There's nothing quite like exploring a new space, a new city, a new country on your own. In the past week Alex and I have spent three days exploring Dublin and one day gallivanting in Galway. All of it was incredible. The Temple Bar District oozed the most lively energy, we witnessed social interactions that were nothing short of theatrical on the LUAS, figured out public transportation without getting (too) lost, learned a great deal about the history of Dublin and Ireland in general, ate the most amazing food, saw Monuments Men in an old theatre turned cinema, stumbled across a food market in the center of Dublin, got a claddagh ring in Galway, learned to pour the "perfect pint" at the Guinness Storehouse, saw where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Riots were executed at Kilmainham Goal, and just generally had a fantastic time. But there's still nothing quite like exploring on your own.
Today I spent the day roaming Belfast by myself. Originally I planned on doing a tour and seeing the Peace Walls. I didn't do any of that. I *did* walk at least six miles, take over two hundred pictures, make friend with a street performer, do a lot of thinking and even more being.
The UK's weird. In the best possible way, of course, but still weird. Everything is smaller here - the countries, the cars, the roads, the toilets, the rooms, the fridges, everything. And everyone's nice. There's no subconscious worry that something bad will happen as you walk down the street alone. If you get lost or overwhelmed, people will bend over backwards to help. Even "catcalling" is nice here - the worst I've heard is "Hello, gorgeous!" which, let's be real, isn't actually creepy/sketchy/dodgey/gross like catcalling in the US.
I've also found another way in which my traveling needs to be improved: I'm an overpacker. When I was planning coming over here and potentially doing a round the world trip, I did a lot of research. Everyone said, "Be careful how much you pack! You need less than you think." So I packed once, then went through and got rid of about a third of it. I managed to pack everything for two months in a half-filled 46 liter Osprey Kyte and a regular Jansport backpack. When I told people I wasn't checking any bags for my two month trip, they thought I was nuts. So, naturally, I decided I must have packed well. NOPE. I packed way too much. Next time, since I'm positive there will be a next time, I'm fitting it all in the half-filled Osprey (if it's filled, it's too big to be a carry on). If it doesn't fit, it doesn't come with.
Another key that I've picked up this week: shoes matter. After waltzing around two different cities in my snow boots, I've come to the conclusion that something with better arch support would have been a fantastic idea. Especially since arch support insoles have been impossible to find for a reasonable price over here. I *did* take lots of people's advice and invested in Smartwool socks before hopping the pond. That was a great choice.
Whelp, that's about it for now (plus, the train is almost to my stop)... Until next time!
