I love Ireland. It’s one of my absolute favorite places to visit and I’ve been there fifteen times since I was ten. I don’t go there to vacation or sightsee, and I don’t have any immediate family there. But as an Irish dancer, I travel to Europe almost every year to compete in the World Championships and other competitions. Last Monday, I missed the Boston Marathon to fly to Dublin. After an exceptionally long day of travel, I landed in Dublin at 6:00 am Tuesday morning.
Because the main purpose of my trip was to compete, I wasted no time in getting to my hotel. Once I checked in, I immediately passed out for a four-and-a-half hour nap. It felt amazing. Getting over jet lag is no easy feat, so as soon as I woke up, I spent a few hours stretching and practicing so I wouldn’t be stiff. Finally, after dinner, I was able to go to bed.
When I woke up on Wednesday morning, I only had two things on my mind: breakfast and dancing. One of my favorite things about Ireland is the breakfast. It is unbelievably delicious. In a typical Irish breakfast, you can find anything from fried eggs, bacon, and sausage, to beans, yogurt, fruits, juices, and toast. I don’t know why, but for some reason, breakfast foods always taste better there (especially the butter).
Once I had consumed enough food to feed an entire family (okay, not quite that much… but a lot), it was time to change hotels to the Citywest, located about a half hour outside of Dublin’s city centre. It is absolutely beautiful – with two golf courses, a convention center, and enormous grounds in the Irish countryside. I felt like I was on vacation, surrounded by breath-taking views and perfect weather all week!
Besides practicing, eating, and sleeping, the only thing I was able to do before competing on Friday was watch the competitions. Watching other dancing competitions was one of the most exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and stressful experiences I had while in Dublin, but I could never give it up. Even though it makes me nervous for my own competition, watching other incredibly talented dancers on stage is a lot of fun and puts me into the competition mindset.
Once I finished my three rounds of dancing, results, and awards presentations on Friday night, it was time to relax and celebrate a successful week at the World Championships. Everyone was too tired to do anything on Friday after such a long day and exhausting week, but on Saturday, I had time to really enjoy my trip to Dublin. I decided to take the train, the Luas, into the city centre to do a little shopping and get a nice dinner. I’ve been there before, so everything was really familiar to me and I knew exactly where I wanted to go.
Since it was Easter weekend and the weather was perfect, it felt like the entire world was out and about. Everyone was in good spirits and smiling as they walked around Dublin, shopping and exploring the scenic city. I made it to all of my favorite places: Top Shop, River Island, and even Forever 21 and H&M. I also visited a bunch of small boutiques, a bakery, and a chocolate shop (and yes, Irish chocolate is also better). After a lovely Italian dinner, I hopped on the Luas, walked 20 minutes back to my hotel, and started packing to come home.
When I took the shuttle to the airport on Sunday, on the first cloudy day I had seen in Dublin since my arrival, I was really sad to leave. When I finally made it to Boston, I was glad to be back, but I missed Ireland already. I’ve been back on campus for a few days now, but I am still on Irish time (and can’t sleep past 7 a.m.), craving Irish breakfasts, and missing the incredible weather. I’m ready to go back!