Success! After a red-eye flight that was somehow both too quick for proper sleep and too long for comfort, Team Writing in Ireland arrived safely to gray skies and the friendly face of our Early Leader, Patrick. We set up camp at our hostel, enjoyed a soup and sandwich buffet at our local cafe, and held our community-building orientation session at the historic Irish Writers Centre on Parnell Square.

There, students interviewed each other and presented their range of findings to the broader group. With 24 students, mastering each other’s names on Day 1 could be a challenge, but this group of young writers produced some pretty unforgettable details. Among us:

• a surfer
• a student whose favorite color is the inherently royal deep purple
• a fan of sloths who hates how slow they go
• writers hailing from China, Vietnam, and St. Louis
• a leader who despises cantaloupe
• and a student whose home is being painted light blue

It’s a winning crew, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to explore this terrain together. Staying awake and alert after flying all night is no easy task, but we powered through, and were rewarded with a rare bit of Dublin sunshine.

It’s good to be here.