Reconnecting with Friends: An Unforgettable Trip to Ireland

adventure, backpacking, europe, travel

If you ever get the opportunity to reconnect with a long-distance best friend, consider doing it in a different country. In October, my friend Madison and I had the chance to reunite in Ireland for four unforgettable days. Although our time together was brief, it was overflowing with laughter, shared stories, and the snores of our hostel roommates. As soon as we touched down in Dublin, everything that could go wrong did, yet I couldn’t have asked for a better trip.

Right off the bat, we were confused about which bus to catch. We had definitely paid for one bus, but got on a different one; however, we still made it to our destination. Tired and a bit delirious, we didn’t want to waste any time. We began following a pigeon around a park and the Temple Bar district for a while. I also almost fell asleep while enjoying my beef stew and potatoes, which clearly meant I needed a nap because I love beef stew and potatoes and could never disrespect them like that.

We checked into our hostel, Clink i Lár, and settled in. Although Madison had purchased a towel, she never received one. This was our first experience staying in a hostel, so we weren’t sure what to expect. We thought we would be greeted by a room full of fellow travelers, but when we opened the door, it was completely empty. We made our beds and stored our bags before lying down. I quickly discovered that both of the locks I had brought were either too large or too small for the locker—what were the odds? After about 20 minutes of struggling, I managed to force my smaller lock into place, hoping it wouldn’t be easily removed. After napping for an hour or two, we woke up around 6pm thinking we would finally have some roommates only to find that we still had it to ourselves.

It was party time now. It was a lively Friday night in Dublin, and Madison and I were eager to explore the town. After getting dressed, we headed down to the lobby for a couple of drinks at the bar. There, we struck up a conversation with an Italian man who had a passion for trivia. The three of us learned about a nearby hostel hosting a social event with free Guinness, so we decided to check it out. Upon arrival, we expected to mingle with new faces, but to our surprise, no one else was there. Undeterred, we took advantage of the complimentary beer and made our way back to our hostel. That’s when we met a friendly Canadian woman, an 18-year-old American girl studying abroad in Spain, and an incredibly funny 20-year-old from the Netherlands. I can’t recall exactly how we all connected, but soon we were engrossed in trivia, per Mr. Italian’s request, and enjoying each other’s company. Once trivia concluded, it was time to venture out to the real bars.

We stopped by several places, including St. Andrew’s and the famous Temple Bar, but the most memorable location was Fitzsimmons. This place was absolutely PACKED and lively, with fantastic live music. Sadly, our Italian friend was unable to enter the bars due being dress-coded for wearing sweats. We ended up getting adopted by a Bachelor party group decked out in the most outrageous outfits I’ve ever seen, with the Bachelor himself wearing a wedding gown. The energy was electric, and the drinks flowed freely. We spent the night dancing, laughing, and singing until bar close before making our way back. By the time we returned to our room, we were quite drunk and super excited, fully expecting it to be empty. However, when we arrived, every bed was occupied as if they had appeared out of thin air. It didn’t matter though, as we fell asleep the moment our heads hit the pillows.

The next morning, we showered and prepared to pick up the rental car for a little road trip to the nearby national park. Within the first 20 minutes of driving, we experienced a flat tire—of course, this would happen on our first attempt at driving on the opposite side of the road. We called the rental agency to inform them, and they assured us help was on the way. When the employee finally arrived with a replacement vehicle, I hesitated to accept it; it felt like a sign from God that driving was not meant to be part of this trip. With our plans to visit the national park dashed, we started on an hour-long walk of shame back to our hostel, brainstorming how we would get to our Airbnb in Galway.

Believe it or not, we decided to venture out again that night, because, you know, why not? We linked up with the same crew from before and set off right into Fitzsimmons like it was our second home. Our bachelor party besties were already there, and the night was off to it’s start. It turned into another uproariously excellent night filled with drinks, laughter, and the classic challenge of outlasting the bar until the bitter end. When we rolled back into the hostel, I realized that I lost the key to our luggage. So, off we raced back to Fitzsimmons, retracing our steps like detectives on a key-hunting expedition. While we didn’t find the key, we did bump into our bachelor party buddies outside a Papa John’s. We shuffled back to the hostel, hoping the desk guy could perform some lock-breaking magic, which he was totally down for. Meanwhile, there was the loudest and deepest snorer I have ever heard in my life. So loud that the desk guy was concerned that a man snuck into the room. It was not a man. The desk guy finally savaged my lock, and I immediately found my key sitting inside. From that night on, I wore my key on my necklace as a stylish reminder of my unforgettable adventures.

We embarked on an adventure to Galway by train, but upon arrival, a new challenge awaited us: our Airbnb was located in a village outside the city and not in the city like we thought. Faced with a decision, we weighed the options: splurge on €50 taxi rides or endure a one-hour-plus bus journey followed by another hour of walking to our haven. Opting for exploration, we strolled the charming streets, indulging in a delightful dinner and a few spirited drinks. However, as the night slipped away, we realized we had missed the last bus, leaving us no choice but to hail a taxi after all. When we finally reached our destination, sheer exhaustion hit us like a wave, and we immediately crashed, only to awaken at around 9:00 PM. Given the whirlwind of unexpected escapades, plentiful libations, and little rest, we resolved to take it easy for the evening, conserving our energy for the exhilarating journey that awaited us to the magnificent Cliffs of Moher.

We took the bus this time, embarking on a 2-hour journey to our destination for a mere 30-minute excursion. Once we arrived, we meandered through the stunning landscape but soon decided to catch the earliest bus back, eager to savor more of what Galway had to offer. To my surprise, we spent more time engaged in conversation with the bus driver than actually gazing at the cliffs themselves. I suppose when you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest, those dramatic vistas lose some of their allure. On the return ride, exhaustion got the better of me, and I dozed off almost immediately. Afterward, we treated ourselves to a late lunch, hoping an Irish coffee would perk us up. As we wandered, we ran into a girl from Maryland, and before we knew it, we had joined her on an impromptu bar crawl. On our way there, we stopped for a pregame Guinness where a homeless man tried to scare us and a group of women was convinced I was Portuguese. To our credit, we managed to limit ourselves to just one drink on this crawl before making our way back, as we needed to return to Dublin by 11 AM for Madison’s flight.

This trip to Ireland was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Not only were the people and the views absolutely amazing, but it was even more special to experience it all alongside my wonderful companion Madison. We managed to navigate through every possible ups and downs a trip can offer, from unexpected weather changes to delightful local encounters, yet we still only had a good time. The breathtaking landscapes, from the rolling green hills to the majestic cliffs, left us in awe at every turn. I can’t wait until our next trip together, the adventures we will seek, and the unforgettable stories it will inevitably bring as we explore new destinations hand in hand.