What's a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a rustic setting like this?

12-14 March 2009

So…Dublin. Well, Ireland is great. There’s that. The people are really friendly. I mean, I guess I should start from the beginning.

So Thursday night we headed to Dublin for an awesome weekend partying right before St. Patty’s day. I was with all the boys, and it was set up to be a really crazy weekend. We went out for dinner when we first got there. I had an amazing shepherd’s pie (peppered with actual shepherd on top…haha). After dinner, we ran to a liquor store to grab some pre-gaming materials.

Our hostel was so nice; it was a Globetrotters Hostel. I bought a bottle of pinot grigio and the boys for some unknown reason bought this Irish Jamaican Sea-Dog Rum (not their best plan). It smelled so awful that being in the same room with those drinks was making my stomach turn. I couldn’t believe they actually drank two fifths of that awful Sea-Dog crap. I finished my wine and we headed out to the Temple Bar district to party. We met a really cool guy from the UK who showed us where to go and we got all set up to party.

We ended up at a bar called “The Temple Bar” in the Temple Bar district where there was live music. The band was pretty good and I ordered another glass of wine and bought it. I went into the room with the band, and this blond dude who looked like a marine and was Scottish starting chatting me up. He told me he was a banker and kept whispering in my ear and everything. About ten minutes later, I thought I felt something by my purse (which was on my shoulder) and when I checked, my wallet was gone. The boys thought that Scottish dude was distracting me while someone who was working with him opened my purse, rooted though it, and took out my wallet. I realized it fast, and I then I left and called USAA. USAA told me that they’d already tried to use it in an atm five or six times. I don’t know what the idiots thought they were going to do without my pin, but hey. At least I didn’t lose any money except the 160 euro in my wallet. When I called USAA, I was so upset and they were so awesome. I ended up in this fancy hotel called The Gresham where the night manager let me talk in the vestibule. Then I called the police who were also really helpful. They picked me up at The Gresham, I filed the report, and then they drove me back to my hostel.

In the morning, I borrowed 20 euro from Adam and headed out. I planned to just walk around and do free things in Dublin. First, I went to the police station to verify the police report and then I walked around trying to find the Irish Emergency Tourist Assistance office. I never did find it, but I got to walk around Dublin for a long time. I also got to see Dublin Castle, the Chester Beatty Library, and Trinity College. It was all really cool. Dublin Castle had a really great garden and the Chester Beatty Library was awesome. The library included all sorts of exhibits that this Beatty character collected all throughout his life. It was really impressive. Trinity College was also really cool. I hung out in there for a while reading and just enjoying the campus feel.

That night, I went back to the hostel and read for a while after spending the last of my money on dinner. That evening I was not going to go out, but then these two girls from our program in Maastricht, CJ and Nicole, convinced me to go out with the boys and them. We went to a really fun five-story club where there was a three piece band. It was SO fun. I’m really glad I went out because we had an awesome time dancing and hanging out and just enjoying Dublin and I actually stopped stressing for a minute about my wallet. I was completely sober the entire time, and it was just super fun.

We headed back to Maastricht Saturday morning and I was awfully glad to get back to my room and my stuff. Monique loaned me 250 euro to get me through until mom gets here on Friday. I am SO excited that she’s coming this weekend. We’re going to really explore Amsterdam and see the tulips! Woohoo!! Can’t wait.