Miles with Margaret

I am kind of sentimental, sitting down to write my last blog post. However I think I have the perfect story for it. Last night, me and all the students on the study abroad trip hosted a frat wedding. Our friends Emily and Kevin got "married" and I was the officiant. We set up games, had water guns, water balloons, sprinklers, drinks, and snacks. What a fantastic way to celebrate our last weekend here! Although it was a night full of silliness and fun, I realized something important. This trip would not be the same without these people. At the beginning of this trip I only knew a few people going and I struggled a bit at the beginning to fit in and make other friends. However, somewhere along the line, these people I did not know became my best friends and my family. I am so thankful I decoded to study abroad my sophomore year, this experience was so unique, and I am so glad I traveled here with this group. From Dublin, to the west, to the north, to London and back, I had the ...

  Today I went to volunteer at an elderly activity center based in Dungarvan, for my graduation requirements. Most of our volunteering was having conversations with the elderly folks around us. After making my rounds and introducing myself, I sat down next to Richard, a sweet old man, eager to chat. After talking a bit, he whipped a book out of his bag titled To The Beat of a Different Drum , a poetry collection written by him. He let me have a look, I read the back cover and the acknowledgments. I asked him if I could crack open the book, eager to explore the contents.  He took the book from me and opened it, and began showing me his favorite poems. All of these poems were about Dungarvan, the pubs, Abbeyside, the locals, and all of the best parts of Dungarvan. Many of them were "depressing but real" as he said, some about heartbreak, some about death. I recall one was about the only friend in the world being a pint of beer. Although that sounds illy, it was some of the best...