There and Back Again: Dublin Transportation

City Centre, looking at D'Olier St. and Westmoreland St.

I live about a 15-minute bus ride from my uni and about a 30-minute bus ride from Dublin City Centre. I love how all the buses are two levels, but I don't like the price to ride.

On my second day here I went into the main city and had to pay €2.80 each way, even with my student LEAP card I’m still charged €2.05. A great plus about having a student card is that it is capped at €5.00, meaning you cannot pay more than €5 a day no matter how many times you take the bus.

This brings me to my next subject…. bikes.

Everyone here seems to be active. If people are not riding the bus, then they’re walking, or riding a bike. Bikes are prolific wherever you go- I’m even thinking about investing in a secondhand one since my roommate bought one. It’s also not unusual to get your bike stolen in town so a good bike lock is a must!

One thing to note, if you ride a bike you will be expected to ride in the same lane as regular vehicles. Out where I live this idea doesn’t bother me much, but in city centre you have to be fearless. There are so many merging vehicles and huge buses to look out for, and helmets do not seem to be required here….

I love all the exercising now integrated in my day-to-day life, I just hope the weather continues to stay brilliant.

On another note, the fabric used to cover the bus seats here is the same as in Australia. A random observation yes, but I found it quite interesting. The longer I live here the more I see the similarities between here and Oz, and the more I miss it.

O'Connell Monument

One Week in and Weather Wonderful

There are so many things I want to write about: food, people, transportation, weather- I swear these are way more interesting than they sound- but the blog post would turn into a book. So I’m going to try and limit myself to weather and people this week.

River Liffey and those hovering clouds.

I honestly thought Dublin would be shrouded in mist the majority of time, however the weather has been wonderful the past week. Of course the only time it rained was when I tried walking home from Uni and then missed the bus and was forced to wait an additional 15 minutes for another bus… but I digress.

There always seems to be a constant set of clouds that hover over the city, but aren’t threatening for the most part.  It can be sunny and hot one moment, and then cloudy and windy the next. This is just like New England weather so I almost feel at home in a weird sort of way.

Okay.

Topic number two: the locals.

The Irish are so friendly and welcoming, and the people here will usually go above and beyond the call of duty if you need help.

When I first arrived I had some trouble setting up my phone. I had to go into the local vodafone store three days in a row and yet, by the end of the ordeal, the employee that helped me turned into a friend. 

I really love this country, I truly do. 

……

Seriously though, the people are wonderful.

And here's a picture of the moon from Tuesday 22/09/2015.

First Few Days in Dublin

Yes, I’ve fallen into the stereotype of ‘people who decide to blog when going to another country.’ I never wrote one when I was living in Australia, so I thought I ‘have’ to do one now.

I’ve always been one of those people that will put 110% effort into achieving what they want, so that leaves me here: I’m an American going for a Master’s degree at an Irish university. 

So why do it?

Ever since I was young and I had my first taste of going abroad with a school program, all I could think about was Europe and how I’d eventually end up there.

Fast-forward a few years and here I am.

The weeks leading up to leaving America were turbulent to say the very least and there were multiple times that I thought I would have to wait until next year. This summer was one for the record books. If something could break, it did. Two computers, two cars, one camera, and one refrigerator- all of which were not simply fixed. 

I should have realized that these events were foreshadow to some of the hardships and struggles- and of course new adventures!- that I have had during my first couple of days here.

My blog is to inform the curious mind that may want to take the leap and decide to change their lives forever.

Traveling is in my blood and I’m so happy to share some of the adventures- and hardships- I have with you.

-Kim

First glimpse of the Emerald Isle through the clouds