Tag Archives: Dublin

Hiking to Sandycove: A Questionable 25km decision.

Posted on by under Dublin, Hiking
Sandycove coastline

Sandycove coastline

I am inherently terrible at moderation, I tend to be all in or nothing at all. In life this has both served me very well (I tend to be very good at what I chose to do), and very poorly (sometimes you should probably show up to that Freshman seminar you hate, if you know, you want to pass). When it comes to athletics, sheer determination got me to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, even if I was intermittently unconscious ten minutes later and had to be run down the mountain because I didn’t acclimate properly (whoops). I am also extremely competitive, which manifests itself in the usual ways, and in slightly odd ways like disliking most board/card games because they have an element of chance, and I can’t depend on my pure ability to win. I am also terrible at “playing for fun.” So when I decided to see how I would fare at a 25km hike (about 16 miles) because I’m considering a long-distance trek this May (more on that later), instead of building up, I strapped on my hiking boots and walked along Dublin’s east coast from city center to Sandycove and back.  Continue reading →

Daily Life as a Trailing Spouse: Dublin.

Posted on by under Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Thoughts and Musings
The Irish Coast

The Irish Coast

Though Alex and I both moved here together to attend school, my education ended before his, and my current visa situation (read: pending) means I can’t work. So, by technical definitions, I’m a “trailing spouse.” Rewind six years, fresh out of college, if you told me that’s where I’d be doing when I was 28 I would likely had laughed, in part, because at that time I didn’t believe in marriage. But also, I hadn’t at that point really traveled, the thought of living abroad seemed so remote I couldn’t apply it to my own life. But here we are. And it’s fantastic, and challenging, and the best thing we’ve ever done.  Continue reading →

Winter in Dublin

Posted on by under Dublin, Europe
Wicklow Mountains

Wicklow Mountains

The problem with winter in Ireland, is summer in Ireland. The first year we lived here, we didn’t know about Irish summer, so the winter didn’t seem all that terrible. Which, apparently it was. It was one of the coldest winters in a long time. Though it was cold, it was never freezing, but it was long. March rolled around and the temperatures refused to climb. Last year was better, the winter temperatures general pleasant, though the light still nearly absent. The summer, our first, and only as we tend to be stateside during the summer was startling to our North American sensibilities. On the longest day in June the sun rose before 5 am and set after 11pm. For our light-starved minds it was miraculous. We joyfully used our blackout curtains for the first time, having wondered, who in Ireland could ever use these? The temperature was pleasant, generally in the 60’s (which, with the humidity feels like a perfect California 72). And then slowly, but surely as September turned to October the sun came out less often. On the shortest day it rose around 9am, and set around 4pm.  We longed desperately for the Irish summer light.  Continue reading →

Exploring Dublin: Blackrock

Posted on by under Dublin, Europe, Ireland
Rare Sun: Blackrock

Rare Sun: Blackrock

One of the questions I get a lot from people back home about living in Ireland is “what is it like?” And to be honest, Dublin, and Ireland in general doesn’t feel all that different from living in the states. I’m not the only one, most North American expats in our circle of friends feel the same. After awhile, the Irish accents fade, and you stop noticing them. And although you hear accents from all over the world, having spent the majority of my adult life in major cities, this doesn’t feel at all foreign. Basically, I forget we’re in Europe. And indeed, Dublin shares many common aspects to living stateside. One of which, is the lack of adequate public transit. And nothing makes me feel like I’m stateside more than not being able to rely on public transportation (outside of New York).

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