In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I’d like to share my very first story that I published as a budding travel writer. I wrote it in 1999, following my first real independent adventure. Back then I was studying abroad at the University of London—what was a glorious six-month hiatus from my days at the University of Maryland at College Park. It was March and I had spring break in my sights, so I decided to pack my rucksack with nothing more than a handful of clothes, a sleeping bag and tent plus a loaf of bread with a jar each of peanut butter and jelly. I was headed to Ireland and my plan was to hitchhike around the country for eighteen days.