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.
COVID. Rioting. Social injustice. I think it’s safe to say that we all need a stiff drink at the moment. For me, it’s a Negroni made with Pink House Gin, Bermuda’s newest spirit made with island-inspired botanicals including hibiscus, mint and blood orange. Thirsty for more?
There’s a lot of evidence out there showing that we should all be wearing face masks at the moment. Not in our homes while surrounded by our own “quar-pods,” a term the New York Times recently coined meaning people from whom you’re not distancing. But certainly in public, as we shop in what few retail stores are currently open, dine in restaurants with outdoor spaces and while we go about our daily business.