Dublin was my first solo international trip.
I did not know if I would get the visa until the day I was supposed to travel, so I was underprepared. But looking back, nothing would have prepared me.
It is one thing to see the west in the movies but it is a completely different experience when you are there. Dublin is such a nice city, and I was swept off my feet pretty quickly.
I stayed at a hostel right on the banks of the River Liffey, and every day I would walk through the city. I also got to travel across the country to Galway and I remember being so awestruck by the Irish countryside and even contemplating moving there. What a beautiful country.