Over spring break I had the phenomenal opportunity to visit Dublin, Ireland for a speech tournament. It was an absolute blast and great experience.
On day one, due to the time change, we landed at 5am Irish time. Even though everyone was exhausted, we dropped our stuff off at the hotel and went right into exploring. We visited an art museum, a nice breakfast place and coffee shop, and took a look at Trinity College.
Day two, our large group split up and half of us went on a bus tour of Ireland. We saw a lot of castles, went shopping and generally saw a completely different side of Ireland. It was an eight or nine hour trip with transportation included.
Day three, we stayed split and a good chunck of us went on a hike in the city of Howth. It was right by a body of water … maybe a sea. The wind was incredibly intense and cold, but we got to see a lot of nature.
Day four left us to split into even smaller groups. I went off with one friend to see a leprechaun museum before we met up with others to walk around the St. Patrick Cathedral and do some shopping.
Days five and six were for the tournament, and we spent day seven flying back. We did do some walking around, but most efforts were focused on other things.
With an outline of the days laid out, this was my first time out of the country, and it was really fun to learn about the differences between there and the U.S. Some things were really shocking, but still interesting to know.
I learned that Dublin is super walkable. It isn’t common to own a car in Europe, and even though I knew this logistically, it was still a bit of a shock to experience. When we did uber, the driving scared me a little. They didn’t stay in the lanes as strictly as we do in America.
Food was always fun to find. There weren’t a ton of chain fast food restaurants like in the U.S., so we had to look for different little cafes and restaurants for each meal. I found three places that I went to twice, and would highly recommend trying.
- The Station Restaurant — This place was run by the sweetest couple who remembered us coming back. The food was good, but honestly it was the kindness from the owners that made it so memorable.
- Boojum — This is basically the Chipotle of Ireland. Quite literally, burrito bowls with almost identical options as the American Chipotle. I think this one was technically a chain, but I am a sucker for burrito bowls.
- Russel Street Bakery — This bakery was a pretty quick walk from where we stayed most of the trip. They had the best crossoints I’ve ever had. Very small to-go style, a good on-the-go breakfast option.
Overall, the trip was full of good sights, good food and lots of learning opportunities. I love to travel and can’t wait until my next trip.