Today is Sunday, May 15, 2016, and I’m currently sitting at home in Pensacola, Florida, in the good ole U.S. of A.

I don’t normally mention mundane facts, such as my current location, in my musings, but this is not a normal time in my life—it is a fleeting period where I exist in a self-imposed limbo-like state before my life truly begins.

You see, I am going abroad this summer to Dublin, Ireland for my first ever journalism internship. In less than three weeks, the world—and my place in it—will change. So where I am now, in the city of Pensacola, takes on a new meaning—it is no longer just my mere hometown by the sea, but the starting point of one of the most important adventures I will ever have as a young adult.

However, in what clearly is an astonishing violation of the fundamental laws of nature, as I get closer to my departure date, the days seem to become increasingly shorter. I first noticed this phenomenon after several days passed by with my Ireland “to do” list remaining untouched.

So when I woke up this morning I was determined to get something done, but now here I sit at 6:49 p.m. with exactly the same amount of things left to do. However, something else did change: I started talking to my future roommates, five women who will join me in Dublin to complete internships of their own. Not so noteworthy in itself, but it gives me more of a sense of what is coming by talking with these women about our shared hopes for our trip to Dublin. It felt like such a privilege to have been given an opportunity to interact with women whom I might have never met but for this internship.

My roommates hail from all over the United States, and as we each introduced ourselves and our hometowns, we talked about what awaits us across the pond—each with her own perspective, unique to where she lives and how she was raised. But what really struck me about our conversation was the simple fact that each of these women has her own story to tell—a story wholly separate from my own, each complete with its own characters, settings and plot twists. Talking with these women from all corners of this vast country reminds me I am just one small person (actually, I’m not small—I’m 6 feet tall) in this infinitely expanding universe, and I haven’t even left the United States yet!

It was through the process of connecting with these women that I realized (belatedly, I might add) that the true start of my Dublin adventure had already begun, right here in sunny Pensacola, Florida.

But let’s get back to the blog.

I have decided that this blog should be the official starting point of my adventure. Somehow writing a blog seems appropriate for a journalism major—right? Of course, the blog will expand and become much more interesting (hopefully) after I get to Dublin, but I wanted to at least start it here where it all began. (That’s the purpose of this post, for those slow on the uptake.) So what do you need to know? I think it would be helpful to briefly expound a bit on the details of my summer internship.

I am proud to have been accepted into the Global Experiences program in Dublin, Ireland for a journalism internship in June and July of 2016. Before sharing more details, I would like to thank the staff of Global Experiences for the hard work they have put into helping me get the best possible internship for my skills. Interning abroad might have been little more than a pipe dream if it were not for the Global Experiences program. Global Experiences also set up the phone call interview with my eventual employer, Hot Press magazine. So, thank you, thank you, thank you Global Experiences!

On the day of my Skype interview, I woke up early to make sure the long-distance call was at a reasonable time for those in Dublin, and then I waited with bated breath for someone to answer my call. Alas, I only reached a secretary, or someone’s assistant, but he took down my message and eventually hung up with a promise to pass it along.

Mairin Sheehy, my interviewer at Hot Press, called me back just minutes later. I remember staring at my phone and contemplating not answering it. This, of course, was the briefest of thoughts, which I quickly pushed aside, but for a minute there my fear overtook me and I froze.

“What if I say the wrong thing?” … “What if I try too hard to be funny?” … “What if she doesn’t like me?” … “What if she thinks my writing isn’t any good?”

So many “what ifs” popped up in my head at that moment. I couldn’t list them all here even if I tried. Regardless, they were all unfounded, since no one can really predict what’s going to happen in any circumstance and we shouldn’t fret over what we cannot control—right? There is no use in befuddling the mind with countless possibilities, because the only way of finding out any of the answers is by picking up the phone, so what’s the point of worrying about it beforehand? (Am I talking to myself? I do that a lot.)

So, I did just that and ended up having a lively conversation with Mairin.

I hung up the phone, feeling confident that Hot Press would be the perfect fit for my summer internship. Now I just needed to find out if they felt the same way about me. My Global Experiences trip adviser, Brian, emailed me later that week to inform me that Hot Press was interested in taking me on as an intern. Huzzah!

[Much more to come about my internship with Hot Press (once I’m actually in Dublin, of course), so stay tuned, folks!]

Everything was falling into place.

The only remaining problem was a financial one. I could not afford the program fees or plane tickets on my own. I’ve been working and saving up for several years and will pay my way once in Ireland, but I still faced the problem of financing the trip over there.

Cue my outstanding parents.

Without my mom and dad’s unwavering support, none of this would be possible—I wouldn’t even be here (that is, in the good ole U.S. of A) if it weren’t for them. I will forever be grateful for what they’ve sacrificed to get me to where I am today. (That would be an almost college graduate ready to embark on a fantastic summer!)

I think the most fitting way to end my first official Dublin blog post is in tribute to my wonderful parents. So, thank you Mom and Dad for everything that you’ve done and continue to do for me. I can never repay you for providing me with the tools I need to be successful in life, but I hope I will make you proud to call me your daughter.

With love,

Kinsey

Check back later to find out more about interning abroad with Global Experiences, Hot Press magazine and any other shenanigans I may get up to while in the beautiful city of Dublin!

Kinsey Keys

aspiring memoirist rummaging through my noggin, stubbornly clutching the past to my chest like it’s a newborn babe starved for mother's milk.

See Full Bio