Hey, Dublin!

I’ve just moved to Dublin, Ireland and this is how it’s been so far

It has been a week since I moved to Dublin, Ireland to study at Dorset College and I am already in love with this place. I came here through a work and study exchange program and I will be staying here for a minimum of 8 months. But hopefully, with lots of hopes to be able to stay longer.

I had already traveled to Europe multiple times before, but deep inside I’d always wanted to live here. So, in 2021, after living in the United States for nearly 3 years, I decided to apply for a Business English class in Ireland and move here.

Why Dublin?

As I mentioned above, I’ve always wanted to live in Europe. And I’ve wanted to live here for many million reasons. As I had previously lived in the U.S., and as I grew up living in South America, I thought it was about time to call Europe not just a travel destination, but also home. At least for a while. But I only speak English and Portuguese. So, the first reason why I chose Dublin is that I didn’t want to move to a country in Europe where I’d be forced to learn another language, so Ireland was the perfect choice for me since they speak English here. But why Dublin?

When I lived in the U.S., I lived in Maplewood, New Jersey. Maplewood is a small town outside of New York City. It is easy to get to New York, but it’s Maplewood. It’s small. And when you live in a small town, you have to deal with small-town issues such as having to need a car for everything, depend on poor public transport, and not really have that many choices of fun things to do for a 25-year-old gay man. So, when I was living there I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t live in a small town ever again. I come from a big city in Brazil, so I’m so used to the million choices of entertainment, jobs, food, etc. So, when I chose Ireland, I didn’t even look other cities up, I just chose Dublin because it is the largest city in Ireland.

What have your challenges been so far?

This is not the first time I live abroad. I’ve been doing this since I was 18 years old, so I’m very used to the feeling of being away from home in a foreign country, and the hundreds of challenges that we have to face when we move to a new country. But I have to say that now it has been way more challenging than I expected.

Housing…

Apparently, Dublin is going through its worst housing crisis in a long time. It is so hard to find a place to live. And it’s not like it is in the U.S. I’m not here to compare countries, but I’ve realized that there is no standardized way to find a place to live. Some people find a place through Facebook groups, others through some websites, but honestly, websites such as daft.ie, Spotahome.ie never work. Hosts never respond to us, and you find a million scams on Facebook groups. As I type this, I have nowhere to go in 3 days. I’ve been staying at this hostel, and the school and my agency have done nothing to help me but tell me to join a thousand Facebook groups so I can keep trying. When I talk to people who have found accommodation and I ask them how they found it, their answer is always the same. They knew somebody that knew somebody that knew somebody that the somebody that they knew was leaving a room or renting a room, so that’s how they found it. Since I just arrived here, I haven’t met that many people yet, so it makes it so hard for me. Also, the Ukraine situation made it very hard as well. I know it’s not their fault, but there are also hundreds of people who came from Ukraine and are now in Dublin, so what used to be hard has become even harder. There’s such a shortage of houses, rooms, and apartments. I simply don’t know what to do.

And the reason why not being able to find a place annoys me so much is that we have to depend on luck. And I hate to have to depend on luck. For instance, two of my best friends also moved to Dublin with me, and on the second day we were here they were able to find a place for females only. Most available rooms are for females only or couples. It is frustrating.

And it’s not only the shortage of rooms, but It’s also the price. Landlords, house owners, hostels, hotels, and Airbnbs are taking so much advantage of this horrible housing situation. They are overcharging everyone. A room in a shared house one month ago was $600 to $700 per month, and now it is $1000. They are ripping us off without taking into consideration that there are students here that are on a low budget and are just trying to survive. Like me, for instance. I brought a certain amount of money as it was suggested by my agency, but I already spent so much money in just a week. Not because I’ve been partying- because I haven’t- but because I have to pay for overpriced hostels since I can’t find a permanent/temporary place to live. A shared room with 10 people in a freaking hostel is now $600 per week. Yes, you didn’t read it wrong. PER WEEK. They are certainly not giving a damn about it. They are charging and people are having to pay because we have no other choice. What will I do? I paid thousands of Euros to study here. And now I am so afraid that it will all go to waste. I’m so scared.

Jobs…

I have not found a job yet. And this is very concerning because my money won’t last forever. I have to eat, so I will spend the money I have worked so hard to save on food and housing. But I’ve started to do my very best. I wrote my resume in English already, and I started distributing it all over the city. I hope to find a part-time job very soon.

But, amid all the chaos, I am so happy to be here…

Dublin is awesome! It is not what I thought it would be. Seriously. It is so cool. It is modern and beautiful. Its people are so kind and hospitable. It is now my favorite European city so far.

When I went to Paris, France for the first time, I saw that so many things there were so tiny. The cars, the streets, the houses. And for some reason, that idea had been stuck in my head. So, I really thought Dublin would be the same. I thought that cars were going to be super tiny, that the streets would be so narrow and that I’d be able to just walk everywhere. But Dublin is huge. It’s so different, and I love it. When you live in New York City, it is hard to impress you. Your standard for big cities is very high. But Dublin is exceeding my expectations. It is incredible. The people look so happy and I seriously love that. There’s music everywhere, and I think that they are just the nicest people in Europe. They are funny and kind, and very welcoming too.

My hopes for my time here…

I hope to be happy. To live with dignity. To have a decent room to stay, to be able to travel within the country and Europe and to live the experience I’ve dreamed of. I know I’ve just gotten here and I may be too hard on myself, but only those who move to a new country know how scary it is to do so. But I’m optimistic and hopeful. Everything is going to be alright.

So, Dublin, please, be nice to me. Treat me well. I promise you I will be nice too. I love it here already and I want to call this place home so badly.

Thank you so much for reading my article today!

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