First Day: The first day after arriving in Ireland was full of beautiful new sights and adventures. We made our way, via bus, to what will be our home for the next few months and I experienced my first sunrise in Ireland. The features of the land were bathed in light and it was comforting to note some of the similarities and differences in the landscape, compared to Nebraska. I was definitely feeling jet-lagged from the full day of traveling and layovers at the airport but my room mates and I decided against sleeping and instead unpacked what we could of our bags and headed into the nearest town of Spiddal in an attempt to stay awake and start acclimating to the Ireland timezone. It is about a 2 mile walk into town so I will note that good walking shoes are something I'm definitely glad I brought along.
Spiddal: We were very fortunate that on the day we landed, none of the rain Ireland is so famous for, was anywhere in sight. It was a nice sunny day for exploring our new home. My room mates and I made our way through Spiddal, skipped rocks in the ocean and picked up sea shells before stopping in a local pub to get ideas about places we had to visit before leaving Ireland from a very helpful bartender named Petey.
After we were done exploring we made our way back to our cottage and partook in some much deserved sleep.
After we were done exploring we made our way back to our cottage and partook in some much deserved sleep.
Galway: The closest large town to the Park Lodge is Galway. It is about 12 miles so we took a bus. To get a taxi to Galway from Spiddal is about 30 euros and the largest taxi so far that we've seen fits about 8 people so if you plan on going to town make sure you take friends. Our first day in Galway was spent touring the city, seeing historical landmarks, visiting a few shops and getting groceries. In the cottage we have a small stove and other appliances you would normally find in an apartment so most meals that we have had so far have been cooked at home. Groceries are much cheaper in town so we stocked up and split the bill while we were in Galway. It was interesting that everything here has tax included so the price you see is exactly how much you will pay. Also we found that most of the shops and the grocery store close at 7 which is much earlier than we were used to. While we were in town I decided that, because I had cancelled my phone while in Ireland to save money, it would be beneficial to look into prices for a pay as you go phone. I found a phone store called Vodaphone and it was only 20 Euros for a track phone and I can put minutes on it as necessary. Much cheaper than what an international plan would have cost me.
Classes: The first week of classes involved learning basic greetings in Gaelic, a bit of the history of Ireland and learning about famous writers. I brought some pencils and a notebook from home so depending on your style of note taking, I would suggest bringing something. There was definitely a lot to remember but it has been fun to start being immersed in the culture that surrounds us every day.
Classes: The first week of classes involved learning basic greetings in Gaelic, a bit of the history of Ireland and learning about famous writers. I brought some pencils and a notebook from home so depending on your style of note taking, I would suggest bringing something. There was definitely a lot to remember but it has been fun to start being immersed in the culture that surrounds us every day.
In all it was a great first week in Ireland spend exploring, learning and absorbing a lot of things around me. Im excited to see what else is in store.