1.    Location: Hostelworld.com has a great ranking feature which includes location (I usually say anything above an 80% is good).  Take it one step further, and using Google maps, figure out where in the city you will be located.  If you’re 20 miles outside the city and most of the major attractions, you’ll be paying a lot extra for transportation to and from the city center.

2.    Linens: Seriously. Not all hostels will provide sheets free of charge, and some will even charge you up to $5 a night.  Make sure a pillow case, sheet, and blanket are all included for the duration of your stay.  I attempted to go for a night without blankets on one of my travels, but sleeping in the fetal position while shivering all night made for a sorry day of sightseeing the next day. If you don’t like sleeping in someone else’s sheets, try a Cocoon.

3.    Lockers:  Some hostels will provide you with a full size locker for your luggage, and some just something to put your travel documents in.  Either one is fine as long as you have somewhere to lock up your passport and any other identification you brought with you.  It’s not a big deal if your dirty underwear gets stolen, but it is a big deal if your passport is taken and you are stuck waiting for the U.S. embassy to reissue you one.  Try not to have to pay extra for a locker.

4.    Towels:  You’ll definitely want to shower at least once while you’re traveling, and while travel size bottles of soap and shampoo won’t take up much space in your carry on bag, a bath towel will.  Check to see if a towel comes included with your room, although in my experience so far, it probably won’t.  Figure out how much a towel will cost, and to save money, reuse the towel for multiple showers, letting it dry over a bed post.

5.    A Friendly Staff: A good staff can make your travel experience that much better. They have probably lived in the city your visiting for a while (even if they haven’t, they still probably know more than you), and are a great resource for information.  First and foremost, ask for a map, then have one of the staff, if they are willing, write down bus routes, subway stops, major attractions, and good places to eat.

6.    Breakfast:  You may want to eat out for breakfast every once-in-a-while, but a good way to save money is to eat at the hostel.  At just about every hostel I’ve been to, the standard has been cereal, toast, juice, and coffee, and it has done the job just fine.  Not to mention it’s nice to be able to get up and eat a meal without having to search for a restaurant.  Some hostels will even give you a voucher to get breakfast at a local café.  Whether you plan on eating it or not, a good hostel will always provide breakfast.

Here are a few things that aren’t necessary but you may want to consider:

7.    Washer/ Dryer: If you are going to be traveling for a week you may need to do a load.

8.    Showers: This should be self explanatory but there may be a hostel somewhere that doesn’t have showers.

9.    For women – a hair dryer:  Most hostels probably won’t have one, but if they do, it’s a great way to save space in your luggage for more clothes

10.    No curfew: You never know when you might stay out late one night, and I can’t think of too many things worse than being locked out of your hostel.

A couple final notes – always bring a small lock and key with you.  While the hostel may provide a locker, it may not provide a lock. And finally, this is how 90% of college kids travel, so make some friends and enjoy the experience.

And don’t forget to check out my new book, The Ultimate Study Abroad Guide!

Want to know how to avoid the stress of applying to go abroad? Get acclimated in a foreign country? See the world, even on a budget?

The Ultimate Study Abroad Guide provides you with all of the necessary info you need to have the TIME OF YOUR LIFE!

I started The Study Abroad Blog not only as a means to keep in touch with people back home but as a resource for other students who are going abroad. I think it’s been pretty kickass and I hope you do too.

I realized though that the blog wasn’t the most efficient way of getting my info out there, so I made it my mission to create The Ultimate Study Abroad Guide this summer after coming back from my year in Scotland. It allowed me to not only combine and condense all of the info I’ve written for the blog into one place, but also gave me another outlet for new info that came from research I’ve done over the summer. I have to say I’m really happy with the result.

The Ultimate Study Abroad Guide covers everything from general application and visa requirements, to getting acclimated in a foreign country and dealing with homesickness, to what to expect when you come home and everything in between. It also includes a detailed packing list, tips on travel, and financial advice.

I had the time of my life last year and I want to share what I learned along the way with everyone so you can have an equally amazing experience. Take a look, pretty sure it’ll be worth your while.

(Since mobile plans change from country to country, not all of this information will be relevant as I will be referring specifically to the UK. If you are not going to school in the UK keep reading! You never know, you may find some part of this useful anyways)

Cell Phones:
First things first: check with your phone company in the US. Many smartphones now have international capabilities, and your home service provider can unlock your phone for use in your country of study. If not, look to see if your phone uses a SIM card – just about every network except for Verizon uses them. Good news! You can probably buy a new SIM card when you arrive and replace your existing card, allowing you to keep your old phone. If you’re one of those unlucky people that will need to purchase both a new phone and service plan, then this next part is for you.

One of the first things you should do is head to a store specializing in cell phones.  Stores in the UK include  The Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U.  My advice, go for the cheapest phone you can find.  Honestly, you will probably only need it for a semester (or longer if you’re lucky), so as long as you can call and text it will be fine.  I found one for 10 pounds, or about $17, and it hasn’t given me any problems yet.  Next, you’ll need a network.  The most popular UK networks are O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Vodafone.  Just like in the US, you can either have a pay-as-you-go plan, or a monthly plan.  Be sure to weigh out the cost both ways, and remember that if you want to have a monthly plan, you will more than likely need a UK bank account.

(Tip: REALLY look at the different aspects of each plan. My friends and I that came from the same university here in the States all got a network – Lebara –  that allowed us to make free calls and texts to each other – really convenient since we communicate with each other the most. Not to mention international calls are only about 6 cents a minute.)

Don’t be afraid to buy your phone online BEFORE you head over. Stores always run out of phones during the first few weeks of class, so if you have a phone you’ll just need to work on getting a plan when you’re over there.

Skype:

Skype is one of the most efficient means of communication while abroad.  If you haven’t heard about it, take a look.  The great thing about skype is that you can instant message, video chat, and call landlines all with one program. Its easy to set up and use, just sign up – give your email address, age, etc. – create a username, plug in a web cam, add friends and your of and running.  Web cams can cost anywhere from $20 on up, but even the cheaper ones will work just fine.  Here’s the one I use, the Logitech C250.  Actually, many laptops now come with built in cameras.  Skype also allows you to make calls to landlines for a much cheaper rate than most cell phone networks, just make sure to put money in your Skype account.

One final note: If you are living in a dorm, and your university provides you with a phone in your room, check and see if you can use it to call other rooms. Sometimes room phones will have an extension, and to call other rooms, all you have to do is dial that extension.

Whether you’re two weeks or two days away, if you’re like me, you’ve got your plane ticket in one hand, your passport in the other, and two empty suitcases in front of you with no idea what to pack.  Or maybe you’re actually good at packing for a semester/ year in another country and just need a few pointers.  Either way, I’ve put together a basic list of necessary things to pack, along with a few extras just in case you have extra room in those front pouches to squeeze a little more in. (I’ve tried to adapt it for both guys and girls)

Clothing:

• Underwear (two week’s worth)
• Socks (two week’s worth plus a pair or two of wool socks)
• Undershirts
• Thermal underwear
• Long sleeve shirts
• Short sleeve shirts
• Sweatshirt/ hoodie (2-3)
• Sweaters
• Jeans/ Khakis (2-3 pair)
• Shorts
• A belt or two
• Skirts (for the girls)
• A set or two of workout clothes
• Pajamas
• Swimsuit (for those going to warmer climates)
• Coat/Jacket ( I recommend at least 2 – one for cold weather, and one that is water resistant)
• At least one nice outfit for formal occasions*
• Flip flops/ sandals of some sort (good if you’re going to a warm climate, but also good for hostel showers)
• Sneakers/ dress shoes/ boots/ rain boots*
• Cold weather gear (i.e. gloves/ mittens, hat, scarf)

Toiletries*:

• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Soap
• Deodorant
• Feminine Products (one month’s worth – should go without saying you don’t want to be stuck without those)
• Brush/Comb
• Razors/ other shaving supplies
• Contact lenses and solution
• Nail clippers
• Makeup
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Contraceptives
• Tissues/ toilet paper (you don’t want to be stuck in a bathroom when its run out)

Extras

• $300 in local currency
• Purse/ wallet
• Important documents (passport, visa, itinerary, plane tickets, ISIC card, etc.)
• Sunglasses/ extra eye glasses/contacts
• Cell phone (you probably won’t be able to use it in your host country, but it’s invaluable if you’re stuck in domestic airports and need to contact someone for delayed flights, etc.)
• Laptop and charger (don’t forget, you’ll need an outlet adapter for the plug on your charger to work)
• Camera w/cords and charger
• Sheets/ bed linens*
• Bath towels*
• Enough prescription drugs for the length of your stay (You need to make sure you are allowed to bring them into the country and that you have documentation, either the prescription or a doctor’s note)
• MP3 Player/ iPod (for long plane/train rides)
• Sleep sack/sleeping bag (most hostels have sheets, however, some do not, some will charge you for them, and for those people that don’t like sleeping in unfamiliar sheets, I recommend this)
• Journal/ diary (you’ll be taking plenty of pictures on your travels, but it’s always nice to have something to write in. Of course I recommend writing a blog, but you may not always have your laptop with you.)
• Backpack (for daily use and as your carry while traveling)
• Plastic bottles for toiletries for use in your carry-on or while traveling (the maximum is usually 100ml)
• Water bottle/ Nalgene bottle (since the Nalgene bottle is plastic, it’s a lot easier to get through airport security)
• A few hangers

99% of the people who are looking at this are competent enough to make their own packing list. The list you just read probably doesn’t even have everything you’re going to need, but if you do pack using this list as a guideline, you’re guaranteed to at least have all of the essentials.  More important than the list above are the notes below.

*NOTES:

1. Check the local weather in the country of your host institution. It sounds pretty common sense, but it’s the most important thing you can do.  I’ve been in Scotland since September, and it hasn’t been above 55̊ F. It would have been pointless for me to fill half of my suitcase with shorts, but I wouldn’t have known it never gets warm if I hadn’t checked the weather.
2. At least one nice outfit for formal occasions: Some countries, especially in Europe, dress much more formally for important social events.  I’m not talking shirt and tie for guys and cocktail dresses for girls, I’m talking black-tie/ tuxedos and ball gowns. Now I’m not saying you need to go out and buy a tuxedo or ball gown – I’ve made it through most formal events with just a black suit and bow tie; however, it’s something to keep in mind.
3. Sneakers/ dress shoes/ boots/ rain boots: I’m sure you won’t have a problem figuring out which shoes to pack, but just remember a pair or good walking shoes. A lot of the streets in Europe are cobblestone, and whether while at school or while traveling abroad, your feet will get extremely sore after only a few hours if you don’t have a good pair of shoes/ sneakers – sorry girls, those flats probably won’t cut it.
4. Toiletries: The only reason I would suggest actually packing toiletries is because they can be pretty expensive in foreign countries. However, they take up a lot of space in your luggage and provide a lot of unneeded weight. It’s really a game time decision.
5. Sheets/ linens/ towels: See if your host institution provides these for you. Talk about taking up unnecessary space in your suitcase – even if your host institution doesn’t provide them for you, you’re probably still better off buying them when you land.
6. Socks/ underwear: Bring as many pairs as you can. The more you bring, the less often you’ll have to do your laundry. If they don’t fit in your suitcase when you’re packing to come home, no worries, they’re cheap enough to throw away and replace.
7. SPACE BAGS: My one piece of advice – don’t use them. Yea you can fit more in your suitcase, but guess what, you’ll be able to pack so much that your suit case will be over the weight limit.  As a matter of fact, get one of those portable suitcase scales. It’ll save you a lot of time and stress especially when you’re packing while traveling abroad.

Tesco, your friendly neighborhood grocery

I’ve been absent from the blogosphere for about a good 3 weeks now. I know, it seems like since I’ve been back this is a common occurrence. Rest assured, having now fully adjusted to life back here and my less than demanding job, I will be posting on a much more frequent and consistent basis. That being said, here we go.

Before I left for my year across the pond, I had about 73 questions on what I should and shouldn’t bring. Don’t worry, this isn’t a post about what to pack, that will come later. When I asked Brian (my neighbor who had gone to St. Andrews 2 years earlier) how I should cram my entire life into 2 suitcases, he said other than clothing, I can find anything else I need at Tesco’s so don’t waste space on anything stupid.

Without him telling me, I could infer that Tesco was some sort of Wal-Mart/ grocery store, etc., but in reality I didn’t know anything about said Tesco. So here it is, your crash course on grocery shopping at Tesco, one of Britain’s biggest and most popular grocery chains. (There are a few others – Asda, Morrisons, LIDL – but I frequented Tesco more than anywhere else so we’ll stick with that.)

So to start, yes, Tesco is a grocery type store. I would actually consider it a hybrid Wal-Mart/ Stop and Shop (or Publix if you’re in the South). They are in large part a grocery store, but they also work in wireless phones, gas, insurance, and a bunch of other stuff. It works just like any other grocery store – you go in, put stuff in a basket, and check out – except unlike most places in the U.S., you bag your own groceries.

What’s good at Tesco?

My biggest expenditure was something called Kx, the Tesco version of Redbull. It had the exact same flavor, same colored can, same effects, and instead of the normal 1 pound 50 or whatever real Redbull cost, it’ll only set you back 40p (pence).

Tesco pasta. They sell roughly 1 ½ lb. bags for exactly a pound. I eat a lot and one of those bad boys would usually last me four meals. I would buy Tesco tomato sauce to go along with that. They sell it in jars for 35p or 83p. The 83p jar tastes a shitload better, but I always went with the 35p jar because I’m cheap.

I knew a good amount of people who drank Tesco value wine. I mean cheap wine is cheap wine; it’s not going to taste great no matter what brand it is, and Tesco of course, is cheaper. I would however, stay away from Tesco lager and Tesco versions of hard alcohol. That’s just me, some others may disagree.

As far as name brand alcohol, look out for the deals. One time I got a 24 pack of Tennents for ten pounds, and the next week, a 15 pack was the same price. Deals or no deals, they usually have the cheapest booze but just keep your eyes open for the sweet discounts.

They usually have a pretty legit bakery too. Stuff that doesn’t sell on the day it was baked gets discounted so it’s common to get 4 quality croissants for under a pound. They’re a day old, but who gives a shit, they’re cheap.

Other than food, Tesco has pots and pans, soaps and detergents, cosmetics and deodorants, DVD’s and CD’s, paper plates, plastic utensils, notebooks, pens and pencils, and plenty of other stuff you use on a day to day basis.

And don’t forget to sign up for their rewards program. You’d be surprised how quick those points add up and how much money you get in vouchers.

Unfortunately, most of my experience was from a Tesco Metro, or basically a Tesco that is really small due to the fact that St. Andy’s is minuscule. So anyone who regularly shops at a larger Tesco or who has some good advice about shopping at Tesco in general, feel free to comment.

And a quick thank you to Gabor who made me think about writing about Tesco after reading his post on How to Save Money While Studying in the UK.

The Kinlay House Dublin

expert hostel reviews. I stayed in The Kinlay House Dublin, and while it’s not up to the level of Wombat’s (the standard by which I will forever judge every other hostel), it was definitely up there.

One of the best things about Kinlay House is its location. It’s literally 20 feet from Christ Church Cathedral, 2 blocks from St. Patrick’s, and a 10 minute walk from the all important Guinness Storehouse.

Take the Airlink 748 from the airport and get dropped off at Wood Quay. The journey should only take about a half hour and Kinlay is a 2 minute walk from the stop, 3 if you’re elderly or walk at a snail’s pace. For 6 euro (10 euro return), you can’t beat it.

The staff’s pretty above average. They don’t have any intention of being your Dublin tour guide, but they’ve got about a million maps at the front desk and they won’t hesitate to set you up with one (for free).  They’re friendly and are good about getting you set up in your room, and they’re available 24/7 so no curfew.

As far as the rooms are concerned, they’re pretty much what you’d expect. I stayed in a 6 man, so there were three metal bunk beds. Not exactly the most stable structures. If you’ve got a playboy for a roommate it could be a squeaky night, but I was never worried about it collapsing. There was only one storage shelf for the six people in the room, but you probably won’t be carrying more than a backpack so it’s not like you need a walk-in closet anyway. Plenty of space to spread out.

Not exactly king size but they work

I was lucky enough to have a bathroom connected to my bedroom.  It took about ten minutes for the water in the shower to warm up, but fear not, there is warm water. I made it to the community bathroom down the hall a few times and it was just as nice, so if it’s cheaper to get a room without a bathroom, go for it.

Possibly the best thing about Kinlay is the free internet access. They have 5 computers with internet and there was never a line, so if you’re itching to email your mother or you’re a Facebook junkie it’s no problem. Just to reiterate, it’s free.

There’s always going to be some negatives that’s just the way it is, but luckily for Kinlay their negatives are pretty minuscule.

For starters, they don’t have lockers in the room – you have to rent out lockers and safes. With the cost of the key deposit and nightly fee, it can put a pretty big dent in your wallet (for me it was going to be 15 euro total). I opted to

Toilet works, shower has warm water. Good enough for me.

trust my roommates not to steal anything and just kept my passport with me at all times. It stayed in my right pocket all day and my pillow case at night and I was good to go.

On their site, they advertise a “breakfast”. If you want anything close to a hearty breakfast you’ll have to walk to the café across the street. By breakfast, Kinlay means coffee, juice, and white toast – that’s it. And while I filled up on toast because I was too cheap to buy breakfast, it might be worth it to eat out in the morning. (For you late risers, sorry, breakfast is only served until 9:30.)

Now here’s a positive and a negative. Right behind Kinlay is Darkey Kelly’s, my favorite bar in all of Dublin. Obviously I was pumped because I only had to walk around the corner for my night time festivities, but on the flip side, they have an outdoor section which is louder than a Harley on steroids, and stays that loud until 2 am. I guess it’s just one of those times you take the good with the bad.

So that’s Kinlay for you. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d give it a 4. My experience probably would’ve been better without the naked Frenchmen, but oh well. If you’re looking at other hostels, check out the Four Courts Hostel, Globetrotters/The Townhouse, and The Times Hostel.

P.S. Linen and soft towel included.

First and foremost, don’t worry, they’re not as bad as everyone makes them seem. I remember when I first went abroad, everyone talked about the planes like they were three days from the junk yard, but they’re actually legit planes with a full steward staff and everything. They’re also actually two of the biggest airlines in Europe. So don’t worry, you won’t die. The only real negative is that they fly into airports that are usually a half hour to an hour outside of the city, so you’ll have to take a bus or train ride to get to the city center. Even with that extra cost, they’re still cheaper than normal airlines. (Getting to and from the airports will be a different post so stay tuned.)

As far as which one I prefer, it’s definitely Easyjet mainly because the plane itself is bigger and you end up with a lot more space. It’s a lot cleaner, a lot more comfortable, and way more professional.  With Easyjet, you check in online so you go straight to security at the airport instead of waiting in those massive lines (just make sure you have access to a printer), meaning you can get to the airport much later. And there are no extra fees or taxes when you book with them. What you see up front is what you pay. For the most part, Easyjet and Ryanair are almost exactly the same in terms of price, so if you can, I would go with Easyjet.

Ryanair isn’t the worst thing in the world though. But the plane is a lot more cramped, and a lot less comfortable. The seat backs are plastic, so if you’re tall your knees will be sore after a while. They’re also a lot more strict on the size of the carry on that you’re allowed to bring on the plane. You do have to check in when you get to the airport which means you’ll have to get there a little bit earlier. And lastly, they attach a lot of extra fees to the flight price. The prices are still ridiculously cheap, it just means what you see on the front page might not be the actual price. If the Ryanair price is much cheaper than the Easyjet price, I would probably go with Ryanair. If you’re in Spain, you’re longest flight can’t be more than a couple hours depending on where you’re going, so a cramped plane isn’t the end of the world.

Definitely take advantage of both of them. I flew from Scotland to Spain, Spain to Italy, and Italy back to Scotland for under 100 pounds/euros total. Just make sure you check the bigger airlines like KLM, Air France, and British Airways, because sometimes they are actually cheaper than Easyjet and Ryanair (its rare but its happened to me).

Obviously you can book on either Ryanair or EasyJet’s sites, but I’d suggest giving Wegolo a try for all low cost airlines. Happy flying.

On Thursday, I played my last round of golf in St. Andrews on the Eden Course with Tony, the starter that me and the guys had become close with. We did a little match play and he beat me by 3 holes, but it had to have been one of the best rounds I’ve ever played on the Links. It actually poured from about the 7th hole to the 16th, but since it was my last round we didn’t really have any intention of going in.

You can see one of the better views of the St. Andrews coming around the back nine of the Eden and Strath, and it happened that after the rain stopped, there was a pretty awesome rainbow going right through the middle of the town as

Goodbye Old Course

we hit 16, 17, and 18. I had the chance to play another round on Friday, the day before I left, but I couldn’t have planned a better final round than the one I played on Thursday. I decided to hold off playing on Friday mostly out of fear of ruining the greatness of the round on the Eden.

I spent Friday night at the Jigger having my last pints of Jigger Ale, and watching golfers hit up the 18th one last time. It was pretty chilly out, and the cold beer didn’t exactly help, but I didn’t really care. I ended up sitting there for 3 hours until it was too cold for me to pick up the glass. I did a lot of amazing things over the course of the year – traveling, meeting new people, living the dream – but I would say more than anything, my best times abroad were spent on the golf course.

Nothing beat just waking up in the morning, rolling out of bed, grabbing some breakfast, and playing 18. I don’t know exactly how many rounds I played, but I would venture to guess I was able to play on average 3 times a week, even with the course having been closed for something like 6 weeks due to snow. I’ve repeated this story a million times, but I’ll make it a million and one: People always ask why an Asian Studies major (that would be me) chose to go to Scotland – my answer is simple, I just wanted to play some golf, and that’s what I did.

The Town from the Tower

I also spent a day or so just walking around town one last time. I finally made it up St. Rules Tower, which other than the Castle Course, gives you the best views of town, and I finally checked out the Castle. Although the Castle was a little disappointing, I had walked by both the Castle and Tower more times than I can count, and it was definitely worth the money to get into them because they were really the only part of town I hadn’t fully explored.

And of course, I spent a few hours getting some Old Course gear as you do if you’re a golfer leaving St. Andrews.

Flight home couldn’t have gone any better. I made it home right on time. I’m sure people are tired of hearing how my flights go, so I’ll end it there.

So there it is, the end of my study abroad experience. Although I won’t really be doing it justice, I can summarize the year in a few sentences to tie it all together. I went abroad simply because I wanted to travel and play golf. I was lucky enough to do more of both than I could’ve ever imagined.

I made it to 11 countries if you count the Vatican; I drank Champagne under the Eiffel Tower, chilled out in coffee houses in Amsterdam, spent nights in Rome eating gelato by the Coliseum and the Trevi, beached it in Barcelona, drank Guinness in Dublin, and did about a million other things.

For a year, I was a member of the St. Andrews Links. I am one of the few people who were lucky enough to play golf on what is considered to be the home of the game – The Old Course at St. Andrews – not to mention the other amazing courses that are part of the links. I went to one of the best schools in the UK, made friends from all over the world, and to top it off, I passed all my classes without a problem.

I wasn’t very emotional those last few days. It wasn’t because I wasn’t going to miss it because believe me I’ve only been home for a few days and I already do, but it was easy to make peace with the fact that I was leaving. Sure, there were a few things I might have changed here or there, but overall, I have zero regrets. It was everything I had wanted and more. Scotland is a great country – people are friendly, the mullet is still a stylish haircut, and both men and women wear skirts, but hey, it’s Scotland.

For one year, I got to live the dream, and I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

Part of Dublin Castle

wanted whenever I wanted to, but I don’t plan on going solo ever again.

There were a couple negatives about the trip. First, unfortunately Dublin isn’t exactly a good representation of Ireland. Other than Guinness, nothing in Dublin screams Ireland. In reality, it reminded me of every other major city I’d been to. The main part of the city is on the River Liffey, and the farther you get form the river, the more likely you are to get lost on some side street and harassed by some drunk guy who never made it home from the bar the night before. I had been told a lot of this beforehand though so it wasn’t the biggest letdown.

Second, I got stuck with some pretty crappy roommates. I booked myself in a 6 person room figuring I’d become friendly with the other 5 people in the room and everything would be peachy. Well that was kind of hard to do when the only time

Giant Spike. It was giant and useless.

I saw them was between when they stumbled into the room at 3am and left the room at 8am. Not to mention at both 3:00 and 8:00 they thought it would be fun to have naked wrestling matches – I kid you not, they were ass naked. This happened all three nights like clockwork. Meanwhile I stayed under my covers trying to avoid getting mooned. Did I mention they were French and didn’t speak English? I opened the door for one of them one morning and all he could say was “good”. The up side? They didn’t steal anything of mine… or wrestle me.

So negatives out of the way, I actually had a really good time. I ate most of my meals and spent Saturday and Sunday night at this place called Darkey Kelly’s. It wasn’t in the main bar district which was nice because it was filled with more locals and fewer tourists. Food was great, and the beer was cheap compared to what I saw in the rest of Dublin (Dublin is the most expensive city I’ve been to – a pint of Guinness can easily cost you 5 Euro or close to $7.50). They had this band playing there called, fittingly enough, The Darkey Kelley Gang. Between the Guinness and the Irish tunes, I was digging the culture.

Quick story about Friday night. I had only planned on having a pint or two because I’m cheap, but I ended up going to a bar and meeting this mother and daughter. Now they either A. thought I was extremely handsome (obviously) B. felt bad because I was flying solo C. knew I was a dirt poor undergrad student

Darkey Kelly's. My home in Dublin.

or D. all of the above, because they ended up buying me rounds of Jameson and Guinness for the rest of the night. Thank you ladies for saving my bank account.

I spent Saturday morning doing a tour of Dublin Castle. It’s only a castle in name really because other than one corner tower, nothing remains of the original 13^th century structure. The rest was built in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Cool place, well worth the 3.50 euro to get in. Then I legit spent the rest of Saturday just hiking around as much of Dublin as I could. I saw St. Patrick’s Cathedral, this giant 120 meter spike they built for the millennium, the Docklands, Temple Bar District, the Financial District, the Viking/ Medieval Area, and the like 10,000 monuments they have for all of the guys who fought for Irish independence. Took a nap on the Christ Church Cathedral lawn that afternoon, saw a cricket game at Trinity College, then did my thing at Darkey Kelly’s that night.

Guinness Brewery. 60 acres of heaven.

I went to the Guinness Storehouse on Sunday morning. I heard from a lot of people that they were disappointed in it; I thought it was bomb. The tour of the Storehouse and the Guinness displays were awesome, you learn a ton about beer, and you get a free pint at the end. What’s not to love? And the bar where you get your free pint is seven stories up and enclosed in only glass, so not only do you get good beer, but 360 degree views of Dublin as well. I went on one of those hop-on hop-off bus tours for the rest of the afternoon. I was really just too lazy to walk around anymore, but it turns out the tour takes you to places 3 miles outside of the city center which I would have never gone to other wise, so it was a good investment. So I rode that for a few hours, took a nap on St. Stephen’s Green (took a lot of naps while I was there), rode the bus for a few more hours, then, you guessed it, went back to Darkey Kelly’s for the night.

So like I said, there were a few negatives, but overall it was a great time. Definitely glad I got to go to Ireland before I came home. By the way, 4 days left in St. Andy’s..

Looking over St. Andrews from the Castle Course

I took my last final yesterday, which means all of my coursework here at St. Andrews is officially done. Unless I somehow managed to fail my finals miserably I’ve passed all of my classes. I can’t actually bring any of the course handouts and reader packs home with me due to lack of space in my suitcases (not that I’m ever going to need them anyway) so I think I’m going to have a sacrificial fire on the beach and torch all of it. If anyone has a better idea, let me know; if anyone wants in on the fire, also let me know.

I came to the realization last week that there are more important things in the world besides grades. I ended up golfing 3 out of the 4 days before my exams instead of studying. I’m not saying I had any intention of failing my finals, but I knew I had good averages going into them, and we technically only have to pass the class to get credit seeing as it doesn’t affect our GPA.  So, instead of worrying and studying my ass off in my tiny room or the overcrowded library, I attempted to make the most of the 2 weeks I have left here.  I’m in the home of golf, and realistically, I’ll probably never be back, so getting in those last few rounds made much more sense than striving for an

Tony

A.

I was lucky enough to play the Castle Course on both Friday and Saturday. I feel bad for anyone who comes to St. Andrews and isn’t a golfer because I swear the best views of St. Andy’s you will ever get are from atop the Castle Course. I played the Eden on Sunday with one of the starters here, Tony, whom the guys and I have got to know pretty well. He’s been living the golfer’s dream in St. Andrews for the last 18 years. Great guy, great golfer.

All of the Holy Cross students had to present our Independent Cultural Immersion Projects last week. For the project you pick some aspect of Scottish culture (obviously I picked golf) that you want to learn more about and immerse yourself in it for a year. It’s a way to guarantee that you don’t sit on your ass in your room watching American TV online. I don’t know how seriously everyone takes it, but I could tell from the presentations that the kids who actually got out and did stuff are the ones who had the best experience here.  Lesson learned; don’t

St. Andrews from the beach

complain about how much you miss home or how hard you think life is abroad (by the way, I don’t know if it could’ve been any easier) – actually get out and do something.  It sounds corny but the presentations were actually a really nice way to look back on the year.

I’m doing a little solo venture to Ireland this weekend. I’m kind of pumped to be on my own. I’ll get to do whatever I want whenever I want. I don’t have too many expectations.  If I see the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Castle and Trinity College I’ll be happy. And I legitimately have no work to worry about, which means I really am on vacation.

I’ll be back in America a week from Saturday. It’s depressing that people from HC are already on their way home, but it’s about that time. I think we’re all just about ready.  I had some final pints with the guys from Holy Cross last night; good times. I’ve just got a few things I want to do in St. Andrews when I get back from Ireland, and then my year will be complete. I’ll try and make sure I write one more post before I head home.