canny good: Day 8: Travel Day

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9

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Thursday was mostly uneventful. We checked out of our Edinburgh hotel in the morning and spent a few hours wandering around before our 7:30pm flight back to Dublin. To fill the time, we visited the National Museum of Scotland (where our New Year's Eve dinner reservations were). This time the museum was open and we had a chance to walk around. I remembered from last time it was one of the best museums I had ever visited - and I was once again reminded of why! They had exhibitions from art to science to natural history to and everything in between. So many interactive exhibits for kids and adults alike. My college degree is in art management, so I can understand and appreciate the time and effort it takes to put together a museum of such a high caliber.

We ate lunch at Nando's, which I frequently visited while in England. They're most known for their spicy chicken and corn on the cob. Nando's was right next to Greyfriar's Kirk too - a graveyard that inspired many of JK Rowling's character names in the Harry Potter series. The graves of Thomas Riddle and William McGonnagal were surrounded with tour groups of Potterheads with their wands and scarves and robes.

It finally came time to head to the Edinburgh airport. We hopped across the pond back to Dublin, walked to our hotel next to the airport, and crashed for the night.

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Dublin accommodations:

Maldron Hotel, Dublin Airport
2 nights

About a 10 minute walk from the airport + free shuttle services to both terminals. Convenient to stay for a night or two when you're flying in/out of Dublin, but not a great option if you plan to stay longer; it's about a 30 minute bus ride to the city center. Fancy lobby area and a tad pricey restaurant/bar. The rooms were fine and had everything you'd need. Hairdryer was already in the room, unlike having to borrow one from reception at the previous two Travelodge hotels. We booked a queen room but were given two twin beds instead - but we rolled them together and had a sleepover.

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Travel tips:

Presence > pics: Photos help us remember and re-live past experiences. But, sometimes it's best to put the camera down and be present in the moment. DO snap the pic to freeze the moment in time. Then, put your phone back in your pocket, and take in what's happening around you. Make an effort to look up, down, and all around at your surroundings. If you don't, you may miss out on something amazing that's happening just outside your camera frame.
Snacks on snacks on snacks: When traveling, you don't always have time to sit down at a restaurant at your usual meal times. That's why we ate our weight in Clif bars on this trip. Thankfully, there are no TSA regulations for the amount of snacks you can bring on a plane. So fill up your backpack, jacket pockets, and suitcase with energy or protein bars to eat on the go - you'll be glad you did!