Lizzy, Michael, and Devon (from left) outside of Blarney Castle on their trip in January of 2013.
Some of my friends recently studied abroad with a group in Germany and traveled to Ireland together. I asked Lizzy some questions about her experience the other night and here’s what she had to say:
So this was your first time traveling abroad, what did you think of the experience?
When I first started college I had no intention of traveling abroad. But a trip was offered over interim that my friends were interested in and I ended up going too. Looking back, I would do the trip over in a heartbeat! It was the best time of my life. I experienced things I never imagined and things I will never forget.
What were you most nervous about?
At first I was super anxious for a number of reasons: I had never flown on a plane for such a long period of time. An 8 hour plane ride was something I was scared shitless for. I was also nervous for the fact that I was going somewhere far from home, where I didn’t know the language. I was worried that if I would get lost I couldn’t ask anyone for help.
What were some of your favorite places to see?
In Ireland I loved the Cliffs of Moher. It was breath taking and I couldn’t get enough pictures of the view. I also enjoyed going to the Blarney Stone. The castle was really cool to see all the old buildings and I can’t imagine how the grounds would look in summer with all the green gardens and gorgeous sites. Kissing the blarney stone was something I can now check of my bucket list! Also going to Wicklow Mountain National Park and going to the spot from P.S. I Love You was awesome since I am such a big fan of the movie. (Here’s a clip!)
Devon and Lizzy at the Cliffs of Moher.
The beautiful scenery at the Cliffs of Moher.
Wicklow – location where scenes from Braveheart and P.S. I Love You were filmed.
In order to reach the Blarney Stone, someone helps lower you over the battlements of the castle.
Once you kiss the stone you gain the gift of eloquence.
If you could do anything differently – go somewhere; do something – what would it be?
I would change the time of the year I went. Since it was winter, it rained almost every day we were there and we rarely saw the sun shine. I also would have liked to go see a traditional Irish pub and seen a live band. We tried to go but ended up running out of time.
Do you have any advice for people who want to travel to Germany or Ireland?
For Ireland: bring rain boots and be prepared for rain and cold. The weather is unpredictable, it can be sunny one minute then rainy and cold the next.
For Germany: be prepared to travel light. They don’t have many ramps so carrying a heavy suitcase up steps was not fun!
Share some of your favorite places or interesting stories from Ireland!
Bucket List Traveler 