Hi again, and welcome to the journey! Before we jump head first into the amazing country of Ireland, I want to share a bit more about who I am and how I ended up in Ireland this year.
I was born in Chicago, Illinois, but I have lived in California, Michigan, and now North Carolina! However, I spend most of the year at Cornell University, which is in a small town called Ithaca that is four hours from New York City.
When I was five, I lived in California, and every day after school my mom would have me watch French language VHS tapes (videos are what we watched before Netflix and YouTube) so that I could pick up the language. To be honest, I hated it, but this experience, along with reading books about far away places, both real and fictional, sparked my love for learning about other languages and cultures.
Fast forward a few years. I quickly discovered that the Internet was more than just a place where I could play games. It was a portal to the world. By this, I mean that with a simple online search, I could learn Japanese, make a penpal friend from Poland, and listen to music from other countries! These experiences have led me to visit, study, and even work in France, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, and now Ireland!
