July 1, 2018
I’ve been in Ireland for about three weeks now… And I’ve been avoiding making/publishing this blog like the plague. I kept going back and forth about whether or not I wanted to make it like a travel diary, or a travel tips blog (5 Tips on How to NOT Panic When You Lose Your Debit Card Abroad).
So, I decided to do a bit of both. Hopefully, I don't bore you all to death.
I’ve also avoided even making a blog because I feel like a lot of it would be complaining. And there’s been A LOT to complain about. I’ve had awful jetlag, food poisoning, lost my debit card (quite early on in the trip too), amongst plenty of other things.
Needless to say, it’s been a crazy three weeks. And I’m sure the first couple months will continue to be so, at least until I find a place to live. Which, if you’d asked me a month ago, if I was worried about – I would’ve laughed and said “I’ll figure that out when it comes to it.” Because I genuinely believed I would worry about it once I took a couple weeks to travel around Ireland. Which looking back, I kinda regret not doing.
While I did have some idea of the poor housing market here, I didn't know just how bad. And I’m sure you’re reading this and thinking, "oh boo-hoo, you’re in Ireland – enjoy it!" And I get that – I really do, because I get those moments too. I just have to look out the Luas at the city and think “Yeah, I made it.” But then reality smashes into me harder than a train and I realize that in a few short days I’ll be in between a place to stay again, without any access to money (Aside from the €150, I have of emergency money from my wonderful parents - thanks again for that, guys!).
And yeah – that level of uncertainty is quite frankly terrifying. But it’s also teaching me a lot about myself. Like – I can handle this. Even on days where I feel like I could just start sobbing from the stress and anxiety of it all, I know it’ll be worth it in the end. And that’s what keeps me going. A year from now, I’m going to look back on this experience and think “Yeah, that’s exactly what I needed to go through to get here.”
And now (obviously) I've got to give my 5 tips that I've learned thus far in my journey. TIPS:
1. If you’re like me, you’ll have rotten luck, and you just may lose your debit/credit card. ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP. Even if you think “oh that’ll never happen to me, I never lose anything!” BRING. ANOTHER. CARD. And make sure to have about 250 of whatever the currency is. Thankfully my parents (who are godsends even 4,000 miles away) snuck in some “emergency money” which I definitely used to get me by the first couple weeks.
2. Don’t freak out if something goes wrong. Odds are, something WILL go wrong. Just take a deep breath and take it in strides (see above). You might get lost, you may have something stolen, you might lose a family member – who knows! Things happen!
3. Get lost. I’m not trying to be mean – I genuinely think everyone should get lost in a city they visit. I mean, be smart about it and be aware of your surroundings, but just enjoy it. I had my phone, (with an Irish SIM card so I could use Google Maps when need be) but I still got a little lost. And then I kept walking – and you know what? I found a really cool pub with some cool people. Do I remember where it was? No, but I think I could figure it out if I wanted. It was well worth the travel.
4. Travel with someone you trust. I can’t emphasize this enough. It’s so important to feel safe. And if you’re traveling alone – meet people! Staying in hostels is a great way to meet new people. My first week I met a new person every time I went down for breakfast – and even though there were language barriers sometimes, it was a great experience. I came to Ireland with a friend from school – and while we did plan on living/traveling together, we’ve kind of gone on our own paths, but obviously still keep in touch on a regular basis. I can honestly say, I don’t think I would’ve survived the first couple weeks without him. He's a great person who was in the same position as me, and I look forward to all of our future adventures.
5. DO YOUR RESEARCH!! Another thing I cannot emphasize enough. Make sure you know where you’re going – book online and book weeks in advance. Hostels fill up so quickly, especially during the busy seasons. I didn’t realize that the World Cup would be going on the first month that we were here (and in hindsight that was my own fault for not thinking ahead of time). But it’s also been a lot of fun! I never really watched soccer (or football as it’s known here) much, but sitting in a pub and cheering on a team with the other patrons has been one of the best experiences I’ve had so far.
So those are my 5 facts that I’ve learned in the short three weeks here. Not much I know, but I’m sure another 11.5 months here will teach me a bit more.
Until next time!
Cheers,
Catherine
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