Back to the Republic

After being lulled to sleep by the dulcet sounds of bands playing in clubs, and people singing and yelling in the streets, it seemed I was being woken by my alarm. Why is it that morning always seems to arrive so quickly? I got ready for the day, made sure everything was packed up, and headed downstairs. Now I'm sure I probably should have done this long before I was a few hours away from my flight, but I asked the guy at the front desk to print off my boarding pass. Sure I had it on my phone, and I even downloaded the app, but I'd been told by no less than five people that Ryanair was notorious for charging on every little thing (much like Spirit.) I had already checked in, paid extra for my "extra" cabin bag (it is my only bag), but I did get priority seating out of the deal, so I felt confident that I had it handled. Once my ticket was printed, that itself was a struggle, I had a taxi called, and the new challenge arrived. My taxi driver didn't take card, and I didn't have cash. Thank goodness he knew how much it would be to get me to the airport, and knew where an ATM was... he may have done this before. He dropped me off at the front, directed me to departures, and I managed to get through with no trouble at all. I did have to ditch my shampoo and conditioner, a small oversight on my part, but they actually had stations set up where you could buy bags for small items, or bin the things you shouldn't have brought which I ended up utilizing. Security, as it is in most places outside the US, was a breeze. The upside to being grossly early was that I was able to get a nice breakfast, and didn't have to worry about becoming a hungry terror on the plane, as well as just being able to take my time and enjoy my coffee. They even had a game area that had a full sized version of a mobile game I used to love. Boarding was easy too, because Brits know how to queue, and my seatmate even let me take a photo past him from the window while we were in the air. So, not even one hour later, and I'm once again in the Republic of Ireland. A bit blustery getting off the plane, another stamp in my passport, and then... waiting. Now I just have to wait for my bus to Cork, and depending on how things go, a little sightseeing. Tomorrow, I'm home, and this month has flown by (no pun intended.) This was an expensive, once in a lifetime, incredible adventure. Even with my missed tours, airbnb's that I couldn't get in to, and plans that numerous times went to shit, I wouldn't change a thing. Adaptability is certainly key when traveling, alone or otherwise.Read more