I am extremely excited for two reasons: One, I am flying to Glasgow in about an hour and a half and two, I made it through Ryan Air’s strict weight restrictions! If you have flown them before then you know what I am talking about. They are very strict about having only 15 kg in your checked bag and 10 kg in your cabin baggage. Flying from New York to Dublin I had 18 kg in my checked bag so I was a little nervous but I was able to do some shuffling around. But hey - I have no complaints considering I was through security in about 5 minutes. Anyone who has ever flown out of the tri-state area will agree with me that 5 minute security lines is a dream.
I spent 19 days in Ireland. 19 wonderful, exciting, and intoxicating days. When I first got here, quite a few travelers thought I was crazy for spending so much time here but I wouldn’t do it any other way. It was perfect. I would like to share with you a few last thoughts on the country from a Jersey Girl’s perspective.
(1) Are you thinking of coming to Ireland? DO IT! Well…unless you are going to be a pansy about the weather. I am pretty sure it rained every day that I was here. But I’ll tell you, when that sun comes out it feels more amazing than the summer sun back home at Jersey. You appreciate the nice weather more when you have less of it, and the people’s mood’s brighten all around you when it happens. If you come, bring a jacket, preferably with a hood. I say don’t bother with the umbrella. I have seen many a broken one since I have come here.
(2) Dublin’s crosswalk’s sound like you are playing a video game. It’s hilarious. It’s for the hard of hearing but it is still funny. Actually the crosswalks can be a little confusing because they are barely green and yellow forever. The nice thing is that most of the roads tell you where you look when crossing which is great for us kids that drive on the other side of the road. Regardless, I think I almost got hit…3 times?
(3) My favorite things to see in Dublin were Trinity Church, the Prison, and the Museum of Natural History. Why not the Guinness Tour you might ask? Not going to lie - liked the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam better.
(4) Guinness is always the cheapest thing to order on tap in Ireland. In case you are planning on having a few….not like me (yeah right). Tired of Guinness? Bulmers is an awesome cider if you like the sweet stuff. Oh, and by the way Guinness DOES taste better in Ireland.
(5) If you are staying in Dublin for a few days take the DART train to a close by coastal town. Howth is particularly great with brilliant walks along the coast. It’s super easy to get there and very cheap. And you get a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
(6) Galway’s nightlife is extremely expensive. And ladies, try to bring a guy friend with you, unless you want to be picked up constantly.
(7) Go see Northern Ireland. The mood definitely feels different from the rest of Ireland but there’s a lot of history and it can be a humbling experience. Sign the Peace Wall in Belfast and see what other people from around the world have written.
(8) Don’t mess with the Irish fairies. The Kennedy’s did - and now they are screwed for 5 generations. True story, look it up.
(9) Save your receipts to get the tax back on your purchases at the airport. I write this now, even though the desk was closed when I went to get my money back. So….in theory I guess it works.
(10) Irish people are some of the nicest and friendliest people in the world. I could move here just to be with the people. . However, they will tease you if you give them the chance. What’s great about it though is that you get to tease them back! Great fun. The best was when I ended up with a…shall we say questionable mark on my neck and my tour driver didn’t let up on me for days. My own fault of coarse, ha ha.
(11) Irish plumbing can be touch-and-go depending on where we were. I don’t think I could get a single toilet to flush in Derry….or Belfast. Speaking of plumbing, make sure that the water heater is on at the hostel where you are planning on showering or you will sure to be in for an awakening. If the shower has one of those snazzy electrical boxes wait a few minutes before you get it in. It usually takes awhile to heat up.
(12) If you stay here long enough you will know all the words to the classic Irish music whether you want to or not. At this moment I have "Whiskey in the Jar" in my head. Irish people love to sing along to songs at the pub, I love it.
(13) Ireland has a lot of cows, and sheep. Just throwing that out there- I think I went a few days on the road where I saw more cows than people.
(14) The Supervalu and Tesco supermarkets have great takeaway soup and other pr-emade food. Great for those on the backpacking road.
To sum it all up, Ireland is AWESOME as we say in Jersey. It was a great way to start my journey and I am pumped for all that is coming. I would come back in a heart beat.
Look out Scotland - I hope that you are ready for me.
