As my time in Dublin has wound down, I’ve thought a lot about what I’m excited to go back to in Texas (driving, Kerbey queso, being able to wear shorts), but I’ve also found that there are a lot of things I’ll miss about Ireland. The theme of this whole experience has been cultural exchange; I’ve learned so much about Irish culture, and I’ve also answered tons of questions about Texas and American culture. So in that vein, I give you ten things Dublin could learn from Austin, and ten things the ATX could learn from the Irish.

Ten things Dublin could learn from Austin:

1. How to make Mexican food. I’ve seen sriracha put on burritos. No. Just no.
2. How to two-step. They actually play a lot of country music here, so they’re already halfway there.
3. What clothes dryers are. Most people do not have dryers here and instead line dry their clothes (which is hard to do when it rains every day) or dry them on their radiators (which is a fire hazard).
4. The correct price for a bus. After having the University of Texas pay my bus fare, the idea of spending nearly three dollars for a bus to take me a mile down the road was hard to swallow.
5. What the sun is. I know Dublin can’t help that it rains every day, but the city could definitely use more sunshine.
6. That the television show Dallas is not an accurate representation of Texas. The top two questions I’ve been asked upon telling someone I’m from Texas are “Does everyone wear those big hats?” and “Who shot J.R.?”
7. That you take tequila shots with lime. Not lemons. It’s a travesty.
8. How to make a PB&J sandwich. Peanut butter isn’t widely available, and when you do find it, it doesn’t look or taste like the stuff we have at home. Grape jelly is also not something the Irish eat, though they make jams in every other flavor imaginable.
9. To drive on the right side of the road. Like ninety-nine percent of the world does.
10. The beauty of a grid system. Navigating downtown Austin is relatively easy. Everything is just numbers and rivers. Navigating Dublin’s City Centre? Not so much.

Ten things Austin could learn from Dublin

1. What a real pub is. Because it ain’t Sherlock’s Baker Street. Pub culture is definitely the thing I’ll miss most about Ireland.
2. That it’s not Saint Patty’s Day. Paddy’s or Patrick’s.
3. The mystical wonder that is Penneys. The single most fantastic store in the wide world.
4. What Guinness really tastes like. You don’t really know until you’ve had one at a bar down the street from the brewery. Or better yet, at the Storehouse.
5. To walk instead of drive. To be fair, Austin is a pretty fit city, and I walk a lot more there than in Magnolia, but Dubliners walk something like 4.5 miles a day on average, just getting to work/school/grocery shops/etc. The distance I walk to school or work in Dublin is about like walking from Lamar to 35, and it’s not unusual to do that several times a day in dress shoes.
6. How to write the date and time. Putting the day first makes much more sense, and using a twenty-four clock keeps you from accidentally setting your morning alarm for 6:30 PM.
7. What being friendly means. I know friendship is our state motto and the South is known for its hospitality, but the Irish have us completely beat. I doubt if there is a country in the world more welcoming of its visitors.
8. That you aren’t actually Irish. Even though your ancestors might have been, you aren’t unless you’ve lived through the hardships the country has had to face, went through the horrors of having to learn Irish in school, and know who the current Taoiseach is (or how to pronounce that word, for that matter).
9. How to sell flights for $15. RyanAir is probably one of the greatest things about Europe. A flight from Dublin to London, if you book it early, is only nine euro ninety-nine.
10. To take a break and have a cup of tea. It really helps to break up the day, gives you a reason to get up and stretch your legs, and generally helps you relax, even if for just a couple minutes. The Irish would probably still take tea if there were an apocalypse on.