If you find yourself in Dublin for a weekend with some time to spare… LUCKY YOU, and I'M JEALOUS! As one of my visiting friends said as we were walking around the city, Dublin is literally just "jolly and Irish, through and through!" Saturday nights are fantastic especially if you are in the Temple Bar quarter, where you will find lights, street music, Irish people standing on the streets and drinking, and a general atmosphere of happiness. I've never been in a city where just walking around on the streets at night is the most fun part of my trip! (Safely, of course…) During the day, many of the sights to see in Dublin are fairly close together and well-marked by signs. The bus system is also easy to use, and if you have time, ABSOLUTELY take the bus tour of Dublin! Here are a few ideas to keep in mind during your stay! And if you have any restaurants, activities, or ideas that you would like to recommend, please feel free to politely post them in the comments for other readers to benefit from! DO eat Lebanese food. It sounds strange, but don't knock it till you've tried it! If you're on a student budget and have had your fill of Irish meat and potatoes in the small villages of Ireland, one of the best options to keep an eye out for is kebabs (and my new favorite: chicken schwarma). So far in Ireland and even London, there's a great kebab shop on every corner that will fill you up for a fairly low price- and it's delicious. Dublin, home of the Schwarma Specialist Iksander's is a delicious kebab shop with friendly workers and fantastic olives. Our other Dublin favorite was Mezza Lebanese cuisine, which was my favorite chicken schwarma I've ever had and located fairly close to Temple Bar. Who'd have thought?

DO: Take a tour of the Jameson distillery. As the friendly bartender of one of my favorite Dublin pubs (Kehoe's) explained to us, the tour of the Jameson Distillery is much more worthwhile and unique than the Guinness tour. Plus, your ticket price includes free whiskey samples! So it's a win-win, especially if you like whiskey… DO: Take a walk around the world-famous Trinity college, home to many of Ireland's great authors and scholars including my personal favorite, Oscar Wilde. Unless you are an avid scholar of Irish medieval history, DON'T get too excited about paying nine euros to see the Book of Kells (they only show two pages of the book a day, and if you don't happen to visit on the day that the pages are particularly well decorated…you are out of luck!) Also, if you are a student, DON'T walk under the Grand Archway- legend has it that any student who walks underneath the Grand Archway will fail his/her finals. DO, on the other hand, stand in front of it and take touristy pictures as per usual.

DO: Take a tour of Croke Park, Ireland's largest stadium for hurling and Gaelic football (they are real sports, I promise!) I was not excited about this tour whatsoever, as I am not a sports enthusiast—to say the least. This ended up being one of the most interesting tours I've taken here. The staff are beyond helpful, entertaining, jolly, and so Irish that if they were smaller they would be leprechauns. The interactive area at the end of the tour where you can practice your hurling skills is also a highlight. Best part: they are planning on building a zipline from the top of the stadium to the bottom, which sounds like the most fun thing in the entire world…

DO: walk around Grafton Street, and also stray off the beaten path. Grafton Street is a blast, especially when the weather is nice and there are street performers coming out your ears! It's lovely to walk up the street especially if you have six credit cards burning a hole in your pocket (the stores are a bit pricey), but it's also a good idea to take one of the tiny cobblestone side streets and explore the area around the street! Some really fantastic stores aren't located on Grafton Street, but can be found just a few alleys away.

DO: Go inside Dublin Castle, which is really more of a church unless you want to take a tour of other businessy parts. Yes, there is a castle casually sitting smack in the middle of Dublin- classic. There's not a lot to walk around inside without paying to take a tour, but there is a beautiful church/public speaking area open to the public that makes you feel as if you are in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Which is personally one of my favorite feelings. Isn't it everyone's?

DO NOT buy a drink in the Temple bar unless you want to pay a ridiculous amount for a Guinness and sit with eighty other American tourists trying to get back to their Irish roots. DO, on the other hand, pay a visit and take a touristy picture outside to prove you've been there to all of your friends back home!

DO NOT: Go on a futile search for the Oscar Wilde House unless you have an unhealthy and burning passion for him. As I am one of the master's greatest devotees, naturally this was on the top of my list and the Internet told me that it was possible to take a tour for ten euros! Wahoo! Except this is…NOT THE CASE. We walked around for about forty-five minutes looking for the house, only to find that you pretty much can stand outside and stare at a small stone placard on it- and that's all. For me, it was worth it but for most it probably would not be.

Other Dublin attractions include: The Guinness Factory (I'd recommend seeing the Gravity Bar at night... much cooler!) The National Gallery of Ireland The Kilmainhaim Gaol As always, Happe Travels!! (Sorry, couldn't resist).