Day number one is completed! I arrived 3 days early (before the school lets us move in) to prepare myself for whats to come. I know there were a few things I needed to take care of, like a prepaid phone and buying cutlery and things of that nature, I wanted to have that all sorted out before move in day. I am going to separate my post by logistics and by emotions so feel free to pick whichever section relates most to you.
Logistics
Yesterday I flew in (9/14/18) and immediately felt giddy. The weather difference was crazy for me, I knew it would be cooler but coming into 60 degree whether after just leaving 95 degree whether was a shock, and it’s only going to get colder from here on out. Note to self– I did not need to pack crop tops… especially since I am a wimp to the cold
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~ WHICH FLIGHT U SHOULD PICK ~
I flew with Aer Lingus. I was between this airline and Norwegian.
Norwegian was $50 cheaper (including checked luggage) but I am SO happy I chose Aer Lingus instead. I have flown Norwegian before and while the flight was okay, I would have had to pay for a meal on the plane, as well as pay for headphones/blankets/pillows. With Aer Lingus, I received a student discount for studying abroad, I got free headphones/pillows/blankets, and free dinner and breakfast. The only thing I would’ve had to pay for was an alcoholic beverage but all other drinks (Water, OJ, Tea, etc) are included as well. I had way more leg room on this flight as opposed to Norwegian, and the entertainment system beat Norwegian’s by a landslide. Norwegian has few movies to watch and a couple games as well, they also have a map to see where the plane is and a menu which again you’d have to pay for every drink/snack/meal. Whereas Aer Lingus has music (they have it separated by category, pop, alternative, rock, and Irish music. They had other genres as well but these are the main ones I stuck to) and you can make a playlist, they have a variety of games (also separated by category) they have a map, movies AND TV shows, and a little info session that told you about the history of Aer Lingus. They also had a little shopping section if you wanted to buy makeup or a teddy bear or something. So overall the $50 extra I spent on the Aer Lingus flight was WAAAAYYYY worth it.
The airport is incredibly easy to navigate in Dublin, a very simple in and out process. It took me 30 minutes from leaving the airplane to leaving the airport. Which was very refreshing since traveling by yourself can be overwhelming. I HIGHLY recommend getting an Airport Hopper bus ticket, buy it online because you get a greater discount and if something happens (your flight is delayed/gets in early like mine did) then you don’t have to worry about getting on the bus at your ‘scheduled’ time. The Airport Hopper is incredibly flexible and so long as you have a ticket you have entry. I bought mine online for 12:50 and ended up getting on the 11:50 stop.
~ PUBLIC TRANSPORT ~
with the airport hopper you have to tell them which stop you’re getting off at, and which bus stop location you’d like. Otherwise they’ll keep driving past the stops, assuming you’re going to the last one. Since I arrived early my Airbnb was in Leixlip, the town right before Maynooth, and I had to specify that with my driver. 
If you are arriving a few days early like I will, know that buses and taxi’s will more than likely be your best friend, once you’re in whatever town you’re going to, you can rely on your feet! Mostly everyone walks.
With that said, coins coins coins. Buses (aside from Airport hopper) only strictly accept coins, no notes (paper money) it won’t provide any change for you. I found this out the hard way, and I will be getting a leap card since buses are the cheapest form of public transport, the leap card will also save you a pretty penny in comparison to paying coins. You have the option of having it mailed to you, or going to an agent here and they print it and hand it to you right on the spot. We also get student discounts!
I highly recommend downloading a few apps,
- Bleeperbike (if you’re looking to commute by bike, I believe the bikes are only available in Dublin though, first bike ride is free)
- Journey Plan (this allows you to see the bus schedules in real time and gives you multiple commuting routes to take for whichever suits your fancy best)
- Mytaxi (its basically uber, but you can also pay with notes instead of just card)
- Dublin Bus (this lets you see the bus schedule and bus stops near you in real time)
This is all stuff I learned on the way, and hopefully it’ll help you feel more prepared before you arrive!
Emotions
As I initially stated I flew in and was automatically giddy, but that doesn’t mean I had the perfect day. Trying to navigate a new country all by yourself is a bit scary. On the bright side, I didn’t (and still haven’t) experienced any jet lag, I was ready to go as soon as I got here. Got hungry around the proper times as well. While I was filled to the brim with excitement I also felt overwhelmed.
I got somewhat lost trying to get to my Airbnb, I wasn’t dropped off at the right stop so I’m standing with all my luggage desperately looking around. I was standing at the bus stop and there was another one across the street, both stops started filling up with people and I felt like everyone was staring at me even though they most likely weren’t. Eventually I turned on my data and used my taxi app to get me and bring me to the Airbnb, which turned out I was only a 10 minute drive from (so not horrible! At least I made it to the right town.) but when the taxi arrived I felt like such an idiot. I already knew I stuck out like a sore thumb because of me and all my luggage, but now I ordered a taxi to pick me up at a BUS STOP. Maybe I just over thought the situation, but either way I felt embarrassed to the core of me.
Later in the evening I wanted to go to Maynooth to check out the town and my school before move in day. I stood at a bus stop but I wasn’t sure if I was in the right area and I didn’t know that they only took coins until the bus arrived so as soon as I got on I had to get right back off. Again, this made me feel so stupid. This time I knew everyone was thinking I should have known better. Like that was just a basic rule.
Admittedly I got a little frustrated and tears start to well up in my eyes, I mean I didn’t even know how to operate their crosswalks properly. But then I had to remind myself that I am a foreigner, and I’m not going to get everything perfect on the first try, I had to wipe off the tears and strap on my big girl boots and take the time to figure it all out. By the end of this month I’m sure I’ll be a public transport expert. After stumbling across a few more crosswalks I finally figured out how they operate and I achieved my first small victory, that was the confidence boost I needed. I walked around Leixlip just taking in the sites, its a fairly small town so I felt like I saw everything within the first 3 hours.
I went back to my airbnb around 5pm and spent the rest of the night in. In order to prepare myself for the next day I made a timetable and checklist of things to get done.
I woke up this morning feeling inspired and motivated! I settled a few loose strings with Maynooth then started doing research on where to get a leap card and where to get a prepaid phone (I can’t unlock my phone to use the SIM card switch like I initially planned cause AT&T sucks). So now that I have those two things figured out, I will be doing that and visiting Maynooth like I planned to do yesterday. My airbnb host made me a traditional Irish Breakfast, which I am still stuffed from and equally drooling over. If you get a chance I recommend staying with Caroline in Leixlip, shes such a great host and her home is gorgeous. Also her grass is super soft, but I’m pretty sure all the grass in Ireland is. 
It is 12:30pm here, and I will be leaving the airbnb soon to start fulfilling my tasks. I am well rested, motivated, full, and ready to take on the day. As soon as I figure out the leap card and prepaid phone situation I’ll write a blog on that!
Thanks for reading 🙂
Reigan Paulovich