My First Two Months Studying Abroad in Ireland

Embracing Cross-Country Season 🌄

Since my last blog, I’ve taken part in multiple cross-country events, both big and small. I’m glad indoor season hasn’t started yet; it means we can keep running long distances outside! Going for relaxed runs with friends from my athletics club has been one of my favourite ways to spend time here. Even though I’m not super competitive, I love doing cross-country races and try to join as many as I can.

Study Abroad: Adjusting to School in Ireland 📚

Before coming to study abroad in Ireland, I didn’t expect school to be so fun! It’s quite different from school in Germany—learning here feels more collaborative, like we’re working together instead of everyone just studying alone. All my teachers are really kind and help me whenever I struggle with new words. I’ve made some great friends, but we don’t have many classes together, so I mostly catch up with them during breaks or after school. Overall, I really enjoy the Irish school system and the way people connect here.

Day Trip to Galway 🌊

Since I wanted to see more of Ireland than just Dublin, a friend and I took a day trip to Galway. It was an early start—we left at 6 am because the journey takes about three hours from Dublin. After my friend’s dad dropped us at Heuston Station, we took a train and arrived in Galway just before 9 am.

Our first stop was the tourist information centre for some maps, then we explored the free city museum next door. The museum had interesting Celtic and medieval artefacts, as well as displays about Galway’s role in the Easter Rising, which I found fascinating.

We then walked down the promenade, taking in beautiful views of Galway Bay before heading back into the city centre. At the market, we had the best chips I’ve ever tasted! We visited Saint Nicholas’ Church, Galway Cathedral, and the Latin Quarter with the Spanish Arch, before stopping at an Irish pub for some food. To end the day, we treated ourselves to ice cream before catching the train back to Dublin.

The HSI Halloween Tour in Dublin 🎃

My host brother from Spain and I joined the HSI Halloween Tour in Dublin. Students from all over Ireland gathered for the day, and we had one of the shortest trips to our meeting point (though some bus delays made it a two-hour journey to Heuston Station!).

Once everyone had arrived, we walked through Phoenix Park to Dublin Zoo. We did a quick round of introductions with our student advisor and then explored a section of the zoo. The “Wild Lights” display was up, and even though it’s usually seen at night, the giant lanterns were still amazing in the daylight.

Afterwards, we went into the city centre for a quick bite at a restaurant before meeting up with our tour guide at Stephen’s Green. She showed us key historical spots, pointed out great photo locations, and even gave us tips for taking Instagram-worthy photos. To finish off, we had free time to wander the city centre with friends. Even though I’ve visited Dublin before, it was a lot of fun seeing it with the other international students.