By accident.
After my first trip to Ireland in 2014, I subscribed to several other travel websites with alerts when round trip tickets to Dublin were dropping. So, in 2016, I was given an alert that round trip tickets in October were $400.
Without thinking it through or checking the fine print since the sale was only going on for a few hours, I just bought the tickets. So now I had round trip tickets to Ireland, and I had no idea what to do next! I finally managed to reach a travel agency with a fairly priced trip that fit exactly in the ten days I would be in the country, but the trip started one day after I arrived, and even then, the group wasn't meeting until the evening of the second day. Whether I liked it or not, my impulse buy was going to leave me alone for over 24 hours in a foreign country I had only been to once.
The Not-So-Great-Adventure of Leaving
It's always stressful right before you leave for vacation, but when you know you're going to be alone, reality starts to sink in, and it sinks like the Titanic! Days before my trip I had exchanged my cash, packed my bags, cleared all my travel itineraries, cleaned my apartment, and arranged for my sister to drop me off at the airport. I even ran a 5K the weekend before. Nothing was going to deter me from having a smooth departure.
But there was only one thing that I couldn't control, and that was my coworkers. A mere four days before leaving, the coworker who sat next to me in our office came in sick.
I wasn't the only one who was royally annoyed that he came into the office sick, but he refused to go home and take care of himself. And guess what happened? I started showing symptoms the very next day.
I was beyond pissed at this point because I was already stressed enough as it was, and getting sick was the last thing I needed. Two days before I was to leave, I came into the office showing early symptoms of that same cold, and my other coworkers jumped right in to help. Some brought me cough drops, tea, various cold meds, and one even brought me an Odwalla Superfood juice blend to help boost my immunity. One of my leads even gave me her bottle of apple cider vinegar to help clear my sinuses. God bless those ladies; they may not have staved off my cold, but they definitely helped it go away quicker.
And right when I started using vacation money on cold meds, I wound up with a different physical ailment. Unfortunately, I couldn't take the meds for each issue, so I had to choose one or the other, and opted for the pain meds over the cold meds.
To sum up, I was stressed, sick, in pain, and about to go to a foreign country by myself. Needless to say, I was a bit of a wreck.
The Oddities of the Flight
My flight was leaving from San Francisco, and if you've ever been to the San Francisco Bay Area, you know what the traffic is like over there. It's some of the worst in the nation. The morning I was supposed to leave was no exception. In fact, it was a bit worse than normal.
Since I was the passenger, my sister gave me her phone to use the GPS. Well, the GPS said to take an alternate route that would be faster. The GPS lied. Right after we took the exit, the ETA suddenly jumped up 10 minutes over the previous route. Thankfully, we still made it with a few minutes to spare. She saw me off, and I went through airport security without a hitch, but I did have to fork out $80 for my luggage since my impulse buy hadn't included me making sure all luggage fees were included. It seemed that things were finally starting to settle down now that I was there.
The flight that would take me to Dublin was through the now defunct airline WOW Air, which was based out of Reykjavik, Iceland, and would give me a 3 1/2-hour layover there. At the time, it was still a newer airline, so this was why I wasn't aware that I would have to pay for my luggage. When I boarded the plane, I was lucky enough to have an entire row to myself. I soon realized I wasn't going to have much more luck with this flight.
Unfortunately, these seats weren't very comfortable, there were no meals included and the prices for the food were more expensive than I expected, and the in-flight entertainment was limited to an iPad you could to rent for €20.
I opted to not splurge on renting the iPad but bought a chocolate bar which was pretty yummy, and spent the flight reading and trying to stay awake because I wanted to see the Northern Lights. I kept a handkerchief on me because I didn't want anyone else to get sick (frequent fliers: you know how that works!), but because I was so conscious of trying not to infect anyone else, it kept me awake even after I was able to see the Northern Lights, which the pilots kindly informed us we could see.
It was a beautiful sight!
I managed to drift off here and there, but I don't sleep well on planes, so I was extremely tired by the time we landed in Reykjavik, which was also around 3AM Iceland time. As we were disembarking, I saw another passenger wearing a t-shirt promoting the film Mamaboy, which, coincidentally, I had also appeared in!
Yes, I was in my 30s and had appeared in two scenes as a high schooler roaming the halls, and watching disgustedly as Kelly devours his lunch in the cafeteria. I don't even know if you can see me because I still haven't watched the film myself. Imagine my shock seeing someone wearing a t-shirt of this movie in Iceland of all places! I managed to catch up to the girl and asked her about the shirt, she said she had purchased it at the premiere a few weeks before (which I had missed due to another project I was working on)! She had also been an extra in the movie and we been filming on the same days!
We chatted for a few minutes, but she and her boyfriend had a connecting flight to Paris and they had to keep moving. I wished her well and sat down in the terminal since my flight to Dublin wouldn't be leaving for another 3 hours. With two carry-on items, I couldn't risk falling asleep, so I forced myself to stay awake. It also didn't help that somewhere bread was baking, but it was too early for the cafeteria to open, so those of us waiting for our flights were now also very hungry and tormented by the glorious aroma of fresh bread we wouldn't be able to taste.
Those three hours dragged on, and when it was time to board, there was no jet bridge to the plane, so we would have to go outside and walk up to the plane and enter by using the movable flight of stairs. And guess what sort of weather Iceland has in early October? LOTS and lots of cold wind! Everyone heading for the plane had to take extra care to ensure their carry-ons were secured as we stepped outside to heavy rain and wind gusts of about 60 MPH and rushed to get inside the plane as quickly as possible.
Thank God, this domestic flight was much more comfortable than the previous flight, and once the plane took off, I finally fell asleep. I was awoken by the descent because my clogged sinuses felt the intense pressure and my head felt ready to explode for the second time in the last 6 hours. At long last, I arrived in Ireland!
Reality Sinks In
I was ecstatic to finally reach the Emerald Isle! I was practically sprinting to go through immigration because I was so excited to be back in Ireland. Every time I've been through Irish immigration, the line tends to go slowly because those agents strike up conversations every time because they are required to ask where you're going, then they start talking about your trip and telling you about other areas you should visit.
While in line, I struck up a conversation with a woman from Holland. She was telling me how she came to Ireland for the weekend every few months, which I hadn't realized until then how accessible travel is to other countries. She gave me a few pointers before her cab showed up and she went on to her hotel. Now I knew that the hotel I'd had to book on my own was near the city center, which was about 7 miles away, and the hotel website had said it was on the route of the Aircoach.
I spoke with the Aircoach agent, and he let me know which coach to take and pointed out that the stop wasn't exactly in front of my hotel but was up the street a bit. He pointed out where I would need to go on a map at his station, then I boarded the coach and was escorted into the city.
I finally reach my stop and I'm dropped off in front of a hotel called the Ballsbridge Hotel (don't laugh, you dirty-minded rogues!), and the coach drives off. And that's when it hit me: I was completely alone in a foreign country, and I wasn't where I was supposed to be. The directions the Aircoach agent had given me disappeared from my head. I didn't know anybody, I had never been to this area of the city before, and now I didn't even know how to get to where I was going. Panic was starting to rear its ugly head.
I stood there for longer than I should have, looking completely clueless before I finally just picked a direction and started walking. I knew I wasn't going in the right direction, so I stopped, took a deep breath, and began to focus. I was able to jog my memory after a few moments to recall that the agent had told me I would have to go about two blocks down from the bus stop to reach the hotel I had booked. I turned back around down the street, then made a left and walked slowly down the street, trying to look inconspicuous even though I was dragging a suitcase, wearing a full backpack and had a messenger bag across my torso.
It only took about five minutes, but those were some of the longest five minutes I've ever experienced. I kept an eye on the side of the street, looking for the number and name of the hotel. At long last, I came across a bus stop, and directly behind that stop was the hotel I'd had to book for myself, The Roxford Lodge Hotel.
I Made It!!!
I made my way up the steps and checked in, but the official check-in time wasn't for another two hours. The girl in reception let me know that my room had already been vacated and was ready, so I could go in if I wanted to. I also happened to sneeze then and apologized, explaining that I still had a bit of a cold. She said she could have some tea brought up for me for no charge, and even though I'm not really a tea drinker (to quote the band Darby O'Gill, "it's only just a bitter form of rain."), I was still sick. Realizing how gracious this was, I accepted.
I felt like I was coming home as I entered my room, and pretty much just dropped everything and plopped down on the bed and took it all in. The room also had a small TV screen and a DVD player with an assortment of American films, most of which I can't remember, but I do distinctly remembering seeing Children of Men and Baby Mama among the choices. After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door, and the friendly receptionist came bearing not only tea, but an entire plate full of goodies!
I helped myself to some tea and some of the biscuits on the tray, then took a nap. I slept for about two hours, then finished off the tea, had another biscuit for the road, and set off into the city. In addition to needing some lunch, I had a destination I needed to get to!
Surprises in the city
When I had been to Ireland two years before, my sister and I had found an ice cream shop in the Grafton Street district that was number one on my list of places to go once I reached Ireland. Like every other small business in Ireland, this one goes by the name of Murphy's Ice Cream.
My first solo pic in Ireland!
While in line, I struck up a conversation with a woman from Holland. She was telling me how she came to Ireland for the weekend every few months, which I hadn't realized until then how accessible travel is to other countries. She gave me a few pointers before her cab showed up and she went on to her hotel. Now I knew that the hotel I'd had to book on my own was near the city center, which was about 7 miles away, and the hotel website had said it was on the route of the Aircoach.
I spoke with the Aircoach agent, and he let me know which coach to take and pointed out that the stop wasn't exactly in front of my hotel but was up the street a bit. He pointed out where I would need to go on a map at his station, then I boarded the coach and was escorted into the city.
I finally reach my stop and I'm dropped off in front of a hotel called the Ballsbridge Hotel (don't laugh, you dirty-minded rogues!), and the coach drives off. And that's when it hit me: I was completely alone in a foreign country, and I wasn't where I was supposed to be. The directions the Aircoach agent had given me disappeared from my head. I didn't know anybody, I had never been to this area of the city before, and now I didn't even know how to get to where I was going. Panic was starting to rear its ugly head.
I stood there for longer than I should have, looking completely clueless before I finally just picked a direction and started walking. I knew I wasn't going in the right direction, so I stopped, took a deep breath, and began to focus. I was able to jog my memory after a few moments to recall that the agent had told me I would have to go about two blocks down from the bus stop to reach the hotel I had booked. I turned back around down the street, then made a left and walked slowly down the street, trying to look inconspicuous even though I was dragging a suitcase, wearing a full backpack and had a messenger bag across my torso.
I Made It!!!
I made my way up the steps and checked in, but the official check-in time wasn't for another two hours. The girl in reception let me know that my room had already been vacated and was ready, so I could go in if I wanted to. I also happened to sneeze then and apologized, explaining that I still had a bit of a cold. She said she could have some tea brought up for me for no charge, and even though I'm not really a tea drinker (to quote the band Darby O'Gill, "it's only just a bitter form of rain."), I was still sick. Realizing how gracious this was, I accepted.
Based on the pictures available on the website, it appears the hotel has since been renovated and is fancier, but this was my room when I stayed in 2016. Cozy, but comfy!
Guess who got a 5-star review on TripAdvisor?
Surprises in the city
When I had been to Ireland two years before, my sister and I had found an ice cream shop in the Grafton Street district that was number one on my list of places to go once I reached Ireland. Like every other small business in Ireland, this one goes by the name of Murphy's Ice Cream.
The picture my sister took of me when we visited the first time in 2014
I was on a mission, so I checked the map on my phone and decided to walk to Grafton Street. To help myself on the way, I decided to use Merrion Square as a reference point since it was halfway between the hotel and the city center. The receptionist asked how I was doing as I headed out, and I told her I was better and heartily thanked her for the tea and biscuits before venturing out.
According to Google Maps, the street I was on should lead directly to Trinity College, so I followed as best I could until the street name changed. By then, I had reached Merrion Square. However, instead of keeping forward, and I don't know why I did this (probably the cold and the jet lag), but I turned left. I followed to the end of the park kept walking, but my gut instincts again were telling me I was going the wrong way.
Since this time I was unencumbered by my luggage, I looked around for a place to be out of the way and popped over to one of the buildings and sat down on the stoop like others were doing down the street. I was able to find where I was (my phone carrier had a better international plan that year) with the GPS. All I had to do was go back the way I came and continue forward on the street I'd started on.
I retraced my steps and was back on track, then was sidelined when I saw a statue of Oscar Wilde. Being a theatrically trained actress, I had to pay my respects, then figured "what the heck?" and just went through the park at Merrion Square; after all, I'd already passed it twice. It was a beautiful walk and was definitely worth the detour.
After taking some time to explore the park, my taste buds would no longer be denied. I booked it toward Grafton Street to find Murphy's Ice Cream. Once Trinity College came into view, I knew I was close. I found Grafton Street after a few blocks, and finally found the ice cream I had been looking for!
According to Google Maps, the street I was on should lead directly to Trinity College, so I followed as best I could until the street name changed. By then, I had reached Merrion Square. However, instead of keeping forward, and I don't know why I did this (probably the cold and the jet lag), but I turned left. I followed to the end of the park kept walking, but my gut instincts again were telling me I was going the wrong way.
Since this time I was unencumbered by my luggage, I looked around for a place to be out of the way and popped over to one of the buildings and sat down on the stoop like others were doing down the street. I was able to find where I was (my phone carrier had a better international plan that year) with the GPS. All I had to do was go back the way I came and continue forward on the street I'd started on.
I retraced my steps and was back on track, then was sidelined when I saw a statue of Oscar Wilde. Being a theatrically trained actress, I had to pay my respects, then figured "what the heck?" and just went through the park at Merrion Square; after all, I'd already passed it twice. It was a beautiful walk and was definitely worth the detour.
After taking some time to explore the park, my taste buds would no longer be denied. I booked it toward Grafton Street to find Murphy's Ice Cream. Once Trinity College came into view, I knew I was close. I found Grafton Street after a few blocks, and finally found the ice cream I had been looking for!
The flavor of the day was butterscotch
Boy, I'll tell ya, there's nothing like revisiting an ice cream shop that's only available on the other side of the world. I took my time in enjoying my ice cream, and once I was finished, I set out again. Since I was now in the area of Dublin that I had a little familiarity with, I began to relax more and felt more comfortable just exploring the area. I walked through Temple Bar, along the Liffey, crossed the Ha'Penney Bridge, and went up and down O'Connell St, taking time to mark any landmarks that I should remember for future reference, and looking into various shops, one of which had massive Warhammer sets.
Now whenever I'm out traveling or shopping, one shop I will always have to stop to investigate is the bookstore. I came across an Eason, which looked like a smaller type of a Barnes & Noble. I went in and looked around, only casually looking at the books because I had another mission: I was looking for the newest High Kings album, Grace and Glory, which wasn't sold in the US (and at the time was super expensive on Amazon). After browsing the lower levels, I found a sign indicating that all music was on the topmost level. I took the escalator up and found that the music section wasn't officially part of Eason. It was called Tower Records.
Why is this relevant? Well, being from Northern California, Tower Records was actually a very big deal. This music chain that began as a simple record shop in Sacramento became one of the biggest independent record chains throughout California. They all closed in 2006, and as far as anyone in California knew, they were long gone. So me finding Tower Records in Dublin of all places? I was shocked!
I was able to find the CD I was looking for and purchased it, and asked the cashiers about how they came to be in Dublin. They weren't exactly sure and did mention that the store chain began in California, which I let them know I was from there and was particularly excited to find this story. They were equally excited and informed me that there was also a location in Japan, so the chain may have died in the States but had survived in other countries. I made sure to post about it on Facebook and plenty of my older friends were happy to hear that the chain was still alive.
I continued on throughout the city and chose to keep my phone away for the most part. I just walked up and down the streets, looking at the sights, taking in the feel of the city and the culture, allowing myself to be immersed in this country. This isn't exactly something that can be put into words, but the feeling of opening yourself up to experience a foreign country and just enjoying everything you're going through, from the sounds, the people, the architecture, the art, and the history, is unlike anything you can ever experience. When it's just you out there soaking in everything that's happening, it gives you an odd feeling of peace and wonder that can't be felt any other way.
This picture was taken last week at a recently opened Mod Pizza in Northern California. Further proof that even though the chain is gone, it ain't dead!
I continued on throughout the city and chose to keep my phone away for the most part. I just walked up and down the streets, looking at the sights, taking in the feel of the city and the culture, allowing myself to be immersed in this country. This isn't exactly something that can be put into words, but the feeling of opening yourself up to experience a foreign country and just enjoying everything you're going through, from the sounds, the people, the architecture, the art, and the history, is unlike anything you can ever experience. When it's just you out there soaking in everything that's happening, it gives you an odd feeling of peace and wonder that can't be felt any other way.
I made an exception for this picture of the Liffey in the late afternoon
After roaming Dublin's city center for a few hours, I went back to the hotel to rest. I'd already had a bit of a day and wanted to be more recovered by the next day when I would meet up with my group. I rested a bit, and when I was feeling better, I decided to find a place to eat. I went down to the lobby and asked the receptionist if she knew of any good restaurants, and she suggested one a few blocks away. I found it easily enough this time, but when I looked at the menu on display, I changed my mind. That food, while it looked like a great selection, was super expensive. So, I walked on and found a nearby pub called The 51 Bar.
There was a delightful and welcoming air about this bar. I was able to seat myself and walked around, finding that this pub was much bigger on the inside with several dining rooms and bars. It wasn't busy, so I was served quickly.
I ordered the fish cakes and chips, which was prepared wonderfully, and that tartar sauce, though I was a bit hesitant to try, was actually quite delicious. Unfortunately, since I was still taking pain meds, I couldn't have any Guinness, but I was quite satisfied nonetheless.
I returned to the hotel again, and this time I stayed there. I helped myself to some more of the biscuits, plugged in Baby Mama, and eventually went to bed. In the morning I felt refreshed and mostly recovered, so after having a traditional Irish breakfast I took a cab to my next hotel, then took the bus back to the city, where I enjoyed a hop-on-hop-off bus tour that took me around the city, and went to the Teeling Distillery where I drank all the other tour members under the table with the included generous samples, as well as the GPO and other notable places.
That evening I was back at the new hotel where I met up with my group mostly made up of American couples over the age of 45, and had a wonderful time going through the country with these people. And guess what? I wound up coming full circle without realizing it. The last hotel our group stayed at when we returned to Dublin? The Ballsbridge Hotel, right where I had inadvertently begun my solo adventure in the city.
And the rest is history!
Since this time, I have spent more and more time alone in foreign countries. The next year, I spent 48 hours by myself in London, which I hadn't been to in 20 years (briefly touched upon in my previous post). At the end of that trip, I spent 24 hours alone beginning in Glasgow, Scotland, after my tour group departed for Ireland in a portion of the trip I hadn't been able to afford, and I continued on to Manchester where I stayed overnight (having never been there before) before flying home the next afternoon. The following year, I stayed a total of 6 days in Ireland, going between Dublin, Galway, and Lisdoonvarna. Finally, this last year, I spent 36 hours in London alone again.
As you've read, this experience began as stressful and scary, but eventually it became the adventure of a lifetime, which opened doors for new adventures. I may have kept these adventures mostly in Europe, but I do plan to travel by myself wherever it's safe for me to do so in the world.
And the truth is, traveling alone can be unsafe, unsettling, and unpredictable. But it can also be extremely rewarding, as I've said before. If traveling by yourself is something you're still considering, just remember that it's not for everyone, so if you don't think you can do it there's absolutely no shame in that. Still, if you find that you want to be aren't sure if you can, let me refer to a quote from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
"...It's not safe out here. It's wondrous. With pleasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid." I agree wholeheartedly with this mini speech and would use it as an argument for becoming a solo traveler if you are still undecided.
Now safety, of course, is usually the primary concern when considering solo travel. So how exactly do you stay safe when traveling alone?
Believe it or not, there's actually one hack you can employ to up your safety factor. There are several things altogether, but in my next post, I'll go over the one hack. It may seem simple, but it's more complicated than you think.
What do you think it could be? Well, no hints from me! Keep an eye out for my next post and you'll see what it is
There was a delightful and welcoming air about this bar. I was able to seat myself and walked around, finding that this pub was much bigger on the inside with several dining rooms and bars. It wasn't busy, so I was served quickly.
Dinnertime! And a good book to read on the side
I ordered the fish cakes and chips, which was prepared wonderfully, and that tartar sauce, though I was a bit hesitant to try, was actually quite delicious. Unfortunately, since I was still taking pain meds, I couldn't have any Guinness, but I was quite satisfied nonetheless.
I returned to the hotel again, and this time I stayed there. I helped myself to some more of the biscuits, plugged in Baby Mama, and eventually went to bed. In the morning I felt refreshed and mostly recovered, so after having a traditional Irish breakfast I took a cab to my next hotel, then took the bus back to the city, where I enjoyed a hop-on-hop-off bus tour that took me around the city, and went to the Teeling Distillery where I drank all the other tour members under the table with the included generous samples, as well as the GPO and other notable places.
That evening I was back at the new hotel where I met up with my group mostly made up of American couples over the age of 45, and had a wonderful time going through the country with these people. And guess what? I wound up coming full circle without realizing it. The last hotel our group stayed at when we returned to Dublin? The Ballsbridge Hotel, right where I had inadvertently begun my solo adventure in the city.
And the rest is history!
Since this time, I have spent more and more time alone in foreign countries. The next year, I spent 48 hours by myself in London, which I hadn't been to in 20 years (briefly touched upon in my previous post). At the end of that trip, I spent 24 hours alone beginning in Glasgow, Scotland, after my tour group departed for Ireland in a portion of the trip I hadn't been able to afford, and I continued on to Manchester where I stayed overnight (having never been there before) before flying home the next afternoon. The following year, I stayed a total of 6 days in Ireland, going between Dublin, Galway, and Lisdoonvarna. Finally, this last year, I spent 36 hours in London alone again.
As you've read, this experience began as stressful and scary, but eventually it became the adventure of a lifetime, which opened doors for new adventures. I may have kept these adventures mostly in Europe, but I do plan to travel by myself wherever it's safe for me to do so in the world.
And the truth is, traveling alone can be unsafe, unsettling, and unpredictable. But it can also be extremely rewarding, as I've said before. If traveling by yourself is something you're still considering, just remember that it's not for everyone, so if you don't think you can do it there's absolutely no shame in that. Still, if you find that you want to be aren't sure if you can, let me refer to a quote from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
"...It's not safe out here. It's wondrous. With pleasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid." I agree wholeheartedly with this mini speech and would use it as an argument for becoming a solo traveler if you are still undecided.
Now safety, of course, is usually the primary concern when considering solo travel. So how exactly do you stay safe when traveling alone?
Believe it or not, there's actually one hack you can employ to up your safety factor. There are several things altogether, but in my next post, I'll go over the one hack. It may seem simple, but it's more complicated than you think.
What do you think it could be? Well, no hints from me! Keep an eye out for my next post and you'll see what it is
Images courtesy of Giphy
