In Dublin’s fair city…

It’s already been 4 days since I arrived in Dublin. The last week has been a whirlwind of activity with orientation, meeting new people and exploring the city. Even just getting accustomed to life in Ireland can be exhausting!

I arrived Wednesday morning at Dublin Airport and was bussed to my apartment complex with the rest of the study abroad students. Once settled in, I set off to find cash and some essential toiletries. After about an hour of wandering, I found the ATM and a small pharmacy on campus.

When I got back to the apartment,  I tried to take a shower but didn’t have any hot water. I later found out that our apartments have a timer that regulates the hot water heater, and that you have to turn the dial for the amount of water you need!

Wednesday afternoon was my first orientation with IES’ study abroad officers in Dublin. They picked us up at the apartment, and we were shown how to take the bus to city centre, where their headquarters are located. I wasn’t aware how far we were from downtown! After some preliminary information, we went to dinner at a fantastic Thai restaurant and were directed on which bus to take home. Unfortunately, we took the bus in the wrong direction, and ended up on the far end of town! After wandering for about half an hour, we realized where we were and hailed a taxi. Finally, after 36 hours of no sleep, I made back to my new home. Before passing out in bed, I finally met my two roommates. They are both American, doing an internship abroad, and are already quite busy in their own routines. I haven’t seen them again since that night!

Thursday morning came much too early, and we were off to our first day of DCU orientation. There are over 150 exchange and study abroad students here this semester, from all over the world. Within a few hours I had already met more people than I could keep track of. That night about 15 of us got together at one of the apartments, then split off to find a nearby pub. By Friday I had a group of friends who explored city centre’s nightlife with me.

Saturday morning came, again, much sooner than I would have liked, and 4 of us decided to go back downtown to play tourist. I was most excited to watch the Ireland v. Italy rugby match over lunch in a local pub. We explored major shopping districts Henry and Grafton Streets, walked through Trinity College’s grounds, and ended up in Temple Bar at Gogarty’s pub for a traditional Irish lunch.

Though the fish and chips was definitely not worth the outrageous prices at the pub (15 euros!), the rugby match was great. With both Irish and Italian fans yelling at the T.V. for their teams, you’d think we were in the stadium!

I can’t believe how much I’ve already seen and done in 4 short days. It’s definitely not cheap — I’ve already spent about 150 euro on groceries, entertainment, and setting up my phone — but I love my experience so far. I can’t wait to meet local students; we have one empty room in our apartment, so I’m hoping an Irish student will move in tomorrow.  Plus semester begins on Monday, and I plan to sign up for as many clubs and societies as I can. I’ve already checked rugby club off as a definite addition to my schedule!

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