Memory Card Special : The FÍS Travelogue : Day One
Since my plane out of the country wasn’t leaving until 6pm, I was able to make a travel plan that didn’t make me wake up too early. I spent the morning cramming as much into my backpack as I could : a pair of jeans, a black skirt, some underwear, a pair of tights, my 3DS and charger, a USB-C charger for my phone and Switch, various soaps over 100ml, my laptop and charger, and my diary and notebook, as well as a pen to write with. Standard stuff.
To keep costs low I was only going to take this backpack, but it posed some challenges. For one thing the ergonomics were all gone with everything inside pressing against everything else and the walls. My last laptop broke after too much pressure was applied to the screen, so I feared for it at the base of the bag. Taking a Switch and a 3DS was maybe overkill, but I bought Promise Mascot Agency on the eshop just before setting off and convinced myself I would use it. I still haven’t started it.
The train ride to Manchester was okay. There was no space in my bag for a book so I just listened to podcasts (Song vs Song and Minnmax) and played Animal Crossing New Leaf while watching the scenery go by. I’ve lived in cities and towns my whole life, but seeing the wealth of greenery out of the window, it felt like I was in the real world for the first time in a while. There was one slip-up : I accidentally caught the train going back where I’d been when transferring at Manchester Piccadilly instead of the connecting train to the airport. I transferred again at the first stop and got back on track with only 20 minutes lost. Good thing I was getting there three hours early!
Taking lunch before going through security, I called my little sister to let her know about the trip. This was going to be my first time on an aeroplane and with all the headlines about US crashes, some little part of me worried it could be my last. She asked if I’d get to speak with the people behind Animal Crossing at the event. I told her that it was Ireland-focused, and a little too small for Nintendo. Great to know that she’s still into Animal Crossing, though : I’d just bought her the Nook’s Cranny LEGO set for Christmas.
Security was heart-breaking. I had to throw out the soap, hand gel and sun cream I’d brought with me and down my water bottle on the spot. This was my first time in an airport, so I’d genuinely forgotten about the 100ml limit for fluids. I also cut my finger removing the blade from my razor. That was just thoughtless of me to bring in the first place. They got me some plaster as I threw my bottles away. Goodnight, sweet soap.
It’s time for your first insight into me : I have hypermobility issues. By this point in my journey, my legs were aching but the flight staff wouldn’t let me use the disabled accommodations. I had seen a list of them when booking my flight but had no idea what I might have needed and skipped a closer reading in my haste to get my bookings done. As a result I was forced to climb the steel steps into the plane, my legs burning with pain. My wireless headphones were flat but I’d bought an adapter in the airport lounge, so I fished my regular headphones out of my bag and squeezed into the window seat. I needn’t have bothered.
The flight was a miserable experience. I had to keep the blind open during take off, so I saw us climb further and further into the air, the world below reminding me of model railway towns. Another fun insight about me : I’m not great with heights! The engine drowned out what I was listening to, so all I could do was sit in the longest anxiety attack I’d ever known.
When we touched down, the Shannon airport staff let me use the disabled lift instead of risking the stairs again. I bought Daisy Jones & The Six from the W.H.Smith so I’d have something that wasn’t games-related to do while in Ireland and bought something to eat from the one restaurant before settling down outside to wait for the coach. A family I’d seen on the plane were waiting too. Their youngest was playing shopkeeper with someone my age using the stones lining the building as both currency and product. Pretty cute. I kept to myself and munched on my sausage roll.
The coach to Galway and taxi to the Radisson Red hotel (where the event was also taking place) were pretty uneventful. I’ve only left the UK once before when I visited Paris last year, but something about being in Ireland late at night made me feel like I was in a foreign country for the first time. I couldn’t see anything and most of what I could make out was in a language I couldn’t speak. Only knowing Ireland for its history at the hands of the British government and monarchy, I felt pretty out of place. I got over it and soon appreciated Ireland for the beautiful country it is, as full of nature and industry as anywhere else.
I finally checked in after 11pm and went to my room at the back of the building on the highest occupied floor. Good thing the lifts worked. I’d like to say I went straight to sleep afterwards but I was up past 1am debriefing with some friends after the anxiety of the preceding days. I also had Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter stuck in my head for the entirety of the trip, so I had that song energising me at the worst times. Breakfast started at 7am and the event started at 9am so I set my alarm for 6:30am and tried to get some rest.
Come back tomorrow for the next part of my time in Ireland, the part where I actually talk about video games. If you can't wait, consider signing up on Patreon to read the whole travelogue now and the rest of my writing one day early. Or if you'd rather not subscribe, send a one-time donation through Ko-Fi.