The Birthday List: Get a new stamp in my passport.

I think this item will be on my birthday list every year. Or at the very least, ‘visit somewhere I’ve never been.’ There’s nothing that energizes and inspires me quite like visiting a new place.

When one of my best friend’s Jazz mentioned she was planning to come to London for a visit and would I want to spend a weekend in Dublin with her, I thought briefly about the damage it would do to my bank account and then jumped onboard.

We traipsed around London for a few days with another Canadian pal, went to see Matilda in the west end, sipped expensive cocktails, ate decadent breakfast foods at 2 in the afternoon, and slept three-across in my double bed (oh, the glamour!)

And although we only had a few short days in Dublin, it was enough to fall completely in love with Ireland and see many of the gorgeous sites this vibrant city has to offer.

We stayed at Parkway B & B, a no frills guest house that’s clean and comfortable, with very friendly staff.

Time and time again I was taken with how friendly the Irish people we met were. They were all so proud of their country and eager that we really enjoy our time in Dublin – which we certainly did.

On our first evening we set out for dinner and pints of Guinness in Temple Bar, but were quickly overwhelmed by how full of tourists it was. We ventured off in search of a more authentic pub experience and found the Ginger Man – where they serve a house beer charmingly called “Writer’s Block” and the bartenders were full of banter and tips on how to make the most of our limited time in the city.

Taking the free walking tour on our second day was a great way to see most of the major attractions and learn more about the city’s history. Afterwards, we visited Merrion Square to see the Oscar Wilde tribute and then managed to book it to the old Jameson distillery for the last tour of the day (where we became certified Jameson whisky tasters, ha!) We spent the evening drinking too much cider, playing a hilarious game called “Name three things,” and dancing until the wee hours of the morning.

Before I knew it, it was my final day in Dublin. We took the train to Dun Laoghaire for a walk by the seaside before I had to say good-bye to Jazz and catch my plane back to London. It was a fun and exhausting and completely amazing trip full of so much giggling. And it’s totally given me the itch to see more of Ireland. Perhaps that will have to be on next year’s list…

To belly laughs & colourful shorelines,