One Month In

January 30

No Sunday Scaries

On Sunday, we went to Dundrum Town Centre to do some shopping! I learned that day not to go to malls on the weekend because they are packed. I think I waited in line to check out at Zara for over 45 minutes. Since I didn't have class on Monday, it was just another day of enjoying Ireland and having fun with friends.

January 31-February 2

Time to Get Work Done

Monday was the day dedicated to getting ahead on work. After getting a coffee, we spent a few hours doing work in the Health Science library, which we heard was the nicest library on campus. It was aesthetically pleasing, but it was so quiet, very different from where I usually do my work back at home. That night, I had an interview for an internship! It's pretty strange to be doing "work calls" in the evenings after 5pm, but it's all part of the abroad experience.

On Tuesday, I had class and continued to get ahead on work. I've really enjoyed my Digital Marketing class so far, so I am excited to learn more throughout the semester. My Exploring Ireland class topic this week was language, and it was surprising and not surprising at the same time that Irish is rarely spoken here. It's on a ton of signage, but it seems that it's just a written language as opposed to a spoken language at this point in time.

On Wednesday, we celebrated Groundhog Day! I had classes during the day, and that night, we did girls night with the girls we're going to Italy with next weekend. It was so fun!

February 3

Thursday Tradition

On Thursdays, Megan and I have started a tradition of starting our day with a coffee and then exploring Ireland. This week, we were back at Beanhive for the cute coffee art. I got a succulent this time (very on brand)!

We then walked around Saint Stephen's Green, which is a park in the center of Dublin. There were birds everywhere; it was honestly kind of scary. The park was very beautiful there and was a great place for a morning stroll.

February 4

Castles and Cathedrals

On Friday, we spent the afternoon sightseeing around Dublin. Before we saw any sites, we first got lunch at Bunsen, which had amazing burgers. It reminded me of Shake Shack, but the burgers were much thicker, which I actually preferred.

After lunch, we went to Dublin Castle, which we only saw from the outside. I was expecting it to be more castle-like, but it looked more like a church attached to a government building. It is used now for government purposes, but it was still cool to see!

After Dublin Castle, we stumbled upon Christ Church Cathedral, which was very pretty! We didn't go inside because we were planning on seeing the inside of Saint Patrick's, but it was gorgeous from the outside. The churches and cathedrals here are much more extravagant than in the U.S.

After Christ Church Cathedral, we made our way to Saint Patrick's Cathedral, which was also stunning from the outside. We went into Saint Patrick's and walked around. The ceilings feel so tall and imposing when you're standing there and looking up.

It was a lovely afternoon spent with friends and seeing new parts of Dublin!

February 5

Exploring Solo

On Saturday, pretty much everyone I knew had a field trip to go on for class, so I took the day to do the things around Dublin that were pretty touristy but that I knew I wanted to see. I arrived in Dublin very early, so I decided to spend the extra time before my first stop getting a coffee (of course) at Cafe Crema; it was the best iced mocha I've had yet!

After coffee, I went to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College. The book was written in the year 800. That's a long time ago! The book itself was in its own room in a glass case, so it wasn't anything too exciting, but it was very fascinating to read about its history. My favorite part of the self-guided tour was seeing the Long Room. The feeling I got when I stepped foot into the library was like I had found home in a way. It was comforting to be surrounded by so many leather-bound books on the dark wooden shelves. You could literally feel the history in the air.

After the Book of Kells, I went to the National Leprechaun Museum! The tour was definitely meant for young children, but I still had a lot of fun learning some Irish folklore. My tour group consisted of four children all under the age of nine and their parents, so I felt super out of place, but it was funny seeing the kids get so into the history of the legends of leprechauns and Ireland's other magical beings.

The weather could not have been more miserable, though, so walking around Dublin was not as enjoyable as it usually is. After my two tours, I braved the weather and got back to campus to take a much needed warm shower and a nap.

February 6

Rest Day

On Sunday, I spent the day relaxing. I cleaned my room and got ready for the week ahead. After the past few days, I had needed a chill day of doing nothing.

It was another amazing week here, and next weekend, I'll be in Italy! I could not be more excited.

Cheers!