My First Post!

Hello all,

I have been in Galway for almost two weeks now and have loved every second of it. Truth be told, I have very few responsibilities to worry about which leaves me plenty of time to do whatever I want. That mainly entails wandering the vibrant city streets, going on long runs along the always windy Galway Bay or the rolling countryside, reading books for pleasure or travel books about Ireland, and of course, going out nearly every single night to the countless number of pubs Galway has to offer. Since I am a college student enjoying the time old tradition of a year abroad, I find it fitting to make my first post about drinking.
Drinking is a part of life for the people of Galway. I consider myself to be a smart traveller. One aspect of being a smart traveller is to visit places with an open mind and to dismiss stereotypes you have regarding the places you go. Coming here I did my best to down play the importance of this social scene to the Irish people, but after one night I knew it was hopeless. Pub life (as I like to call it) is infectious. Pubs are places to meet with friends and share stories about daily occurrences or life while enjoying a pint of Guinness. There is a wide range of pub settings and each one is unique and has something special to offer. It would be impossible to pick a favourite because there is a pub for every occasion. There is no pressure to get drunk at the pub and my friends and I often go there for only one or two drinks just to relax although the temptation to stay and drink more is always there.
In my humble opinion Guinness is the greatest beer in the world. I can't imagine a drink more enjoyable. It tastes different then the Guinness offered in the States for sure. It’s rich and creamy and doesn't have much carbonation. To me, the taste seems like the perfect mixture of beer, coffee and chocolate, but I am not a beer connoisseur so I could be getting that completely wrong. Either case, I could drink them all day and would enjoy every one of them. They are kind of expensive though. Generally, we have been getting them between 3.80-4.25 Euro. With the exchange rate it comes out to around $5 each. There are cheaper beers we have been getting to save our wallet a little but they are never as enjoyable. Well, all this talk has been making me thirsty. I better go have a beer.