I’ve been living in Dublin for almost a month, and last week was one of the busiest so far. I traveled, spent time with family, and got back into my usual routine.
On Thursday, I took a flight to the Netherlands to visit my family. I arrived that evening and met my parents for dinner. The next day, we drove to my grandfather’s house to celebrate his 85th birthday. It was nice to see everyone together and to mark such a big milestone. After the party, we met up with a family friend for lunch and caught up for a couple of hours. I spent the majority of the time hanging out with my family friends dog Heidi, who is a German Shepard and she was very cute.
Later that afternoon, my sister and I stopped by a small fruit stand. We bought some fresh strawberries, which were easily the best strawberries I’ve ever tasted. Afterward, we spent some time walking around the town before heading to my grandmother’s place for dinner. It was a long day but a good one.
On Saturday, my sister and I decided to take a day trip to Amsterdam. We spent a few hours shopping and just wandering around the city. We found a spot for a late lunch and relaxed before heading back. Sunday was the big family reunion on my dad’s side. We all met for lunch, and I finally got to meet my new baby cousin, who is about five months old. It was funny to see how much everyone fussed over him. After lunch, my parents dropped me off at Schiphol Airport so I could fly back to Dublin.
Once I was back, things slowed down a bit. On Monday, after class, I went to the Guinness Storehouse. It was a cool experience to learn how Guinness is brewed and to see how important it has been to Ireland’s culture and economy. The exhibits were well done, and I enjoyed trying a sample at the end of the tour.
The rest of the week was pretty relaxed. I went to work and met some of the new interns who recently joined the team. One afternoon, I headed into the city center to grab a coffee and do a bit of shopping. Toward the end of the week, my roommates and I went out to dinner at a Thai restaurant. The food was delicious, and it was a nice way to wrap up a busy few days.
Overall, it was a week that balanced family time with exploring Dublin, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next month here brings.