Week three in Dublin has been the most action packed week yet, and I have so much I want to tell you. This week, we traveled beyond Dublin and visited several incredible sights, including the Cliffs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey, Inish Mór, the Aran Islands, and most notably, Galway. The bus rides were filled with something I both love and desperately need: sleep. Although I occasionally was woken up by another Colin, the tour guide for our trip, his commentary made the interruptions worth it. As we traveled to Galway, Colin gave us an overview of Irish history and delved into how certain things came to be.
Galway is a charming coastal city, often referred to as the cultural heart of Ireland. While I had heard it was very vibrant and colorful, nothing really prepared me for all of the layers of music, history, and meaning packed into its winding streets and windswept shoreline. I would definitely say the most interesting learning experience that I had while away for the weekend, was how to live with my typical roommates in close quarters without getting on each other’s nerves. In Galway, we stayed in the Dawson Hostel, in groups of six. My hostel group was made up of the same people I had been living with at UCD, but this time our beds were only about four feet apart, all packed into a single room. The close quarters created a very different dynamic. It encouraged us to spend more time exploring the city rather than staying in the somewhat cramped hostel. I found that this setup led to more interaction between us. While none of us were particularly satisfied with the room itself, we made the most of it. We still managed to get our work done, and more importantly, we shared a lot of laughs and made some great memories along the way. Additionally, we got to see the cliffs of Moher, which truly blew me away. The only thing I wish had been different was how restricted the edges of the cliffs were. I completely understand that safety is a top priority, but it would be nice if responsible visitors were allowed to venture out a bit farther. A few of my classmates mentioned that just six months ago, people were able to go much further out than we were allowed to on this trip. Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed going to this spot. The views were breathtaking even without going all the way to the edges of the cliffs.
What’s next for the future? While for one I can see that I will do a lot more shopping. As I’ve gotten to know Ireland more and more, I’ve been starting to scope out items at gift shops for things that I believe one hundred percent scream “Ireland”. Just a few days ago I visited Grafton street and went into a couple stores to find anything that caught my eye. I ended up finding this really nice vest that looked surprisingly stylish. Believe it or not, it only cost me 15 euro. Additionally, my internship has now started to have more of a clear schedule. I’ve been busy designing onboarding content for new buyers and employees of our product, and I hear rumors that we might get our own office soon. As I’ve started to get the hang of things at my internship, I’m excited about what’s ahead and the upcoming projects I’ll be working on.
One thing I’ve been especially grateful for this past week is that our UCD cards are finally scanning properly at the gym. For the first two weeks, the cards wouldn’t authenticate at the entrance gates, even though we had all completed the required gym induction forms. As a result, most of us were limited to using the UCD Village gym. It’s small, but manageable. Now that our cards are working correctly, we can access any gym on campus. Although it’s a bit of a walk, the UCD Sports and Fitness Centre is well worth it. It has two spacious gyms, both about five times the size of the Village gym, along with a pool and sauna. I’m genuinely excited to start going more often, and I’m counting the 10-minute walk there and back as part of my cardio routine!
All in all, this week has deepened my appreciation for Ireland’s culture, challenged me in unexpected ways, and made me even more excited for the adventures and growth still to come!
A Donut I bought near downtown Dublin at a shop called The Rolling Donut.
This is what the inside of our hostel looked like, tight with small beds and a low ceiling.
The Cliffs of Moher viewed from a far angle, they look very pretty both up close and from afar.
A view from the Aran Islands, Nathaniel and I had biked around the main street on the island, and ended up at this cool landmark.
A pizza from Dough Bros, considered the best pizza spot in all of Galway. I ordered the Hail Caesar pizza, and it most certainly lived up to the hype.