ireland Archives - Balancing It All

February 19, 2023February 19, 2023

4 Days in Ireland: Where to Visit Outside the Dublin City Centre

Where should you visit outside the Dublin City Centre?

When my mom visited me in August 2022, I tried to cram in as much as I could in the 4 days she was in Ireland. We spent a full day exploring the Dublin City Centre. The rest of the time, we went outside the city centre to get a taste of other parts of Ireland.

So here’s where to visit outside the Dublin City Centre.

Where to Visit Outside the Dublin City Centre

Visiting outside the Dublin City Centre took about 2 days since my mom was only spending 4 days in Ireland.

We ended up visiting Howth and doing a day-long tour to the Cliffs of Moher which included stops at a few villages on our route.

Howth

Howth is a seaside village about an hour outside of Dublin City Centre. Anytime I ask someone for recommendations for things to do in Dublin, Howth is always one of the first suggestions.

I believe most people go there for the Howth cliff walks but my mom and I didn’t get a chance to do that.

We started our mini-day trip walking down Howth pier and wandering around the shops. We got coffee and snacks at Beshoffs The Market. The market had a selection of snacks, pastries, and a coffee bar. On certain days, they also sell oysters at the counter. There’s even a restaurant attached to it if you prefer to sit down and enjoy a meal.

This is the lighthouse in Howth which I got to see when I visited there with my mom when we were exploring outside the Dublin City Centre. — Lighthouse at Howth.

Afterwards, we walked along the other side of the pier to the lighthouse to take in the sights and lovely weather before going to King Sitric Seafood Bar for a light lunch of smoked salmon and soda bread.

While my mom and I were in Howth, we got lunch at King Sitric's. I ordered smoked salmon and soda bread and it was the perfect little lunch on a glorious summer day. — Smoked salmon and soda bread from King Sitric’s Seafood Bar.

All in all, it was a lovely, relaxing summer day wandering around with my mom.

Cliffs of Moher Day Tour

Ok, I know people have strong opinions about organised tours but honestly, they’re such a convenient way to see a lot in a short amount of time with very minimal effort!

My go-to organised tour company is Paddywagon Tours. I’ve used them twice now and both times have been great experiences.

This time, I chose the Cliffs of Moher Tour from Dublin.

We started the day at 8am and didn’t get back to Dublin til it was dark but we saw A LOT during the day.

Not only do you have several hours to explore the Cliffs of Moher but you also stop by a lot of small villages and landmarks for photo opportunities such as Bunratty Castle, Doolin, the Burren, Kinvara, and going along the Wild Atlantic Way.

My mom and I drove along the Wild Atlantic Way on our Cliffs of Moher day tour. This was one of my favourite sights and I believe it's next to the village of Doolin. — The Wild Atlantic Way.

We stopped at the Burren which is a stop on the Cliffs of Moher day tour from Paddywagon that my mom and I did when exploring outside the Dubling City Centre. — The Wild Atlantic Way.

Every stop was more picturesque than the last. We were also blessed with the most amazing weather. It was so incredibly sunny, warm, and the landscape was so vibrant and lush.

A bonus, which was NOT advertised, was stopping at the Barack Obama Plaza. It’s a “service station located at Junction 23 on the M7 Dublin to Limerick motorway.” I never would have expected it to be where it is for such a high profile name.

As the name suggests, it’s a service station. The ground floor is a food court and the first floor is a free museum dedicated to the 44th United States president. It was a strange experience being somewhere that was so American but knowing you’re actually in European country. Would I go back? 100%.

But I digress…

The star of the show was without a doubt the Cliffs of Moher.

You know those moments where you realise how insignificant you are compared to the rest of the world or universe? That’s how I felt there.

There’s no way to adequately describe them. To put it plainly, the cliffs are HUGE and everything else next to it is tiny.

I’ve lived in cities for most of my life and I’ve seen buildings taller than the Cliffs of Moher. However, one really tall building is nothing compared to 5 miles of tall cliffs and the endless ocean in the distance.

If you have the chance to do this tour or simply see the Cliffs of Moher, DO IT.

4 Days in Dublin: Where to Visit Outside the Dublin City Centre

This post is by no means a comprehensive list of all the amazing things to do in Dublin and Ireland. But if you’re looking for things to do on a quick trip, this is a great place to start!

Since my mom visited, I’ve had a couple more visits from home where we did slightly different things depending on the person’s tastes. It’s fun putting together guides for them that are specific to each person!

If you want more travel guides, let me know at sophiabalacingitall@gmail.com.

August 25, 2022August 25, 2022

3 Ways My Food Choices Changed Since Moving Abroad

Even though I moved abroad to Dublin, Ireland and completely changed my life, I find comfort in familiarity. I enjoy eating the same things every day (like my egg white oats and protein yogurt bowl) and I enjoy my workout routine. But being in a new country means being around different selections of produce and foods. Therefore, the way I eat has changed slightly. So, here’s 3 ways my food choices changed since moving abroad.

3 Ways My Food Choices Changed Since Moving Abroad

No longer shopping at high-end supermarkets

Gone are the days where I can shop at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or my favorite place, Erewhon. Sad times but actually, it’s much better for my wallet.

Supermarkets in Dublin are much different than in Los Angeles. The regular grocery stores I’ve been to here are smaller than the stores in LA and don’t carry as big of a selection of items, based on my experience. Items like kale and egg whites have been a bit more difficult to find. But that could also be due to me being new and not knowing where to buy everything yet.

Shopping here has also been less expensive than shopping in LA. I’m surprised by how much less I spend when I do (almost) a whole week’s worth of groceries. That being said, there are more expensive stores like Marks & Spencers which are always fun to go through and see what pricey items they have.

One cool thing about shops like Lidl and Aldi have this middle section where they sell random items. They can range from very practical things like clothes and baking dishes to out-of-place items like…chainsaws or battery chargers. It’s exciting going through it because you never know what you’ll find.

Lidl's middle section of their store where they sell the most random products ranging from clothes to workout equipment to chainsaws. — Lidl’s middle section where they’re currently selling muffin tins, fire pits, twine, and a battery charger.

Shopping multiple times a week

In my LA life, I got by with one grocery shop a week because I had a car to lug everything around and the size of them items I got would usually last me the week or more.

Now that I’m in Dublin, I don’t have a car so I have to carry everything by hand. It doesn’t make sense to do massive shops because there’s no way I can carry everything home myself unless I want my arms to feel like they’re falling off.

Also, all the food here is in smaller packages (or maybe the US just sells things in larger than normal packages…) so I go through things more quickly. For example, I got a 500mL container of Greek yogurt the other day and I’ve already finished it.

Maybe I have a big appetite. Maybe the sizes are smaller. Or maybe it’s both.

Buying more calorie-dense foods because of less storage space

When I lived with roommates and my parents in LA, I had lots of fridge and pantry space to store my food. My meals would mainly be A LOT of lower-calorie foods. I enjoyed volume-eating because I ate a little bit of everything but still stayed within my macro and calorie limits. My dinners would basically be HUGE bowls of veggies. I’d eat them out of mixing bowls.

However, in Dublin flat, my fridge and pantry space is considerably smaller so I have to shop a bit differently. Instead of buying bags on bags of different veggies that would take over the whole fridge, I try to include more calorie-dense foods (foods which contain more calories relative to their weight). I still meet my macro and calorie goals while taking up less space in the fridge and pantry.

Currently, that looks like using grains (rice cakes, bread) and starchy veggies (sweet potatoes, peas, etc) to hit my carb goals versus using lots of low calorie veggies (courgette/zucchini, celery, etc).

I try to keep my stuff to one shelf and one drawer so I don't take over the whole space. — I try to keep my stuff to one shelf and one drawer so I don’t take over the whole space.

How My Food Choices Make Me Feel Since Moving Abroad

Overall, I feel really good diet-wise since moving abroad. I’m slowly adapting to the food options I have here and discovering new places to find ingredients I was used to in LA. While things are different here, I don’t feel I’ve had to make many sacrifices to the way I eat. I think it helps Dublin is a major city so it’s pretty accommodating to different eating styles.

I also understand and am ok with not replicating my LA diet. I’m in a new country with access to different foods. I’m trying to adapt to my surroundings rather than wishing my surroundings adapted to my wants. That’s a pretty narrow-minded way to live, in my opinion.

But I digress. I’m having fun being more relaxed about my eating habits and changing them up a bit.

Do you know of any meatless versions of Irish dishes, foods, snacks, and/or drinks I should try? Send me a DM on my Instagram @balancingitall. I want to try them all!

July 24, 2022July 24, 2022

Why Did I Move to Ireland Now?

Sophia (Me) in Glendalough in Ireland. This was on a day tour to Powerscourt Gardens which was so beautiful and green.

Hello from the other side of the world!

For those who didn’t know, I recently made the move to Dublin, Ireland! It’s been 2 months now and it’s been quite the rollercoaster of events but I’m embracing all the obstacles, the good, the bad, the expected, and the unexpected.

I previously wrote about why I wanted to move abroad and why I moved to Ireland. In this last part, I’ll answer this question: why did I move to Ireland now?

Why Did I Move to Ireland Now?

Much of my progress to move aborad was in slow motion. It honestly took the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown to get my butt into gear.

The pandemic put everything into perspective for me.

Previously, I felt I had to burn myself out from a job in order to make ends meet. I worked hard, stayed late at work sometimes, and took on tasks without much pushback or sufficient assistance. In the end, it got me nowhere. Sure, I had promotions and raises but at what cost? My mental health was not in a good place and I’m sure my roommate/best friend was tired of me complaining about how defeated I felt. The weight of burn out and the pandemic was getting to be too much to deal with. In May 2021, I cracked, went through what felt like a mental breakdown, and had enough.

Throughout lockdown, I saw how other employees were treated at their jobs. They were let go from jobs they gave so much of their time and energy to. During this time, we as a society began to prioritize our personal and family’s health and happiness. And at the time, hundreds of thousands of people died from the COVID-19 virus. Knowing this and going through my own experiences in the workplace made me realize that my mental health and happiness was more important than a paycheck.

(I also want to point out that I recognize this thought process comes from a privileged place. I know not everyone has the ability or means to think the way I did about this situation or even take action on it the way I did. But I did want to share how I arrived to where I am now and in the interest of transparency, this is how it occurred.)

Once I had that realization, my focus shifted. I needed to put me first, not my employer. If I don’t take care of myself first, how can I do well in other areas of my life, career included? I also knew that because this is something I’ve wanted for years, if I didn’t do this now, I would regret it the rest of my life. While I fleshed out my plan, I was lucky to have found a healthy workplace with a supportive team to work with.

I told myself that 2022 was the year and I was moving, whether I was ready for it or not. As bleak as it sounds, bad things like viruses, wars, and political drama will happen no matter what. I couldn’t sit back and wait for the “right time” because it will never come. It was now or never.

So, I chose now.

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022

Why I Moved to Ireland

Landscape photo I took of Glendalough in Dublin, Ireland. I had never seen anywhere so green before.

For those who didn’t know, I just made the move to Dublin, Ireland! It’s been almost 3 weeks at the time I’m writing this and it’s been quite the rollercoaster of events but I’m embracing all the obstacles, the good, the bad, the expected, and the unexpected.

I wrote about why I wanted to move abroad in the first place and in this post, I’ll explain why I moved to Ireland.

Why I Moved to Ireland

To vaguely recap, I’ve wanted to move abroad since about 2016 when I went to London to visit family.

Fastforward about three to four years later, I started to put my plan of moving abroad into motion. It was a very slow and long process. There were so many times where it felt like I wasn’t making any progress at all. Anytime I told someone I was making this move, I felt like I was lying because I didn’t have anything to show for it.

I eventually got my Polish passport which gives me the right to live and work freely in the European Union. That alone would open more doors for me without needing a visa to live in the EU. It also took a couple years to get. It’s not government work if it doesn’t take a long time, right?

(Side note: if you want to make a move like this and you have family abroad, read up on dual citizenship laws. Maybe you can do something similar! You may have to do some digging in your family tree but it’s definitely worth it.)

By the time I got my Polish passport, Brexit happened and England left the EU. This sucked because I got my Polish passport to make it easier to live in London and now that possibility seemed even further away.

Around that same time, I visited Ireland on my first solo trip. Usually, I’d be traveling with my cousin but this time, I went on my own.

I knew I would have a great time but I was surprised by how much I loved it. It was so easy to get around, everything was GREEN, the people were friendly, the food and drinks were excellent, and I had a blast even though I was mostly on my own. Staying in an Airbnb in town and getting around myself allowed me to briefly feel like a local. All these things influenced my decision to pick Ireland.

Granted, all those experiences happened as a tourist but I knew that the real deal would still be a lot of fun.

I toyed with the idea of going to another EU country but I decided to stick with Ireland. The thought of moving abroad to foreign country was overwhelming enough; I didn’t want the added pressure of not knowing the language or translating my CV when applying for jobs. I knew if I moved to Ireland, I would have an amazing experience and the transition would be a bit more seamless.

Now that I made my decision, I just had to execute it.

Want to Know More?

So, I’ve established why I wanted to move abroad and why I chose Ireland. The last part will go over why I decided to move to a foreign country in 2022. Make sure you subscribed so you’re the first to read it when it’s out!

June 14, 2022June 14, 2022

Why I Wanted to Move Abroad

Hello from the other side of the world!

For those who didn’t know, I just made the move to Dublin, Ireland! It’s been almost 3 weeks and it’s been quite the rollercoaster of events but I’m embracing all the obstacles, the good, the bad, the expected, and the unexpected.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about my move here so I figured I’d answer some of those questions. This will be a three part series where I’ll focus on why I wanted to move abroad, why I moved to Ireland, and why I moved now. Buckle up!

Why I Wanted to Move Abroad

My reason for moving abroad in the first place goes back about six years ago to 2016. I had just accepted a job at a large non-profit organization (it was my first big-girl job after stints at small businesses and startups) and I was going on vacation to London to see family. Things were finally looking up after many years of feeling stagnant.

There was something in me that just clicked while I was in London. I don’t know what it was; maybe it was just spending time with my cousins, enjoying the nightlife together, trying all the yummy foods London has to offer, or just taking the tube from one part of the city to another to explore. Something in me told me that living here would be really exciting. I didn’t really think beyond that, but it just seemed like a cool idea.

I’m a sucker for European cities. I love how close together everything is. Everything is easily accessible by public transportation. There are historical landmarks around every corner. There is no end of amazing restaurants and good cafes. Flying to other countries is way easier and cheaper than flying from the US. And somehow, everyone always looks so effortlessly chic even if they’re not trying. Are all those legit reasons for wanting to move abroad? Who knows? But that’s what fascinated me about Europe.

I was thrilled by the idea but felt a little sad because I just accepted a new job and I felt I had to honor that commitment. However, that didn’t shake my desire to move there eventually. I just had to be patient and figure it out.

Years went by and the thought still lingered in my mind. Each year I traveled somewhere new, it strengthened my desire to move.

Want to Know More?

In the next part, I’ll explain why I moved to Ireland and why I moved now. Make sure you’re subscribed so you know when the next post is out!