The Sun Never Sets on the Republic of Ireland

The first thing everyone tells you when you say you’re going to Ireland is that it rains a lot there.  Well, I seem to have brought North Carolina weather to Dublin…but without the dreadful humidity!  So the first few days here have been beautiful: sunny and 70.  While I was most worried about rain, understanding accents and the metric system, what’s been really throwing me off is the jet lag and latitude change; meaning the sun rises at 5am and sets at 10 pm.  As weird as this adjustment has been, I have no complaints because the sunshine has given me time to see Dublin.

One of the first things almost all thirty-three American students did when we arrived was find the local pub.  Jet lagged and tired, we managed to go out for drinks to attempt to adjust to our new time zone and get to know each other.  We stumbled upon The Ivy House which will likely be our walking distance watering hole for the next two months.  Here the bartender recommended Orchard Thieves Irish Cider, which tastes like candy.  A tiring, but rewarding first day.  The next days consisted of exploring our new home, the All Hallows and Saint Patrick’s Campuses of Dublin City University.  A perfect mix of old gothic dorms and modern architecture libraries makes the campuses gorgeous and left me actually wanting to start class.

Later in the week, when we had barely figured out the bus system, a group of girls ventured into Dublin to really see the city for the first time.  We shopped, ate, and most importantly paid a visit to the Guinness Storehouse.  At the storehouse, we made our way through the process of how Guinness is made: beginning with the 9,000 year lease signed by Arthur Guinness when he opened the brewery at St. Stephen’s Gate, all the way to the Gravity Bar at the top of the pint-shaped building with panoramic views of Dublin and a complementary drink.  After learning how to make, how to pour and how to taste Guinness, I can say that I like it!

All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better first few days in the Irish capital.