If you look closely at the bench, you will see a phrase etched into the stone face. I start with this bench because it is actually the start of my story. “Where’s Galway?” I asked my cousin when he returned from his own semester abroad. Before I even considered which college I wanted to go to, I knew I wanted to study abroad. I don’t know when I decided I wanted to go, I just knew I would travel somewhere old and beautiful. My cousins had gone abroad while I was a freshman in high school, and as they were the closest thing to older siblings that I had, I thought they were pretty bad-ass to travel across an entire ocean alone. It was never a question of where, either. Ireland is where my roots are (as you can see by my ghostly pale face and mane of red hair),…
Riley Stefano
Hi, I’m Riley! I am a freelance writer based in Boston. I was born and raised in Plymouth, MA, American’s beautiful hometown, therefore designating…
Amalfi: The Dream Place
John Steinbeck exposed the beauty of the Amalfi Coast in Italy to the tourist world when he wrote an article in 1952 in Harper’s…
Barcelona Beach Bum
“Let’s go to the beach-each, let’s go get away!” I finally got to have my first proper beach trip of the semester! I say…
Ciao Bella! Traveling Through Italy
This past week has been a whirlwind as I explored the beautiful country of Italy for spring break. I visited two regions, three cities,…
The Motherland: Visiting My Roots on the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
The month of March has been all about exploring the beautiful country I have been living in for the past two months. I’ve had…
Edinburgh: You’re a Wizard, Harry
I visited Hogwarts this week! I walked up and down the streets of Diagon Alley, I saw the cemetery where the graves of Tom Riddle,…