Manfull's Handfull

N*SYNC, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block…ah, the childhood boys that painted my walls and who will always be my very first crushes (Lance Bass- I still can't believe you threw me for a loop with that one ). Anyway, these once boy-bands (BSB is most definitely a man-band now…and I don't hate it), are not simply just something of the past.  It just seems that each generation has a band that somehow defines them. The Beatles controlled the 60's, just as the Backstreet Boys ruled the 90's. But like I said, boy bands aren't dead- nope, they're very much alive now than ever before. Yes, I am 100% referring to the beautiful men who make up One Direction. Before you click away, you have to understand that not only these men are insanely attractive ….but they can out right sing . Whether or not you want to admit it, they're really good- like, put their new album on repeat good. Maybe I'm just a sucker for those European accents, alright I'...

We see sadistic headlines fronting newspapers every morning, we hear of corruption everyday as we turn on the news, this harsh reality is nothing new to viewers- we've been trained to numb the emotions the world curveball's us. Often times, we use sport as a way to escape our bleak reality, looking to rectify the heart-tugging headlines. But often, in hopes of rallying behind a team in search of happiness, we neglect to realize that sports are not institutions immune from reality. Sure, we see plenty of headlines regaling Mr. October, and the winner of this game or that, but all too often our sports heroes do something to shock us, and humanity as a whole. Terrifying tales of NFL hero's turned villains are a story too frequently revived. From OJ's infamous isotoners, to the damming elevator footage of Ray Rice knocking out his girlfriend. Especially in recent news, NFL Public Relations teams have been working overtime trying to fix each scandal before the next one e...

It's hard to believe that only a few years ago the game of soccer seemed nothing short of a call into the wind for majority of American sports fans. But judging by the fact that nearly every bar in downtown Iowa City was over capacity, bursting at the seams with people standing on tables and chairs just to watch the World Cup, I think the tide has turned when it comes to American soccer fans (finally). Some may think this plethora of new found fandom is nothing but a stint of bandwagon-ers. But I don't think that's the case, especially when it comes to a team that's essentially dripping red, white, and blue. When I think of jumping on the bandwagon, I envision a closet full of NBA jerseys, stacked chronologically from most recent championship winner…or any team that LeBron plays for. See, Bandwagon-er's usually identify with a single player, or a team that 'might be good' this year. But for the World Cup, American's don't identify with a single ...

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”-- Morrie Schwartz Ever since my return to the states, it's been unbelievably difficult to even fathom writing a blog. I'm pretty sure nothing my future holds for me will be as adventurous or monumental as "studying" abroad (there, I admit it- you don't actually study) had been. However, as I returned to my sweet, humble roots of the best fly-over state there is (ok, bias), I've discovered how wonderful it truly is to be able to appreciate every single second of each day- whether or not you're floating in a gondola down a Venice canal, or simply just walking ho...

"I look around myself wildly, my heart bursting with grief and fear and joy. I am leaving, but I will take this place and its stories with me wherever I go"- Jennifer Donnelly To be honest, this is going to be a difficult blog to compose. I'm in an unusual state of mind because my emotions are still running rampant through my body, pinging from my heart to my brain like a pin-ball machine racking up a new high-score of uncontrollable emotional memories. Less than 48 hours ago, my European adventures came to an end faster than I could have ever foreseen.  I was told that your time abroad goes by exponentially faster than time at home, but much like a stubborn child, I've never been one to believe in the nay-sayers (Santa is real). But, it breaks my heart to accept that the nay-sayers were absolutely right in this case: time whizzed by, faster than Usain Bolt chasing a cheetah. As I sit in my bed (my glorious, heavenly, non-hostle bed), I'm already struggling ...

" No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow"-  Lin Yutang It's a surreal feeling, arriving back to Ireland after a full month of living in a fantasy. I anxiously watched the ocean stretch out below me, waiting what seemed like forever for the beautiful Irish green countryside to merge with the crashing waves below me. Once I saw the first glimpse of patchy greenery, a smile spread across my face- who knew I would miss this little island so much? Our final stop on our European tour was to Munich, Germany. Aka, my homeland. German blood runs deep through my veins, and definitely has something to do with my drink of choice (uh, beer please). So we checked into our hotel and found a restaurant where we promptly had our first liter of beer. Yes, a liter. The mugs were unreal sized, and the beer was extraordinarily tasty- and only a small glimpse as to what we would experience during Spring Fest. When ...

"There's no where you can be that isn't where you're meant to be" - John Lennon  I knew that time wold seduce us into believing that our European adventure would seemingly last forever; but believing in forever is naïve when it comes to time. It honestly feels as if it were only days ago that our seven city adventure kicked off in Dublin, tearing up as I watched the Backstreet Boys live out my childhood dreams (still in awe that I actually saw them after 8 patient years of waiting). Yet here we are, a mere two days away from returning to our beloved Ireland- a very bitter/sweet feeling this is. On Monday evening, after a long tour of Italy (chalk full of carbs, wine, and nights slipping into mornings), we gladly welcomed the slower pace of Prague, Czech Republic. As we wondered the streets, hoping on and off the wrong metro a few times, it wasn't hard to quickly stumble into a helpless love for the streets and sights of Prague. Our hostel was in a great locati...