Jessicabanaghan: Styling with Jate #4: 7 things we like about living in Dublin

"Don't wait for a perfect moment. Take a moment and make it perfect"

For those who may follow Kate and myself, will know that we are two country girls at heart and have been living in Dublin the past few years. I first came to Dublin in 2012 for college. I studied Event Management in Dublin Institute of Technology and it was fun, but stressful at times. Then when I finished college, I knew I wanted to stay in Dublin. Now, I want to share 7 reasons why I like living in Dublin:

1. Busy life

When I was in boarding school, I kept my head down and kept busy. Although, I can be lazy at times, I kind of like the thrill of being on edge or working on something. I think that's why I'm trying to blog more in my free time to reduce my laziness. I can still remember my first few weeks in Dublin, knowing nobody and feeling so alone but in awe of this big busy city. I felt like I completely fitted in- everyone else was always rushing around with their earphones in and so was I. Now, still here, I'm living a busy life and I like keeping myself occupied. Whenever you feel like you want to be productive, there is just so many classes you can take, places to eat or views to look at.

2. Seaside

When you're living in Dublin, you can never be too far from the sea. I've lived in a lot of places all over Dublin and I always managed to be able to have great access to places like Howth, Dun Laoghaire and Sandymount. When you know it, you can drive, get a bus or walk to some of these places and just escape the city life. Don't get me wrong, I do love being busy and on the go. But, some evenings, it's nice to just drive and be able to watch a sunset by the sea.

3. Opportunity

I don't know whether it's because I started my blog or because I'm in Ireland's capital, but there has always been a sense of opportunity in Dublin. Since living here, I've realised that anything is possible if I work hard and put my mind to it. Never did I think I would still be living here in Dublin with a job after college. But, I worked hard to get here.

In Dublin, if you ever just stop and people watch (adore a good people watch!), it can be easy to tell that there are so many people who live on a "work hard, play hard" way of life. In the morning times, everyone can be in their own zone getting ready to focus when they get to work. But, in the evening times and the weekends, there is so much to do that you can't not party hard!

4. Penneys (Primark)

Let's just talk about the fact that there is so many Penneys in Dublin. Like, really? Who can't enjoy more than one store? If an item you wanted isn't in your size in one shop, you can always try another one close by.

5. Choices

When it comes to the evenings and weekends, mine always revolve around food. What better place to be living, than in Dublin as the choices of cafes, bars and restaurants is endless. There are so many places with different cuisines and different vibes to suit your moods. I've been here nearly 5 years and my list is never ending of all the places I've yet to try!

6. Social Sites

As I live online, it's always great to have a wide variety of social sites that constantly share things to do and places to eat in Dublin. My personal favourite would be Lovin' Dublin.I think I check it at least twice a day as they are always on the ball when it comes to new finds in Dublin. If you're an Instagram lover, you should also check out IgersDublin, DublinTown and TopDublinResto.

7. People

When I look at my phone book, I've realised about 80% of my contacts are all in Dublin. Since moving here in 2012, I've made so many acquaintances and friends, some that I do and don't still talk to but it's great to have met so many people that have impacted my life in some way. I've really felt I've made a life for myself up here and I kind of never feel lonely. Don't get me wrong, I love being on my own and having me time all the time, but a friend can only be a small drive or bus journey away. Like Kate, she lives about 5 minutes from me and works near me too- we see each other a lot! But, I'm only 24 and I have so much time to make more friends and meet new people!