"Pious, earthy, witty, brooding, proud, and unpretentious, Irish culture is an intoxicating potion to sip or slurp--as the mood strikes you."
I began reading the Introduction to Rick Steves' book. As I did, a sense of panic began to set in. An endless string of thoughts began to form in my head. What am I going to pack? HOW am I going to pack? Should I start packing today? I think I should. I should go shopping. I need some things. But do I really? Should I buy them there? How will I know where to go? Oh my gosh, I'm going alone. So I'm panicking now, but trying very hard to keep myself under control.
Rick Steves gave me a lot of things to think about when it comes to planning for my trip. Of course, some of his points were irrelevant for me, since I'm not just traveling for three weeks. (By the way, if you are going to Ireland for three weeks, Rick gives an itinerary for a perfect three-week vacation.) His checklist for planning was as follows:
-mix intense and relaxed periods (no problem for me there)
-go at the best possible time of year (I can't really control that...)
-plan travel routes before you go
-take advantage of Internet cafes (yay for free wifi all over campus
-enjoy the friendly Irish culture
-be open to unexpected experiences
-keep a notepad
-learn the money
Now his last few points got a little daydream going in my head. I go to a local pub, explain that I'm a traveler and start asking people where I should go. They give me place after place to go see and visit, and we talk and laugh and then they all wish me well. But then I really think about it, and realize how STUPID I would be to think that would actually happen. So I'm not sure how to really "enjoy the friendly Irish culture," but I'm pretty sure I'll just have to keep it on campus. At least for a while.
So I started making a packing list, but it's all over the place. So far, I know I have to bring
-rain boots
-rain jacket
-boot socks
-leather jacket
-sweatshirts
-jeans
That's a pretty sad packing list. So I'm gonna have to do some more thinking and actual list-making. But for now, I'll just have to continue reading and see what I find.
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