The Essential One (and other essentials) Preparing for a 4-month long stay in a new country was a task I thought was child鈥檚 play...only to find out approximately two days after my arrival how wrong I was. Having been born with the skill of getting stuff done under a surprisingly short amount of time, I packed everything just a few hours before my flight. Clearly, I overestimated my abilities this time- that's how I ended up with multiple packs of smoked paprika from home, and not a single proper rain jacket.
So, if you don鈥檛 want to end up making the same mistakes as I did, here鈥檚 a quick overview of things you should vs. should not bring.
SHOULD BRING
1. Blankets
Have I been warned about the unorthodox heating system most of Ireland uses? Yes. Have I blissfully ignored all the warnings I received? Yes again! Jokes aside, heating in most Irish homes isn鈥檛 constantly on, only during certain times of the day. And whilst you will eventually adapt to the cold mornings and afternoons, it鈥檚 worth bringing a warm, cozy blanket from home, just in case you need it.
2. A proper raincoat
Before arriving in Ireland, I thought I was a rain expert. Hungarians have a saying for whenever it rains quite hard and yet we can鈥檛 be bothered to put on a raincoat or carry an umbrella- it roughly translates to 鈥淚鈥檓 not made of sugar, I don鈥檛 melt鈥. As it turns out, I might as well be a whole packet of sugar cubes with how quickly I caught a cold once I arrived here. Seriously though, don鈥檛 try to fight the weather like I did, and don鈥檛 believe for a second that a scarf is going to shield you from the rain here. You鈥檒l need a proper raincoat (or at least a good quality umbrella) to withstand the infamous Irish weather.
3. Boots
When I was packing up, I threw my boots in last minute, just in case my sneakers would get soaked. Long story short, I haven鈥檛 even taken them out of my luggage, and it鈥檚 been two weeks already. Obviously, when the weather gets warmer the boots won鈥檛 be necessary anymore, but generally speaking, it is a good idea to bring another (preferably waterproof) pair of shoes with you.
SHOULD NOT BRING
1. Seasoning and foods
Now, I understand that homemade is always better than storebought. Seriously, for me nothing will ever top homemade Hungarian smoked paprika, no matter how fancy the packaging or how famous the brand. However, even I have to admit that I went a little overboard with the amount of homemade seasonings I鈥檝e brought. The thing about Ireland is that a lot of people from different cultural backgrounds live here, meaning that whatever food (or seasonings, in my case) you miss from home, there鈥檚 a 99% chance they鈥檒l have it. And even if they don鈥檛, they have endless alternatives, all of which are able to satisfy whatever craving you might have.
2. Short sleeved shirts
To give myself some credit though, I must say I was built for the cold. At home I was prancing around in shorts and tank tops, even in the middle of winter! Foolishly, I thought that I could do the same in Ireland and not catch a cold instantly. Once again, I was wrong, and on top of that I had to spend quite the amount on new clothes. So, don鈥檛 make the same mistake as I did, don鈥檛 pack 5 long-sleeved shirts with 50 short-sleeved ones, and don鈥檛 get inspired by the Irish who are walking around in shorts and sleeveless tops even when it鈥檚 raining cats and dogs. They鈥檙e simply built different, in a way only they themselves can understand.
The Essential One (and other essentials) Altogether though, I鈥檓 quite content with how I packed up. It鈥檚 only the blankets, the raincoat and the long-sleeved shirts I was missing, so basically only the essential ones! Jokes aside, make sure to bring a heap of warm clothes, regardless of what time of the year you鈥檙e visiting. Another advice I can give you is to bring something special and sacred from home, in case you get hit with a wave of homesickness. Me personally, I brought a stuffed animal that I had ever since childhood, one that you can see in the image below, pictured with all the other essentials I bought here.
by Barbi Beck, Hungary
