I wanted real adventures to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad.
- James Joyce
It began with subtle signs.
Ed Sheeran's Galway Girl routinely playing on my ipod. Getting drinks from an Irish waiter. Photos from friends recently visiting Belfast. Air Canada filling my inbox with seat sales to Dublin.
Something was calling me to Ireland, and one day I simply decided to listen. I'm currently unemployed, and so I didn't have to worry about taking time off of work or school. I'm also fortunate enough to have parents who were able to loan me some money (interest-free, woop woop!) to help pay for the trip. I wanted to see if I could make this trip as inexpensive as possible without missing out on any experiences, and I think I did decently well. My expense breakdown is given at the bottom of this blog post, for those interested.
One thing that certainly helped cut costs was couchsurfing for many of my nights. If you haven't heard of it before, you can check out the website here. I was nervous at first as it was my first time as a "surfer" (I had previously only been a "host"), but the experience was extremely positive for me and I met some truly wonderful people! To thank the people who hosted me, I brought them some maple candies and chocolate bars, which I packaged into little gift bags.
I spent my first three nights in Galway, and wow - what a beautiful city! It has a small city centre that is easily walkable, and I instantly fell in love with the narrow cobblestone streets, misty air, and warmly lit pubs. I was initially surprised with how almost every pub was busy, but I then realized that it's probably because they were warm and it was cheaper to buy a drink or two than to crank up the heating in an old and poorly insulated apartment. Plus, the Irish are just so friendly! So of course a night in a pub is more enticing than a night at home! I absolutely adored every night that I spent out in Ireland, and I have the amazing people I met to thank for that.
Ed Sheeran's Galway Girl routinely playing on my ipod. Getting drinks from an Irish waiter. Photos from friends recently visiting Belfast. Air Canada filling my inbox with seat sales to Dublin.
Something was calling me to Ireland, and one day I simply decided to listen. I'm currently unemployed, and so I didn't have to worry about taking time off of work or school. I'm also fortunate enough to have parents who were able to loan me some money (interest-free, woop woop!) to help pay for the trip. I wanted to see if I could make this trip as inexpensive as possible without missing out on any experiences, and I think I did decently well. My expense breakdown is given at the bottom of this blog post, for those interested.
One thing that certainly helped cut costs was couchsurfing for many of my nights. If you haven't heard of it before, you can check out the website here. I was nervous at first as it was my first time as a "surfer" (I had previously only been a "host"), but the experience was extremely positive for me and I met some truly wonderful people! To thank the people who hosted me, I brought them some maple candies and chocolate bars, which I packaged into little gift bags.
I spent my first three nights in Galway, and wow - what a beautiful city! It has a small city centre that is easily walkable, and I instantly fell in love with the narrow cobblestone streets, misty air, and warmly lit pubs. I was initially surprised with how almost every pub was busy, but I then realized that it's probably because they were warm and it was cheaper to buy a drink or two than to crank up the heating in an old and poorly insulated apartment. Plus, the Irish are just so friendly! So of course a night in a pub is more enticing than a night at home! I absolutely adored every night that I spent out in Ireland, and I have the amazing people I met to thank for that.
While in Galway, I took two day trips: one day on a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher and another day driving to Connemara with an American I met through Couchsurfing. I had good weather for both, which I realize is rare in Ireland!
After Galway, I headed to Belfast for the weekend. I met up with my friend Pranay, and although we had just a day and a half together, we managed to pack in quite a bit of touring! We did a walking tour, grabbed a beer in the oldest building in Belfast, nerded out at Queen's University Belfast, visited the Dark Hedges, Giant's Causeway, Carrick-A-rede Rope Bridge, Cushenden Caves, and the Glens of Antrim. I was so glad that the sun was shining during our road trip and that I had a friend to share the experience with!
When the weekend ended I headed back to Dublin, where I met up with 3 more friends. I spent my first night with Laura, an old friend from my undergrad who now works in the UK and Ireland. It was great seeing her again after so many years, and to also spend a night in a comfortable hotel!
The next day I met up with my friend Delaney, who I met while working at Disney and who now works in Scotland. We had quite a day of walking through Phoenix Park, covering its width 1.5 times over! I had a great time though, and again, the weather was sunny and bright! That night I went to Temple Bar with Delaney and my friend Sam, who flew in that afternoon from Canada. The live music was excellent, and the bar was decorated for Christmas! I love the holiday season, and so I was thrilled to see garlands of pine, red bows, and twinkle lights everywhere. It was a lively night and the music created a perfectly traditional Irish and tourist-filled pub.
The next day I met up with my friend Delaney, who I met while working at Disney and who now works in Scotland. We had quite a day of walking through Phoenix Park, covering its width 1.5 times over! I had a great time though, and again, the weather was sunny and bright! That night I went to Temple Bar with Delaney and my friend Sam, who flew in that afternoon from Canada. The live music was excellent, and the bar was decorated for Christmas! I love the holiday season, and so I was thrilled to see garlands of pine, red bows, and twinkle lights everywhere. It was a lively night and the music created a perfectly traditional Irish and tourist-filled pub.
The remainder of my time in Dublin I spent with Sam. We visited many of the classic tourist spots and took every chance to get lost and explore more of the city. While I was sad when I reached the end of my final day, I was content in that I felt I had seen everything I needed to see in Dublin. Of course, there's always a long list of things you needn't see... but perhaps that's for another chapter of my life.
On a final note, one thing that pleasantly surprised me was how easy it was to find vegan foods! I was expecting a lot of difficulty, but I managed to find lots of great places that were either vegan-friendly or specifically catered to plant-based diets! In addition to the "typical" hacks (Subway, Indian restaurants, Holland and Barrett health food store for snacks), I was particularly impressed by how accessible the menus were at Umi Falafal, Boojum, Aobaba, and Cornucopia in Dublin. Definitely check them out! They were all healthy, filling, tasty, and well-priced!
Since being home, I have been uploading photos, editing my videos, and responding to messages. I had such a wonderful trip, and the whole experience has re-invigorated me. I am eager to travel once again and to engage in this passion of mine. Until then, I'll reminisce and reflect on the memories.
Thank you, Ireland. You were wonderful.
Thank you, Ireland. You were wonderful.
expenses:
Some expenses are approximations.
Round-trip flight from Canada Round-trip bus to airport Round-trip bus to Galway from Dublin Round-trip bus to Belfast from Dublin Transportation within cities Cliffs of Moher tour bus Car rental for Giant's Causeway day trip Rideshare for Connemara day trip Accommodation (airbnb and hostels) Food Lockers for luggage storage Entrance fees to tourist points (Book of Kells, Marsh Library, Guinness Storehouse, Walking tour of Belfast) Gifts for Couchsurfing hosts Souvenirs --- TOTAL | $650.72 $101.28 $39.94 $35.87 $48.26 $39.09 $67.00 $15.00 $81.01 $334.75 $12.60 $32.90 $21.95 $15.43 --- $1495.80 |