Browsing: Leisure and Travel

Hope is in no short supply for Austin junior Hailey Pearson. Graduating from college has been a dream of hers since childhood, one that she’s determined to fulfill no matter how many early mornings on the road it takes.

It takes a bit to add a personal touch to a new living space and make it feel like your own. The A&L staff is here to make that process a little easier by revealing all the items that make our houses or apartments feel like home.

If that blank wall in your apartment or dorm is staring back at you, don’t get a cheap flag or a pre-made collage, go make one yourself.

“If it sparks your interest, but you’re not sure if you would like to try it out or not, I would say try it out, because there’s no better place than to learn something new with Outdoor Adventure,” Heinecke said. “Everyone knows what they’re doing. You’ll make friends and really strong bonds.”

Bolstered by his conceptual framework of history, hope and rhyme, Dr. David Blevins spoke on June 17 about his experience as a journalist in Northern Ireland. Currently a senior Ireland correspondent for Sky News, he has been in the field for 32 years, living not only through the sectarian conflict of the Troubles but also through the groundbreaking success of the peace process.

After a year of cramming French into my brain and putting away money earned from odd jobs, I had the full intention of spending my summer in Paris with a French family to expand my knowledge of the language and culture of a country I’ve loved from a young age.

With the last name “Fitzgerald” and a propensity for sunburns, it’s no secret that I have Irish roots. So, when ‘Baylor in Budapest’ turned into ‘Baylor in Ireland’ just a couple months before our scheduled departure date, I was hit with a wave of excitement: I was finally going to have the opportunity to embrace a culture that, despite being different from my own, occupies a special place in my soul.

When I signed up for a monthlong trip to Ireland, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. When I think of Irish things, what comes to mind is usually clovers, leprechauns and Niall Horan. As much as I would have loved to have seen a real life leprechaun — or Niall Horan — I wasn’t expecting either of those wishes to come true.

Not having cell service, listening to leaves rustle in the wind and watching waves crash on the shore are all very grounding for me. However, while I believe nature is healing, I’ve learned that thin places can be found more often than we give them credit for. I didn’t need to come to Ireland to experience them.

When a binge-watching obsession turns into a face-to-face encounter, it’s the ultimate fulfillment. Like seeing photos of iconic sites in books and then actually going to see those places in person, the experience comes full circle with emotion and deeper insight.

As someone who has only ever been to the United States, coming to a country like Ireland was very eye-opening. The rich history here is celebrated for both the good and the bad. The Irish welcome visitors, and with every person I’ve spoken to in all of the different cities, I can see the joy that their country and heritage brings them.

I am not one to take a cold shower, play in the snow or wear a T-shirt if the temperature is below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if you ever get the chance to take a dip in the Irish ocean, I urge you to take it. I will forever be in Paltrow’s debt for giving me the courage to venture into the cold water.

These words appear almost too fantastical to be true. A world where everyone looks to the interests and welfare of others? Impossible. Today, record rates of loneliness, depression, starvation and displaced people are symptoms of a world that does not look to the interests of others. Yet, it is this exact directive that will change our world in the ways we desperately need it to. These words show us principles for how we can begin to live in a way that heals the world around us.