I have entered panic mode. It’s official. It’s the middle of February and I’m stressed over summer plans. Having spent the last week hearing friend after friend discusses J1s, exotic internships, and far-flung holiday destinations whose names I can’t spell, I have entered a state of craziness that is usually reserved for the week before exams. Apparently, while I had been engrossed in the Winter Olympics, an invisible signal had swept through the campus, that had led everyone to begin frantically organizing their 16 weeks of freedom. Now I find I have fallen behind, way behind, and I’m desperately scrabbling around trying to catch up.
You see, I can’t spend another summer like the last. I took an early holiday in June and then found myself adrift for the following 3 months. Bored out of my tree, stuck watching reruns of Gilmore Girls and the Ellen De Generes show, going days on end without changing out of my pajamas, I soon began to lose my mind. So desperate was I for college to return, I downloaded my reading lists at the end of August and started making my way through them. It was a sure sign of cabin fever. Desperate to avoid a recurrence of this alarming event this summer, I began anxiously searching the internet and college notice boards for some ray of hope. Unfortunately, no lightning bolt of inspiration struck me in the arts block, and with a bank balance lying somewhere around the 34 cent mark, most of the usual options for fleeing Dublin are out of my reach. But rather than merely accepting this limitation, I’ve decided to defy it, and come up with some alternatives to the traditional student summer plans.
1. Inter-railing… Dart style
The joy of inter-railing across Europe can, of course, be achieved on a budget, especially in your choice of destinations and hostels. Visiting places like Budapest or Krakow instead of Barcelona or Milan will automatically reduce the cost of your trip, but a four week holiday can still be a drain on the finances. For the exceptionally broke student like myself, there is an alternative, in the form of the Dublin Area Rapid Transport system. The magical green train travels from Bray to Howth and Malahide, stopping at a wealth of destinations along the way. If you’ve ever felt the urge to visit Dun Laoghaire or Sutton, nows your chance. A day ticket will cost you less than 10, but if you’re feeling really adventurous hop on a commuter train to Dundalk or Maynooth. If you’re looking for something a little longer than a day trip why not call up some distant relatives in Arklow, Cork or Galway and arrange a mini-break. The inter-city trains that will deliver you to their door have some major advantages too, not least the fact that they sell tea, coffee, and snacks, and have some exceptionally comfy seats. While maybe not as exciting as flying somewhere (no-ones going to ask you for a passport at Pearse station, or make you go through a full-body scanner), if you have to stay in the city for the summer, the train does give you a chance to escape, if just for a day.
2. Camping… close to home
Im not a big outdoorsy person, but camping always makes you feel like you’re on holiday…perhaps its the not sleeping in a bed part?? The only downside to camping is that the equipment you need can be quite expensive. But if you know that using the services that a motorhome hire business offers if you ever plan to go to New Zealand for example, I guess it would be worth it, plus you’d be indoors so you wouldn’t need to worry about equipment.
That’s why I suggest borrowing a tent and pitching it in the back garden. While many of you may argue that this is what an 8-10-year-old does, I beg to differ. A younger adventurer would make their tent, most likely out of pegs, a couple of bed sheets, and a clothesline. Anyway, camping out the back gives you easy, and most importantly free, access to a wealth of amenities, including a toilet and running water. And while you may not be able to catch your dinner in the confines of your back garden, you can certainly cook it if the family barbecue is close to hand. Some students may prefer to spend their time in their back garden instead of camping elsewhere. Having some friends around and cooking a barbecue is a great way to de-stress and enjoy your summer. If you have an area with some nice furniture, it will be even comfier than camping. If you don’t have a great area to entertain guests, you could consider getting in contact with one of the composite decking uk companies to see if they could install a decking area to your garden. Either way, make sure there’s a nice area set up for you to enjoy some quality time with your friends.
3. Island hopping…out West
Who needs Greece when you have the Arran Islands? Oh yes, the three isles off the coast of Galway give the student visitor a low budget opportunity to do some island hopping. Firstly, the reduced number of islands means automatically there are fewer places to spend your money. Also, it’ll feel like you’re abroad because everyone will be speaking as Gaeilge, and you won’t have a clue what anyone is saying. Again, there are some advantages to staying within Ireland. Randomers will not do a double-take in the pub at the sound of your accent, and proceed to approach you, saying Oh my God? Are you from Ireland? My great, great, great, great grandmother was from there!
4. J1s without the paperwork
This option is probably the easiest to organise out of all. It is merely a job in Ireland. All it requires is for you to submit a CV somewhere, attend an interview and that’s it. No messy paperwork, no crazy apartment hunting, no trying to explain what the Gaeltacht is to confused employers. Simple.
However if none of these options sound very appealing to you, there is always the option of escaping the country by other means. My plan B involves me building a boat from empty butter tubs and sailing to South America. And with every essay deadline and class test that gets thrown at me, this plan sounds better and better.
