Category: Europe

Maynooth: the Good, the Bad, and the Public Transportation

Published on by LshotkoskiLeave a comment

While my time at Maynooth University is close to being over, my opinions here are not. Before I list my favorite and least favorite things, I want people to keep in mind everyone has different opinions. I really do have so much appreciation and love for this country, and I would not change a thing about my abroad experience. However, abroad is not all sunshine and rainbows as it’s made out to be.

The Good:

  • The proximity to Dublin
  • The nature and greenery the town has to offer
  • Walking trails on campus (including the farm along one of them)
  • The Innercity rail
  • Ely’s coffee
  • Dunne’s stores- a micro scale target alternative
  • The friendliness of the inhabitants
  • South Campus (pictured below)
  • It’s very safe, even at night
  • Having an actual college campus and library
  • The sheer amount of dogs
  • Fitzgerald’s roost bar and tavern
  • Brady’s bar and tavern
  • All the cute little coffee and brunch spots
  • Most of the time it is peaceful and quiet, no city noise

The Bad:

  • The lack of vitamin D
  • lack of engagement and participants in classes
  • It feels like a ghost town Thursday-Sunday
  • the wi-fi
  • The one street of stores and shops being the entire city
  • The Innercity rail
  • the spiders
  • the weather
  • The food (unless it’s fish and chips)

A Special Section for Public Transportation:

  • My biggest frustration with Maynooth stems from the lack of a reliable public transportation system. The best form is hands down the train (Innercity rail) because it actually comes on time. However, it does not go into the section of Dublin where most things are located. The train can get you close to the city, but not where the hotspots and attractions of Dublin are. The 115 bus would be the quickest and cheapest way to get to Dublin, however, it only comes when it feels like it. There is no way of knowing if it is actually coming on time, or if at all. I find it astonishing because so many people in Dublin rely on public transportation to get home or to work, what happens when it just simply doesn’t come? The alternative is the C4 bus, but it takes triple the amount of time. It’s faster to wait 40 minutes for the 115. Maynooth is lovely but there is not much to see or experience here besides campus. Dublin seems so close, yet getting there is a nightmare. On top of that, Dublin is where you have to travel in order to get to anywhere else inside the country or get to the airport. Taxis are crazy expensive to Maynooth so unless you split it with friends you’re spending $75-$80 each way. Maynooth is great, but it sometimes feels like you’re stuck because of how difficult getting around Ireland is.

Thanksgiving Abroad

Published on by taliafrankelLeave a comment

If I were in the United States at this time of year I’d be spending this week curled up in my parent’s living room, spending time with my friends and family, and helping (or hindering) my parents as they prepare for the event of the month: Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving in the United States, despite its problematic background, is a time for families to come together, share thanks, and eat copious amounts of food. While I don’t have a large family outside of my parents and brother, I have grown up using this holiday as a time to reconnect with friends new and old, and now that I’ve moved halfway across the country for college that time is even more important to me. However, this year is different. Instead of traveling from Denver to Vermont for Thanksgiving, I’ll be spending the week in Aix en Provence!

While it can be hard to be away from my family home on Thanksgiving, I’m lucky to be able to have my family visit me during the holiday week. My mom, dad, and brother all arrived on Monday to spend the holiday with me and my friends, bringing a piece of the holiday to me! While they spent much of their week here taking in France and enjoying their holiday, their visit for me was about connecting with and spending time with my family. Rather than a turkey dinner complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and typical Thanksgiving side dishes, my family enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner of steak tartare, escargot, and charcuterie…. maybe not traditional, but certainly no complaints.

Although my 2022 Thanksgiving experience was a far cry from the typical American Thanksgiving, it could only be considered more special for it being celebrated in France and still surrounded by the people I love the most. However, holidays abroad can be challenging for many reasons, and there were still many things to miss about the classic American experience.

Although I had my family with me, this was the first time in a decade that I had not celebrated Thanksgiving with my close family friends. Since leaving for college, spending time with the people closest to me has become rarer and rarer. Missing one of the only times of year that we can all be together makes the distance feel farther, and I’m sure many other students abroad are feeling the same thing. Not being in your family home for a holiday can increase feelings of homesickness, especially so late in the semester.

No matter how you spent your Thanksgiving this year, whether it was home or abroad, with family or friends, eating turkey or not, it is a time to be grateful for the good that we have. This year I’m grateful for my family, my friends (near or far), and especially for this amazing experience that I will never forget. With that, I wish you all the happiest Thanksgiving and start to the holiday season!