Student Bloggers

For my first few days of Dublin, I’ve been quite fortunate to learn a good many lessons already.

1. Always print out a receipt, if given the option.
   At home, this is something I naturally do when using a card. If I’m paying with cash, however, I often do not. This is how I ended up paying 12 rather than 6 euro for my bus ticket into Dublin (oops, sorry mom). Sleep-deprived, jet-lagged, and plane-stinky Caitlyn was directed to purchase a ticket from a kiosk to take the 747 bus into the city center. Easy, right? Sure, it’s easy when your ticket actually prints. I paid the 6 euro, it spit out my change, but did not print my ticket. I stood, confusedly blinking at the machine for two minutes, with no clue how to proceed. No workers were around, and I was in charge of lugging my suitcase, large purse and backpack around with me, with the closest attendant up the stairs. Luckily, a couple from Colorado was also buying tickets on the machine next to me. I saw their tickets were printing and used the second kiosk to purchase my ticket (and chose “print a receipt” before purchasing it). I hopped on the bus with the couple within 10 minutes, and was off to the city. I’m sure I could have bothered the workers upstairs when I had paid for the first ticket, but I didn’t want to be that Awful American Tourist, when I didn’t have proof of my purchase. It was only 6 euro, which I made up for by sleeping through lunch and dinner that night rather than going out to eat. So, lesson one is to ALWAYS print a receipt.
2. Never plan a tour last minute without knowing how to get there.
   So, here’s a common sense thing that I take for granted in the states. My friends and I decided to go to the Guinness tour for the afternoon, which we began planning at noon. We didn’t know the bus routes, or where the storehouse was even located, but hey, we have to learn sometime! This last-minute planning works really well in the states, but without google maps or any data, it is not as simple as “Ok Google, give me directions to the Guinness storehouse.” I’m starting to realize how heavily I rely on mobile data and/or nearly constant Wi-Fi. We ended up arriving at 1:25 for our 1:15 tour, which thankfully was self-guided and therefore not too time sensitive. However, I would not willingly re-live the stress of running around five blocks of buildings, all plastered “Guinness” but without any entrance in sight.
3. “Essentials of a kitchen” doesn’t include a coffee pot.
   Wait, what? It doesn’t? The breath of life – that savory, strong punch to my spinal column every morning – that’s not an “essential”? Looks like it’s time to start loving caffeinated tea.
4. Not all grocery stores are created equally.
   So, maybe because I’m a Sam’s Club/Costco kind of girl, I’m very used to large grocery stores, with everything I could ever possibly want and three different brand options. In Ireland, people make frequent trips to a small grocery store and carry their reusable bags there and back every time. I knew getting groceries was going to be different, but I have started to purchase groceries for only two days at a time; maybe partially because I haven’t planned ahead, but mostly because I have to lug everything in one bag back to the apartment! It’s a completely new way of shopping that absolutely makes me appreciate how easy it is to shop at American stores.
5. Life has taken a new pace, literally.
   I like to walk pretty fast, or, at least, what I thought was pretty fast. My legs become so tired at the end of the day that my pace slows noticeably. 30 minutes to school, 30 minutes back. 7 minutes to the store, 7 minutes back. Good news, however – I finally have made enough trips to buy laundry detergent, hand soap, and bar soap for the apartment, and I’ve only been here a week (no worries, mom)! I’m starting to adjust, slowly. Maybe after a month I’ll be able to be busy for a whole day without coming home and crashing into bed at night.

In only 10 days, my friends and I have done so much around Dublin. We’ve found our favorite neighborhood pub, familiarized ourselves with the city, visited the Guinness Storehouse, seen a play at the Abbey Theatre,and explored Glendalough! It’s flown by so quickly, but I feel so connected to this city already. Here’s to another week in Dublin!