As I write this I am 12 days into this solo traveling adventure and have said goodbye to my outstanding first stop, the country of Ireland. I spent 8 very full days exploring a good mix of city and countryside, all while getting my bearings on solo traveling, living in hostels, making friends, and keeping myself healthy and alive. WHAT A WEEK!
First stop, Dublin.
The rules of navigating public transportation in new places: you have to be equal parts confident that you can and will figure it out but also self-aware enough that you can be completely wrong and brave enough to ask for help and verification.
So of course I was already asking questions 10 minutes after stepping off the plane. I arrived in the city around 9am Sunday morning. I, after asking, found my bus to take me into the city center and was immediately surrounded by, more Americans. Goodie. We chatted on our 30-minute bus ride about our travels and I received some recommendations I will most likely forget because I didn't write them down. Oopsie. He said add Strasburg to my master list, that's all I remember.
All the blogs I read told me that free walking tours are a great way to get your bearings in a new city. Often hostels will have good recommendations for this but I did happen to find this one online before I arrived. I had about an hour before it started, so with my bags in luggage storage (needed to ask about that also) I set out to do my favorite activity, wander around. My first impressions of Dublin were that it was just like many other cities, dirty, smelly, but also, because it was early on a Sunday morning, quiet and full of runners. I peacefully strolled along the Liffy, which is the main river that runs through the city, and eventually walked myself into a McDonald's. Now before you write me off as some stereotypical American tourist, McDonald's is different in every country and I find going to one in a new place is an interesting blend of my culture and theirs. I enjoyed a breakfast wrap with brown sauce, a European specialty, and it was fresh and quite delicious. I often find McDonald's to be way better in other countries than back at home, but anyways...
My tour guide Dave was super helpful with recommendations and I made my first friend on the tour who happened to be staying at the same hostel as me. When I got checked into my room I picked up another friend and we headed out for dinner that night. Less than 24 hours in and I already formed a girl crew, how could you ever expect I would do anything less? I enjoyed some delicious Irish Guinness Stew with soda bread and knew that my diet this week would be HEAVY, luckily my step count would more than double what I was clocking at home.
I quickly was sick of the constant smell of cigarettes in the city and knew I needed to get out of town. I heard great recommendations about the coastal city of Howth, so after spending too much time on google trying to figure out the best way to get there I asked the receptionist at the hostel (are you sensing a theme) and hitched the Dart train out to the coast. Howth looking back is probably still my favorite day so far. I was out in nature, by the water, and ended up on about a 4-hour hike. I love hiking alone because I can fully soak in everything around me and go at my own pace, sometimes fast, sometimes pausing every 3 seconds to say "unreal" "wow" "this isn't real" "literally how"...it truly is my favorite thing to do. I met a friend on the tail end of the trail and we finished up by grabbing tea and cake together. Seriously, so lovely. I wrapped up my perfect coastal day by eating fish and chips by the water watching seals and asking the seagull who was trying to eat my dinner if he wanted to throw hands in the street.
I always thought those big bus tours were for super touristy people and not for "cool" travelers like myself but then I decided that was dumb and booked 2 days worth, and boy, did I make the right decision. I was able to take in the stunning beauty of the Irish countryside, which are the tinest roads I have no interest in trying to drive on myself, while listening to all the rich history of the country from our guide. We visited small historical cities, explored mountain views, visited a working sheep farm and then on the second day enjoyed a drive across the island to Galway and a trip to the grand Cliffs of Moher. I will never speak ill of bus tours again. I got to experience so much more richness of the country by doing this, and all I had to remember was when to get my butt back on the bus. My passenger princess tendencies were in heaven.
Second destination, Galway.
By this time I was feeling like I was catching a little cold. While I took care of myself in Dublin, early to bed, early to rise and didn't attend any nightlife, all the gogogo and co-living was taking a toll on my immune system. Little did I know that Galway had no intention of assisting my immune system, but it would be insistent on showing me a good time. I planned my first night to be a rest and reset, so naturally I ended up on the hostel-hosted pub crawl that night. "Oh, I'll just tag along for the first bar and then go home to bed", said the girl who was then a couple drinks deep dancing to Taylor Swift at midnight. Goodness. It wouldn't be the first night that Galway would take me hostage. We formed quite the fun little crew at the Galway hostel and everyone was far too insistent that we cement our bonds through quality time for 4 straight days. I did enjoy other activities other than the nightlife though, most notably a morning sea swim at Salthill with a couple of my hostel mates along-side many locals. It cured any lack of sleep and consumption of alcohol. Cold water just snaps you back to life you know? I left Galway extremely grateful I managed to spend 4 days with strangers that felt like a roar of laughs with old friends and wild, unexpected fun.
The moral of the story. I did it. I survived my first whole week, all alone (and yet, rarely alone), in another country. It was more than I could have ever dreamed or expected. This is gonna be a WILD ride. I'd tell you to buckle up, but I think I need to heed my own advice and truthfully, sleep much more than I have. If I survive another week, I'll meet you back here, k?
PS - I have been sharing photos on instagram. Follow me @dakdoingthings if you don't already!
See you soon,
XO Dak