How Marisa Got Into This Thing

Like many New Orleanians, I've spent many a St. Patrick's Day at the parades, catching cabbages and watching the trees get blanketed with plastic beads.

We lived within walking distance of the parade route, so my neighbor would open the doors to his garage and have a party.  It was converted to a sports bar type of thing, complete with all the New Orleans paraphernalia, Elvis accessories, mismatched couches, and various other things a proper garage sports bar ought to have. But anyway, he'd invite all sorts of people: neighbors, family, friends, and business friends, and every St. Patrick's Day was a great big pot luck with a brisket going all day and tailgating-style food, with beer and whiskey drinks available for the grown-ups. We neighborhood kids were stuck with the kiddie cooler, filled with as many flavors of Capri Sun as were available at Rouses. 

The soundtrack always began with whatever Party City had deemed Irish that year, and ended with Texas roadhouse karaoke, in the true American way.

And that was my introduction to the Republic of Ireland.

***

So, fast-forward a couple years, I'm now in high school.

My school's college counselor regularly forwards emails to everybody about random scholarships, college visits, summer program opportunities, etc. One day, an email caught my eye: this one promised a full scholarship to a two-week summer program at UCD in Dublin. The only requirements were a 3.0 GPA and a well-thought-out 500 word essay on why Ireland and New Orleans should be friends.

All I knew about Ireland was what I'd absorbed from the parade culture (mostly about alcohol and the color green), and that the people had been fighting among themselves for nearly a century (I had no idea why, but I did know the country was split in two because of it).

Nevertheless, of course I decided to apply, because two weeks in a new place with new people sounds exciting! Especially overseas. Plus I could be one less American who doesn't know what's going on outside the states.

***

And so, I opened the email.

I remember looking at the application, immediately filling out the easy part (name, contact information, GPA, the usual), and then waiting til nearly the last minute to write the essay. There were two different dates listed as the deadline, which confused me, and I know I panic-emailed Ms. Caruso (my school's college counselor) a bunch of times. I wrote my essay a couple days before the due date and made sure to edit it so that it didn't compromise my nervous mind.

Thankfully, she was patient, and the gods of fortune and eloquence were kind, and so here I am!

Image sources: wwltv.com, tripadvisor.ie, respectively