Irene From Ireland

 I have yet to have the pleasure of going abroad for school thus far. However, I have had the opportunity to  travel abroad athletically when I was in high school. My club soccer team had the wonderful opportunity to play in an international tournament. We flew into Dublin soon after...

After each soccer game, we got the chance to have a beer and a meal with the team that we had just played (it is legal to drink beer in wine in Ireland by age 16). This was a way to engage in cultural differences and have a melting pot occur. It was so cool to have met all these new people and learn all about their lives. We were all so different from each other.

Amongst the many teams that we got to mingle with, there was one girl from Galway who just stood out. Her name is Irene Glynn. Irene and I hit it off right away. Who knew that you could have so much in common with someone so far away? We came from a similar family situation and I believe that it was made us so close. 

Irene was an elegantly tall individual with the longest and darkest brown hair that I have ever seen. She had bright blue eyes that were so welcoming. She had silly crooked teeth, but she would always say that her teeth were giving her "The London Look." Her positive energy and hilarious jokes drew me to want to be her new best friend. 

Irene's teammates made her out to be the nicest girl in town. She was so kind and knew every person that walked into the little pub that we were at. Her soccer team was known as the Irish Arsenal and they were one of the best soccer teams in the area. Their team color was red and her jersey was worn very loosely. She was that typical footy player who wore their soccers above the knees with no folds or rolls. She was put together so nicely and looked like the greatest offensive player that you could meet.However, looks shouldn't confuse you. She was not the best on her team. However, she kept the energy up and moral flowing. That is the most important person on the soccer field if you ask me. 

After our night at the pub, Irene and I exchanged Snapchat information. Snapchat is a form of communication where you can send photographs and messages back and forth. Being from different countries, that was our best way to communicate for free. I was around 16-years-old when this happened. I am now 22-years-old and still talk to Irene every single day.

Irene is that person that you can talk to for hours on a video chat and have absolutely no pause in conversation. There was always something to share and talk about. We keep each other up to date on our lives and oftentimes go to each other for advice. We know every single person in each others lives just from hearing each other's stories and complaints.

Currently, Irene is a student at the National University of Ireland (based in Galway). She chose to stay close to home for college, just as I did, because of the relationships that she has. Her family is a tight knit group that don't like to spend too much time a part. Her boyfriend, whom she has been with since elementary school (believe it or not!) lives in Galway as well. She has a dog named Chip that she loves dearly and a goat (yes, a goat) named Paddy. 

Irene is the one person that left such an impact on me that I don't even understand it. We have planned to meet up on numerous occasions, but traveling between countries is quite difficult. Irene has made it to Boston once to visit her cousins that live there, but unfortunately I could not make it up there. If I have any advice for the people reading this, I advise you to travel the world and make a friend. The amount of judgement that we have for each other is 0 and the amount of love that we have is infinite. 

I am very lucky to have met my best friend Irene from Ireland.