Finally in Ireland!
Hello, friends!
I have finally arrived here in Maynooth, the little Irish town I will be staying in and attending college while here. Quite a bit has obviously happened since Heathrow, so I will get you up-to-date.
My flight from Heathrow left at 6:40 AM, and so I arrived in Dublin in less than an hour. On the flight, I had a lovely talk with an Irish woman sitting next to me who gave me lots of advice for my stay here and for travel in general. I am beginning to notice that practically everyone I have met seems to be better traveled than the average American I know at home, and their passion for seeing the world is inspiring to me.
As a first-time flyer at 19, with intense anxiety, traveling through two of the largest airports in the world, I want to take a moment to discourage anyone in a similar situation from not traveling on the basis on air-related fears. Everything is marked, people are always willing to help, and (as I am increasingly finding out), you are capable of much more than you think you are.
The airport in Dublin, in contrast to the other two I visited, is incredibly simple and by far my favorite from this trip! While it is entertaining to see the array of stores and restaurants in the larger airports, such as the train in O'Hare or the Gucci in Heathrow (as if expensive international travel makes anyone want to spend hundreds on a handbag), the incredible ease and friendliness of the Dublin airport was a nice change from the overwhelming size and scale of the other two I have seen. We were met by representatives of Maynooth University holding signs to welcome us, and from there we were all transported by bus to the campus.
Our rooms were not ready upon arrival, so the large group of us foreign students went into town to explore as soon as we got here. My first impression of Maynooth is that it is quiet, quaint, and the people are very friendly. At first, I worried the town was perhaps too small, but even after only being here for a day I keep finding new parts of it that surprise me with beauty. There seems to be more no matter where I look, I just need to look more closely. I will be sure to post photos of these places as soon as I have the opportunity. There are pubs and shops and many cafes, one of which I visited for lunch and drank my first Irish tea (the verdict: delicious). Although I have not yet been here 24 hours, I feel that this country has a quiet sort of beauty that I appreciate.
After getting my room and unpacking, I immediately took out a paper to use for budgeting and drew up a calendar since I forgot mine (tip: bring a planner). I then decided to take a short nap, which resulted in me sleeping all night and missing our welcome-night pizza and movie. Still, I cannot entirely regret that since I had not slept in God knows how long. I have no advice to give on sleeping and keeping on nutrition while traveling except to do a better job of it than I did.
Today is orientation at 11:00 AM, but sadly jetlag is very real and I was awake at 5:00 AM, so I am instead here telling you all of my adventures. I will keep you as updated as possible, as always. From me to me, I suppose, welcome to Maynooth!
