My first week in Dublin has been quite an adventure! I have never traveled to Ireland or this area of Europe before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Our apartment is located in South Dublin, right next to the famous Guinness Storehouse. Dublin is honestly very similar to Philadelphia. Both cities are very historic and beautiful. Dublin is very lively and a great place to travel to if you’re young. Being in Europe’s youngest city (in terms of the age demographic that lives here) is especially great for college kids like myself. Of course, being able to buy a beer is nice too (the legal drinking age is 18). However, Dublin is more than just pubs. To be honest, I was wary of Ireland at first. I worried that there would not be as many food options as there are in the United States. The moment I went into the city that fear disappeared! Dublin is filled with diverse food options such as Chinese, Indian, Mexican and of course Irish food. Not only is the food diverse, but so are the people too. People from all ethnicities visit and live in Dublin. About 1 in 4 people who live in Dublin are not originally from Ireland!
My favourite thing about Ireland is how green it is. After living in Philadelphia for so long, one can start to get deprived of the outdoors. By just taking a twenty minute metro ride you can stop at Howth, a small fishing village. We hiked the mountains there and got to see a phenomenal view. You walk on the edge of a cliff, with the sea on one side and luscious green grass on the other. We had to be careful to watch our step, as the edge can be very steep. The sea was a perfect shade of blue and since it was a nice day out, practically everyone in the town was outside as well. Typically, it rains often in Ireland, but this week we have been pretty lucky to have the sun be out the entire time. Dublin has its own greenery too. St.Stephen’s Green Park is a quaint little park located right near the main shopping centers of the city. It’s a great place to have lunch at and hang out while the sun is out. You just have to watch out for the swarm of pigeons and seagulls that will try to steal your food!