The Spring Break that Almost Wasn't

The morning of March 22 didn't go as planned. It was the first day of our 10 day spring break. Gabby and I had been planning our trip to Ireland and Paris for weeks. A taxi was going to pick us up for the airport (along with a group of other girls who were also flying to Dublin) at 5:30am. I set my alarm for 4:45am. At 4:00am our roommate's alarm went off and I laid in bed trying to get 45 more minutes of sleep in. Apparently I managed to fall asleep because I woke up to the sound of Gabby's ringtone. I checked my phone: 5:22am. The time didn't register until Gabby whispered, "Hannah! It's 5:22!" I ran to the door, turned on the light, and we scrambled. One of the other girls knocked on our door and told us the taxi was waiting. I threw on my clothes, put on a hat (no time to brush my hair) and ran down to the front door. We pulled out of the driveway at exactly 5:30am. If we hadn't been traveling with a large group, and if one of the other girls hadn't called Gabby that morning, we would have missed our spring break.

We didn't miss our spring break, however, and it turned out to be as unforgettable as that first morning.

We made it to the airport, through security, and to our gate in plenty of time. When it came time to board, we actually went outside and boarded via the tarmac (like the President does)!

Climbing the stairs to board the plane
Our flight went smooth and after arriving in Dublin we took the free shuttle to our hostel, the Paddy Palace. That afternoon we took a New Europe Free Walking Tour of Dublin. We saw a lot and learned even more about the stories and history of Dublin and some of its buildings. After the tour, Gabby, Kathy, Courtney, and I headed to the Guinness Storehouse to take a tour. The trek ended up being quite a bit longer than we had thought and we arrived right after they had closed. 

 All was not lost, however. Outside the Storehouse there was a line of horse-drawn carriages, so we took advantage of the opportunity to save our feet and rode back to the city-centre. 

 

That evening we ate supper (and a delicious brownie & ice cream sundae for dessert) at Hard Rock Cafe Dublin before heading back to our hostel to rest up for the next day!








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