Ireland from the Eyes of a Twirler — Part 1

My first international trip was with the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band, and that will be a memory I cherish forever.

I was extremely nervous to go on this trip. It was my first time out of the country, and I was traveling without my family. I didn’t know what to expect. The week leading up to the trip, I was a nervous wreck, but from the moment we arrived at Chicago — O’Hare International Airport, the nervousness went away. I was so fortunate to have had my close friends from band, along with all of the band directors and staff with me on this trip.

Once we boarded the plane, we were told it was only a seven-hour flight. (Many of us had thought it was eight!) The plane ride was actually not that bad; we were served food several times throughout the flight, and had personal TVs with movies, games, and TV shows. It made the time fly by! (No pun intended.)

Upon arrival in Dublin, we drove straight to the Cliffs of Moher. When we pulled up, fog covered the cliffs, but luckily lifted within 10 minutes of being there. The Cliffs of Moher was such a beautiful sight, and definitely something everyone needs to see in person. Pictures cannot do this country justice. After the Cliffs of Moher, we drove to a historic burial site and stopped for photos. Our bus drivers, who also functioned as our tour guides, really cared about making sure we made the most out of our time in Ireland, and they drove us to many different sites. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have learned nearly as much about the country of Ireland.

Something exciting that happened to me at the Cliffs of Moher included a Vineyard Vines hat I had bought specifically for this trip. I took a photo with the St. Patrick’s Day themed hat, posted it on Instagram, and tagged Vineyard Vines. Later that week, I got notified that Vineyard Vines wanted to use my photo for their Instagram, and I proceeded to end up being featured on the front of their account. As a marketing major crazy about social media, being reposted on a famous, highly followed account was a huge deal for me!

We had our first performance of the trip the following day. The entire band traveled to Eyre Square in Galway to perform a concert for the Purdue President’s Council and Irish locals. It was so great to twirl in the middle of the city and show Galway what the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band is all about.

The next few hours were ours to explore. I met up with my friends, and we found a restaurant for lunch, and then walked around and window-shopped. Galway was one of my favorite cities we visited; I loved looking around at all of the different buildings and in the different stores. Every building in Ireland was very colorful, which I loved. (It was great for pictures!) Before we left, we went to a little café and stopped for a latte, and if you knew how much I love Starbucks, you’d know what a welcome relief that was.

Later that night, we went to a Medieval Banquet. This was different than anything I’d ever experienced — the staff dressed and acted as if it really was medieval times. It was an eventful night of not using any utensils to eat and watching someone get thrown in a dungeon. What better way to bond?

Wednesday, we drove to Blarney Castle. It was windy, rainy, and the line was insanely long, but yes, I kissed the Blarney Stone and was bestowed with the Gift of Eloquence. The line took us through the castle, which was absolutely beautiful. Kissing the Blarney Stone was definitely a once in a lifetime experience! After kissing the stone, my friends and I wandered around and found a cute café to grab some lunch and a coffee. The hospitality of the Irish was impressive; everyone we encountered was genuinely friendly, which made for an even more enjoyable experience.

That evening, we had a full band dinner at our hotel. It was so nice to be back together with the entire group to hear about everyone else’s time in Ireland so far. We truly have such an amazing band family; I could not ask for anything more.

Stay tuned to hear about the rest of our adventures!