Oh Wow I’m In Ireland ﻿

Just like the title says, I’ve arrived in Ireland, and it is amazing already!

I’m also incredibly jet lagged.

If those two lines were enough to make you click “read more” I am very thankful.

Although I am very jet lagged, I still want to write a bit on moving in to Maynooth and my first official day here. Let’s start with getting off the plane.

When I was walking through the airport, everything was so green. The signs, the fields, and the security agents were wearing green as well. I made my way to customs and had a short pleasant conversation with the kind man working there. I got my luggage, exchanged my dollars for euros, then attempted to find the bus.

When I tell you I walked all over the airport, that is not an exaggeration. I had no idea what zone the bus to Maynooth was in, so after asking three people later, I found myself sitting on a bench, just shielding me from the rain. Slowly, other students my age started gathering around the bus stop, looking just as lost and tired as I felt. We all eventually asked one another if we were going to Maynooth, then shared the same confusion when the bus was late. A short ride later, the rain started to come down heavy as we all took our luggage off the bus and stood at one of the many entrances to Maynooth.

Just when you thought walking around the airport was tiring, that could not have prepared me for this. A group of kids from a different country gathered in a group and attempted to find check-in. My absolute favorite part was how that building was across campus, and none of us knew the campus. We walked for a solid thirty minutes, bearing the occasional shower, and finally were able to get out room keys.

So I trekked back to my apartment and moved in without any problems, right? Oh you would’ve thought, but when I tried to get into my room, my key didn’t work! It only makes sense, so I left my stuff outside my apartment door, praying my roommates wouldn’t take a look through, and went to the office to get a new key.

Finally, I opened the door to my small single room, and just laid down on the floor. Gross, I know, but I had already hit my goal of 10,000 steps on my FitBit and it wasn’t even noon. In one word, I was exhausted. I got back up, made my bed so I could lay on something a little more comfortable, then changed out of my wet clothes.

I didn’t want to just sit in my room for a whole afternoon, so I decided to take a walk into town and get some food. Before stepping out, I introduced myself to some of my roommates and headed out.

After doing some exploring of the town, I found the Tesco and bought some food. I’ve never really had to shop for myself, and I now know I should have made a list before going. Legally I may be an adult, but I have yet to actually act like one. After guessing what food I might like, I walked back to my room and unpacked a little more.

It’s strange being in another country, and the jet lag so far is not helping. Updates will be coming on trying to act more like an adult, so until then, Sláinte!

(P.S. for family and friends reading – I now have a new Irish number, so if you want to contact me please email or WhatsApp me for it 🙂 )