Before coming to Leeds, I had not made any plans of traveling outside the UK. Being in the UK, you are much closer to Europe and it can be shockingly cheap to travel compared to flying from the US. However, there were many uncertainties going alone to study at a foreign university, such as not knowing when I would have time to travel or any people I could travel with. Because of this, it did not feel safe to book a trip ahead of time. Once the semester started, I found out that certain courses have a reading week in the middle of the semester, which is a period of time with no scheduled lectures given to students to catch up on coursework. I thought this would be one of the only opportunities to plan a short trip during without having to skip any classes, but I had to meet some people to travel with. Luckily, being surrounded by study abroad students meant there were many other people interested in traveling; I simply had to ask.
Organizing the Trip
I met a student in one of my Psychology classes who was also studying abroad at Leeds and asked her if she had any plans during reading week. We were both available November 1st-4th, so I brought up taking a trip together. After doing some research, we found that we could buy round-trip plane tickets to Dublin for just $75 and were really interested in its historic sites, literary legacy, and pub culture. After she invited two of her friends, we became a group of four and began looking for accommodation and places to see. We each made a list of places we wanted to visit and prioritized the ones we all wanted to see.
Itinerary
Day 1: We wandered around the city and saw Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, Dubs Linn Garden, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In the afternoon, we went into the Guinness Storehouse, Irish Museum of Modern Art, and National Museum of Ireland.
Day 2: We saw the Book of Kells at the Trinity College Library and went to the National Gallery of Ireland. Afterwards, we explored a variety of local shops and ate at a traditional Irish pub in the evening.
Day 3: We went with a tour company to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway. Our time in Galway was constrained so we kept it relaxed and walked around shops and restaurants in the The Latin Quarter. We played “Galway Girl” on the way home.
Reflection
Traveling as a group is great because we are able to split many expenses. Airbnbs, Ubers, and groceries come out to be cheaper if we all pitch into paying. Although, we had to be willing to compromise as well. It would not be fair to only buy groceries I like or go to all the places I wanted to go if others were not interested. Traveling is fun, but it is still a learning experience in many ways. When there were disagreements in the group we had to find a middle ground, manage our time wisely, and navigate in an unfamiliar city. We ran into unexpected issues like the bus not accepting card, so we had to think of solutions and find a place to exchange money for €1 coins.
Despite the stressful moments, we interacted with wonderful people from a different country and learned about their history and culture. The Trinity College Library offered a variety of topics like the meticulous craftsmanship involved in creating the Book of Kells and the life and legacy of one of Ireland’s most celebrated writers, Oscar Wilde. We talked to our tour guide about Irish history and countless folklore on to pass time on our way to the Cliffs of Moher. Best of all, I was able to bond with the people I traveled with, and we all became closer over the course of a couple of days.
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