprisingly calm about it all. My mom drove me to the airport and helped me all the way up to security. Leaving her was the hardest part of the journey, I think, with the exception of sleeping on airplanes.

The flights went well (one to Chicago and then to Ireland), with the first one being relatively uneventful (it was only about an hour and a half). For the trip to Ireland, I flew with Aer Lingus and the trip was fantastic. It's a very large plane, with plenty of leg room and tons of seats. Originally, I was sitting next to a girl about my age, but many of the middle rows by us were empty so she moved to those. It made our 6.5 hour flight much more enjoyable. Every seat had a screen on the back of them, and with the provided earbuds, you could watch movies and play games for free. I chose to watch How to Train Your Dragon 2 and it made the ride much shorter.The airplane food was much better than expected, with beef, potatoes, a salad, roll, brownie, and tea/coffee. With the help of some melatonin, I was able to sleep for a few hours, which I greatly appreciated when I arrived.

In-Flight meal

Once I arrived in Dublin, I took a taxi over to the hotel. Once I had dropped off my luggage, I hit the streets for a few hours while I waited for my orientation to start. I got a bit lost, but I discovered the wondrous Grafton Street, which is this pedestrian street (so, no vehicles) with tons of shops and street performers. It was amazing.

My orientation included some talks, some free stuff, and a trip around the Guinness Storehouse. While I'm not much one for alcohol, the seventh floor had the Gravity Bar - a circular room with all windows and the best view of Dublin. The ticket included a free pint of Guinness, but I was so tired and hungry that I didn't want to be stumbling around an unfamiliar city with unfamiliar people tipsy/drunk. 

Outside the Storehouse

Old Advertisements

View from the Gravity Bar

Dublin City

To end the first day, we ate at the Whitefriar Grill and had the best meal of my life. It was three courses, with a fantastic salad with quinoa and pomegranate, roasted chicken with dauphinoise potatoes and cranberry relish, and the best brownie and ice cream I've ever eaten. If you ever find yourself in Dublin and don't mind spending a bit of Euro, definitely check it out.

Dinner at the Whitefriar Grill

Once I got back to the hotel, I took a bath and completely crashed by 9PM.

Day two was much better since I wasn't so exhausted. The breakfast provided a continental breakfast. If you've ever eaten breakfast with me, you know that I get real excited. I ate about seven small pastries, a cup of coffee, two slices of whole grain toast, and a bowl of cereal. It really filled me up for the rest of the day.

We then headed over to the IFSA (Institute For Study Abroad) office where we talked more about Ireland, travel, our campus, etc. We then went shopping for anything that we needed. The two other students who are going to Limerick and I all got a few things to eat at the university until we have a chance to go to the grocery store. Then we went to Odessa's for lunch, which was very plush. As my student advisor said, it felt like a gentlemen's club from 50 years ago. The food was good - they have excellent soup, salads, and sandwiches.

Lunch with the guys at Odessa's

We ended our day with Bodhrán lessons. It was an amazing experience and so much fun! The teacher was hilarious and extremely nice. Now I'm a bit more cultured!

Bodhran Lessons

Tomorrow evening I head to the university! I'll be updating quite a bit these next few days, but once I'm settled I'll try to set up a more regular schedule. Until next time...

Love and Peace!