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Published: August 30th 2007
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Aran Islands
Galway, Ireland Going to Ireland, at this point in my life, was one of the best and memorable experiences of my life. Many awesome things happened on my trip and I visited many incredible places within Ireland. I thought about posting my journal from my time in Ireland ( which by the way is a great way to keep record of your travels - unfortunately I had no idea of the online travel blog then), but instead I have decided to post some key places to visit. I may at a later date post some entries, but I really want to put focus on those students who are interested in studying abroad. I went through a program called Arcadia. It takes a little time planning to go abroad. You have to figure out how you will take care of everything, i.e. bills, back home and plan abroad too. After my trip Arcadia confirmed with me whether it would be okay for interested students to email me and ask me questions about my experience in Ireland. I agreed. Before I made the decision to go, I also emailed students who went. I am rambling, so I am going to try to hit on some
Aran Islands
Galway, Ireland key points. This is especially designed for students interested in the Arcadia program, but all fun loving travelers are welcome to read on 😊
First off, Ireland was definetly worth my time. Ireland is an amazing country, not only for the views, but for its people, history, and recent economic boom. It was everything I expected and more. Arcadia students will be required to take classes. During the summer program we took 2 classes: Irish history/politics and Irish literature. I did not think the classes were difficult. All 9 of us who were there in summer 2006, still found time to drink almost every night (some of us every night) and at least pulled a B+ at the end of the 6 weeks. Classes were Monday-Thursday from 9 to 3. That gave us Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to venture out of Dublin and explore the rest of the country. There are many short day trips you can take just south of Dublin. If you enroll through Arcadia for the summer program you will attend the IPA. Not far from the IPA is a train station. For a couple euros, I suggest taking that train after class to Sandy Cove, Killiney,
Aran Islands
Galway, Ireland and Bray. Make sure though you spend at least a good half day in these fun places. One of our field trips from the IPA was to Sandy Cove, because the James Joyce Tower is there. If I remember correctly the IPA paid for that ride 😊 Killiney does not offer as many attractions as Sandy Cove and Bray, but Bono's mansion and Enya's castle can be seen from the beach.
What to pack? Bring your camera!! You can seriously make a postcard out of every picture. You will be living in Dublin in an apartment or townhouse. Bring sheets, pillowcases, and I suggest a fleece blanket, because Dublin gets chilly in the summertime. It may be a great idea to purchase an adaptor. This could come in handy for a multiple of purposes. Also pack everything in luggage with wheels. I found this out the hard way. Pack clothes for all seasons - seriously. Rainy, cold, hot, warm weather - it all applies to Dublin during the summertime. A few weeks before you depart, Arcadia will send you your future roomies emails. That way, girls, you can decide on who will bring a hairdryer and who will bring
Aran Islands
Galway, Ireland a curling iron 😊 When we got to our apartment, Arcadia had stocked out kitchen with some food, but from then on you will purchase everything yourselves. By the way, Mac & Cheese and Oreos DO NOT exist in Ireland. You have to bring your own.
Pubs to visit in Dublin: The Barge and Flannery's. Hands down. The Barge was our second home. Good news...you have to be 18 to drink in Ireland. You will want to drink. It's very important to the Irish culture. Pubs are the social scene. After 6 weeks of drinking, remember when you return to the U.S. you have to be 21 to drink 😊
You will be walking through St.Stephen's Green on a frequent basis. It is beautiful 😊 Prepare yourselves, because the Europeans are very romantic and are not afraid to show it 😊
Visit Galway and the Aran Islands. It's freak'in amazing. Oh and remember that the trips you take out of Dublin, you need to plan yourselves. Arcadia offers students a discount card, which you should carry with you everywhere, but the rest of the planning is up to you. Thank goodness for my roommate Caitlin, who organized
Aran Islands
Galway, Ireland all of our trips and planning, because I'm not much of an organizer.
Visit Dingle, the home of Fungi. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the famous dolphin Fungi, but Dingle was still a lot of fun!
Visit Cork (home of Blarney Castle) and Killarney.
There are Dublin city buses you can take, but we walked everywhere. We were all in pretty nice shape when we returned to the states. Taxi drivers are crazy drivers.
Just be safe and have fun. It was my first time travelling to a country, away from my family, where I knew no one, but it was an awesome experince. I gained a lot of independence from my trip. I did not ever feel threatened or scared in Dublin, but you should still try to travel in groups.
I think making the decision to go will make a great imprint on your life. If you do go and found my info to be helpful, please let me know how it all played out 😊
If you have any questions, please feel free to comment or email me at putt.13@osu.edu.
Remember to plan and book your tickets early, it
Aran Islands
Galway, Ireland will save you a lot of time and money in the long run 😊
Take Care,
Danielle
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