Lucky, Privileged, Grateful
Writing From: The bus from Galway to Cork, Ireland My first day in Galway, I walked to the Spanish Arch, a popular spot for both locals and tourists to gather, relax, and people watch. The Spanish Arch was built in 1854 as part of a wall system to defend the city's quays, and are the only parts of the wall that still remain. As such, it's a great spot to sit in the green area and enjoy old stone architecture while overlooking the river. I came here with an iced coffee and a snack, and sat for a while to reflect and watch the seagulls fight each other over pieces of scrap food. As I sat there, I remembered the woman in line before me at the passport check desk in the Dublin Airport. She looked like she was from East Asia/Pacific Islands, and had pulled out an entire manila package filled with different documents, was nervously struggling with her English, and spoke with the border agent for quite a while. I felt my impatience building. Finally, she was let through, and I
