The Adventures of Big Red in Ireland!: Belfast was a Bel-Blast!

My first weekend away was so class like!

I met up with another Au Pair who lives about two hours west of me and we met at the bus station in Belfast. Her name is Helena and she's from Spain but her English is AMAZING!

Belfast is also part of Northern Ireland so it is considered part of the UK so they use Sterling there so I literally had to learn how to use a different form of currency AGAIN!

So we decided to stay at a hostel because it was super cheap like. We each paid about 20 Euros each night which would probs add up to about 35 dollars a night. Our room was literally only big enough for one bunk bed and a sink but it wasn't like we were in there much. Everything was in walking distance it was grand!

The first night we were there we went to a pub called Laverys and we were just checking out the Belfast scene. Its great being from America because I never run out of stuff to talk about and for some reason, Irish people love the American accent! I'm definitely not hating all this attention. But there were these two guys standing next to us claiming that some chick was trying to rob them and they were freaking out. I ended up starting up a chat with them and this guy Nathan ended up being hillarious. He had me laughing all night! Helena was definitely appreciating the love she was getting for being Spanish as well. I can tell that she and I are going to be lifelong friends.

After Laverys we went to a night club right across the street and it was so crowded like. I love to dance but there was no room on the dance floor! We ended up staying out pretty late and then when we got back to the hostel we had to show our room keys to get in and the staff guy named Gary started up a chat with us. He works the night shift so I'm sure he enjoyed getting the opportunity to talk to two foreigners. He ended up being super cool and saved us from this creepy dude who was like 40 and staying at a hostel. Like who does that?

The next day we only slept til about half ten and then we went to go eat food. Then this tour guide approaches us and asks if we wanted to take a hop-on hop off-tour for 10 pounds and I was like hells yes. Especially since none of the shops were opened til 1 anyways. This tour literally took us around the whole city of Belfast and we got to go to the Titanic museum! Definitely my favorite thing by far. We also drove by Queens University which is absolutely gorgeous. Oh and we drove by the Parliament building. NBD. Then we went back and took naps and got ready for the night!

We went back to Benedicts which was the night club before but it closed at Midnight because it was a Sunday. So we ended up going to another bar/club called Filthy McNasty's and that's not a joke. We ended up just being able to meet new people and got a free cab ride home! Gary was working again and he gave us a mini tour of the hostel at 3am and showed us one of the rooms with like 12 bunks in it. I was like this would not be fun to sleep in. We checked out the next morning at 11 and I walked with Helena to the bus station and then hung out with Nathan until my bus left at 4. Overall it was such an amazing weekend!

However, I took the wrong bus and missed the last connecting bus to my town so I had to take a taxi all the way from Newry to Tallanstown which would have been like 45 minutes. It only cost be 30 quid which is about 38 Euros. I guess it was the American accent haha.

When I got home, the kids were so excited to see me and I realized how much I missed them! Cillian crawled over to me with a huge smile and in the two days I was gone, his walking has improved so much! Tonight is my first night by myself with them so I have to rock Cillian back to sleep every time he wakes up so I'm a little nervous about that and I'll probably be awake by 7 since the kids like to get up early haha. So wish me luck!

Every day I fall more in love with this family and this country. I am literally so blessed.

Stay tuned ya'll!