When I first arrived in Dublin, the hardest thing for me to adjust to was my new style of living. I’m used to living in the heart of suburbia. First in middle Tennessee and now mid Missouri. Walking around Mizzou’s campus was the first time I didn’t fully rely on my car to get everywhere. Even then, I still had it with me and would use it often to travel off campus. The thought of relying on public transportation was daunting. Even after a month of being in Dublin, I still miss my car every day. I feel like I’ve lost freedom without the ability to hop in my car and drive wherever I want. Public transportation can only take you so far. The Luas and bus systems won’t take you far outside of Dublin and there are trains that go across the country but there are still places that are inaccessible that way. I can’t help but think that I would have gone on more adventures if I’d had the ability to hop in my car and drive. Especially since Ireland is such a small country and, to many people here, a three hour car drive is considered a long road trip.

I love driving. There is no better feeling than going on a drive through the countryside to clear your head and escape from life for a little while. My solo drives are what keep me sane. Hopping on the Luas filled with other people and their germs just isn’t the same. I know Dublin doesn’t have the best or most advanced public transit system and it is easier to navigate and faster in other places. Despite my new found despise for public transportation, I have still been doing everything I can to make the most of my time here. I have found myself walking more and more places since I prefer that to taking a bus. In doing that, I’ve discovered shops, parks, etc. that I wouldn’t have otherwise and I’m glad that I was able to uncover some hidden gems because I was less than enthused by the idea of using public transit. I know this logic doesn’t apply to everyone, of course. When my sister studied abroad in Salzburg, she loved using public transportation to get around. She described it as her ideal living situation. However, she doesn’t have the same affection for driving as I do. Quite the opposite, actually. All of this to say, city life isn’t for everyone and I don’t think I’d survive long term in a big city sans car, however, experiencing it short term has taught me a lot thus far.

The other major lifestyle change I had to adjust to going from suburbia to a big city was shopping. Grocery shopping is much more difficult here, in my opinion. Since I don’t have a car, anything I buy, I have to carry home. This has been very difficult because I’m used to making one big trip to the grocery store every 1–2 weeks and buying tons of things. This isn’t possible when you have to carry everything 10 minutes home when you leave the store. Also, figuring out where to buy everything has been quite the challenge without familiar stores and brands. I have yet to find a Walmart equivalent here and miss being able to get everything in one place. Despite these challenges, I am thoroughly enjoying my time in Dublin but am also looking forward to going home and finally being able to drive myself to the grocery store again.

---

Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Global Internships: Dublin