Daring to Dream : Dublin, Ireland & St Paddy's Day

Sláinte (cheers) and Welcome to Ireland!

I was lucky enough (after lots of stress, cursing, and phone calls) to travel to Dublin, Ireland so I could celebrate St. Paddy's (spelt with d's and not t's apparently) Day in style this year!

This exciting trip had turned out to be quite the pain in my arse when I realized I had accidentally booked my trip for April 17th-19th instead of March! What a dumby, clearly multitasking really is not my forte. Unfortunately, I also cheaped out on travel insurance - didn't want to spend the extra seven pounds (stupid idea, trust me, always buy travel insurance) because I ended up having to pay the difference anyway! Luckily I was able to affordably reschedule my flights! This meant I wasn't jetting off on a random solo adventure to Dublin during exam week and I got to celebrate St Patrick's Day in Dublin, all was well and good.

So at early o'clock on the 17th of March I woke up and took off for Dublin, Ireland to drink with the Irish themselves, how freakin' cool is that?!

The luck of the Leprechauns clearly was with me that day! After a wee bit of airplane hell for Amanda (she suffered from cheap airline problems too) she met me in Dublin and then the day was finally off to a good start!

Meagan & Amanda's Luck of the Leprechauns

From Hostels to Hotels

Upon arrival, Amanda had received an email that we got upgraded from a hostel to a hotel! The hostel ended up being overbooked so our contact put us up in a hotel! It would have cost us 60 euros each for two nights at the hostel which was located twenty five minutes outside the city. But instead we got to stay at a hotel which was normally 200 euros a night and only five minutes from the city centre!

The man who ran the hostel even covered the difference and pitched in some euros for a couple pints of Guinness - what a gem!

Our hotel was absolutely gorgeous; we had yummy breakfast, two real beds, and a shower with warm water!!! These honestly are the simple things you take for granted when you aren't traveling or living in student accommodations.

Parade Shenanigans

Starting off the celebrations bright and early - we decided to crack open the litre of Vodka that Madison (a fellow Canadian) had purchased at the Duty Free shop. Somehow this made the parade even more enjoyable!

I was videotaping the parade on my selfie stick (I know, I'm sorry I have short arms!) when the stupid thing snapped and I watched in horror (I may also have screamed profanities, sorry children within earshot) as my case-less phone plummeted to the concrete...

A face down iPhone has to be one of the most terrifying thing of all time.

The nice people next to us helped me collect the remnants of my selfie stick, then cheered and hugged me when I picked up my perfectly, pristine phone! No clue how it survived the selfie stick death drop (leprechaun magic?!) but I promise you that the selfie stick was immediately thrown out and I will not be repurchasing. They are the worst things, EVER.

I'm ashamed I even bought one to begin with...

St. Paddy's

This day was sooooo much fun, the atmosphere and energy emitting from everyone in Dublin was completely amazing!

Amanda and I wandered the streets of Dublin, drink in hand, watching thousands of people dressed in green dancing, jumping, cheering, and mingling in the streets.

I managed to check everything off my Dublin, St Paddy's Day list. Drink Guinness in Ireland, drink at an Irish bar (multiple Irish bars- haha), talk to a true Irishmen, jig and dance to Irish tunes (this was awesome!) see the St. Patrick's Day Parade, spend time in the Temple Bar district, and just enjoy the atmosphere!

It was perfect.

Love, Loyalty, Friendship

I purchased a few little souvenirs in Dublin but my favourite thing I had bought was my Claddagh Ring (pronounced Cladda) from a little vendor on Grafton Street. Claddagh is a little town on the west coast of Ireland where Claddagh rings originated - I really hope I can visit Claddagh one day! A Claddagh Ring is a traditional Irish wedding band or engagement ring, which depending on how it is worn, signifies the wearers relationship status.

The rings has three symbols;

Heart - signifies love

Crown - signifies loyalty

Hands - signifies friendship

It is slightly empowering having purchased a ring that signifies love, loyalty, and friendship for yourself. I think that loving yourself, being loyal to who you are, and surrounding yourself with people who love and encourage you is the most important thing you can do for yourself.

That is what this ring means to me, a constant reminder to surround myself with love, be loyal to who I am, and create loving and lasting friendships.

Woah, that post took a bit of a turn and hit ya right in the feels eh?

Our last day in Dublin was spent adventuring and we saw so much! We wandered through a local park ( it was a gorgeous day), all along Grafton Street, O'Connell Street, the Temple Bar District, Guinness Storehouse, the Dublin Cathedral, Dublin Castle, Trinity College, and walked all along the river!

My last evening in Dublin was a relaxing one; filled with yummy food, a comfy bed, good laughs, and great company! However, it was extremely dangerous that a Belgian Waffle and Gelato Shop was located right down the street from our hotel. We may have stopped there once or twice, oops!

I honestly loved Ireland; the people, the energy, the place, it was everything I imagined! It was certainly one of my favourite places I have visited so far.

I really hope I can make it back to Ireland before I leave.