An American in Dublin (Or, Why Feeling LIke a Tourist Isn't Necessarily Bad)

Somewhere between going to bed, waking up and staring at the ceiling for several hours feeling like I could go for a jog around Dublin, falling back to sleep, and waking up again, it became apparent that that we needed to buy food at some point. Today's excursions started with a trip to Thomas Street, an area right near our apartments that has a few convenience stores and other places to get food. But first we went to the Everything €2 store to get dish soap, paper towels, and other apartment essentials. Disregarding the raised eyebrows whenever we would exclaim, "Wow, this is weird!" and "Cool! Look what they have!" We roamed the aisles stocked with unfamiliar brands and bizarre candies and left with our reusable bag packed with our loot (plastic bags cost 22 cents each).

Next, we headed to Lidl, a small food market with basic groceries. Even though we had been advised to go to one of the many local butchers and produce sellers, Lidl was easy and convenient for our first shopping trip. As we marveled at frozen potato waffles and red and green grapes in the same package, we loaded our arms with bread, pasta sauce, and butter.This was a much better experience than the one Ian, Patrick and I had the day before in a minuscule little convenience store in which we walked in, stood awkwardly for about a minute while the proprietor stared us down, and then walked out without speaking or buying anything.

Now, to prove our Americanism. The next stop of the day, ladies and gentlemen, was the Guinness Storehouse, one of the most touristy things one can do in Dublin aside from visiting the National Leprechaun Museum. Remember in my last post when I said I wasn't the hugest Guinness fan? Well, I didn't let that stop me from redeeming my coupon for a free pint at the Gravity Bar, a bar at the top of the Storehouse tour that offers a 360 degree panoramic view of Dublin (pictures will be up soon--I didn't take any, but my friends did). We learned about why Guinness is so special and what makes it different from other beers. It was very enjoyable, even for a non-beer drinker.

At the Gravity Bar. Photo by Hannah Long

Even though it feels new and exciting now, soon all of this will be old hat. I think we have the right to be tourists for now. We're new in a foreign city--one that, within a few weeks, will feel familiar and less novel. Why not take advantage of the excitement and enthusiasm we have for exploring while we have it? Tomorrow is the first day of Orientation and a Dublin scavenger hunt is on the agenda. I'm looking forward to another opportunity to take in more of the city!