Today is the one month anniversary of my arrival in Maynooth. My first month here has proven how fast time can go and how much can happen in four weeks.
The last time I wrote to LTA, I was sitting in an airport in New York City. I am now sitting in my flat with remnants of traveling strewn on my desk and floor, and plane tickets booked for more future travels. I’m doing my best to live up my time here – and a look at my bank account will prove it.
In short, I’ve been to Dublin, Belfast, Giant’s Causeway, and Cork so far. I’m slowly making my way around Ireland first because we don’t get our “GNIB” card until this week. GNIB cards are visas – they basically let you back into Ireland when coming from outside the country. I have a hike in the Wicklow Mountains and an ecology field trip to the rocky seashore on the east coast this weekend, and I plan on going to Galway in the near future. We also have fall break coming up at the end of October, and I just booked tickets to Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. The future looks bright! The memories from where I’ve already been are amazing as well. The Atlantic coast is wild and beautiful, with sheep and cattle plots, mountains, colorful seaside towns, and more old, stone buildings than I can count. One of my favorite memories was our first evening in Belfast. I sat with new and old friends in a busy alleyway in Belfast, and we split a huge, handmade 24” pizza while watching the sun go down. I absorbed my reality and I’m very grateful for all the steps (literally and figuratively – you walk a lot here) and people that got me to this place.
The transition to Ireland was fairly easy. As expected, there isn’t much culture shock since their culture is not hugely different than ours. I do enjoy some of the things that are different – here are some notable differences:
- After saying goodbye, they will say, “Cheers!”. So after a conversation, it goes like this – Person: “Bye!” Me: “Bye!” Person: “Cheers!” Me: “Uh”
- They say “grand” instead of “awesome” or “great”
- Teens without drivers’ licenses take buses and trains in and out of town – I feel like this allows for more freedom to visit friends away from home than in the US
- Grocery check-out clerks work SO fast. And you have to bag your groceries on your own. If you come to Ireland, be prepared to speed-bag your purchases and have your money at the ready.
- Most students go home on the weekend, so Maynooth is a ghost town on Saturday and Sunday. Also, Monday is a big night for going to the bar/club.
- They have €1 and €2 coins, so you use more coins than bills. Weirdly, this takes some getting used to.
- Military time – aka lots of mental math. (Also Celcius, kilometers, grams, etc.)
That’s all I can think of for now, but there’s a bunch of other things they say and do that are a bit different than in the US. I’ve also learned a lot about public transportation, and walk a lot more than I do at Rollins. I’m grateful for it because I can then indulge more in the amazing food here. Between the Irish stew, fresh pastries, and Irish beer (ie Guinness), there isn’t a lack for a wholesome diet.
As far as life at the university, things are pretty easy going. My classes don’t require a lot of homework, which is sort of a new concept for me as a biology major. I have time to go out more than once a semester – in fact, more than once a week, if I want. I can also watch Netflix regularly. And get 8 hours of sleep every night. It’s amazing.
In reality, I know that the real work will start soon. My class grades mostly depend on my final exams, so my next step is to start studying now rather than the week before them.
Probably the biggest transition is to the weather. It is often 50-55°, rainy, and very windy. This feels a lot colder than I expected! Coming from South Carolina and Florida, I haven’t experienced weather like this in several years. I don’t mind the adjustment, I’m just not used to being cold so often. I also just forgot what it’s like to be in cold weather.
Overall, life is grand. I love all that is Ireland and I look forward to continue exploring and learning.
Go raibh maith agat, agus slán go fóill!
(Thank you, and bye for now!)