Category Archives: Uncategorized

“There’s a race of men that don’t fit in,     A race that can’t stay still; So they break the hearts of kith and kin,     And they roam the world at will. They range the field and they rove … Continue reading →

This post comes to you live from a homey bed & breakfast in Donegal County, owned by a sweet Irish family with a young granddaughter and two loud but friendly puppies. My fingers are still thawing from my hike in … Continue reading →

Through impeccable foresight on my part, I arrive in Ireland at 5am on the day of my program’s orientation. Air travel and I have an on-again off-again relationship, and after that flight we were not on speaking terms. For the … Continue reading →

Last month, I bought a €6 pack of oil pastels on my way back home from class. I was itching to start drawing again after abandoning it at the start of college. With my newfound free time and proximity to … Continue reading →

Ireland has been different than I expected. The first day I arrived, I was shocked by how American it felt, from the legging-and-jumper outfits to the ever-present mullets to the Taylor Swift playing in the background at Tesco. Over the … Continue reading →

Meeting new people here, the inevitable question always arises: “So,” they ask, “what do you study?” I tell them, “I study Old Irish and Middle Welsh language and literature.” “Oh!” They exclaim excitedly, “Do you have any Irish then?” Studying … Continue reading →

Before I arrived in Ireland, a friend of mine gave me a copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses. In some impatience, I immediately flipped to the last few pages, to the famous “Molly Bloom” monologue. The last few words have always … Continue reading →

“A person from Northern Ireland is naturally cautious.” -Seamus Heaney (2008), Irish poet. For years, I wondered what it would be like to live in Northern Ireland (or the “North of Ireland,” depending on who you ask). My undergraduate program … Continue reading →

It’s very difficult to believe that my time in Ireland is almost over. In September, I am moving halfway across the world to Juneau, Alaska, where I’ll be working at a nonprofit focused on helping local governments across the state … Continue reading →

When I first stumbled on a webpage for the Mitchell Scholarship two years ago, I initially thought I was ineligible; I thought I was past the age bracket to apply. I was warily nearing 30, deep in the throes of … Continue reading →

I am sitting under the campanile, the green is greener in May in front square, and living in Ireland has taught me new ways to be grateful for the sun, its fleeting yet lasting impression, and its ability to mood … Continue reading →

I have a hunch George Mitchell might agree that second to the difficulty of reaching the Good Friday Agreement, now and resolving a defunct Stormount, is enacting a win-win solution for peatland rewetting in Ireland. Rewetting is, somehow, one of … Continue reading →