stand in the bustling courtyard of a quaint Irish secondary school, your nerves buzzing with a mix of excitement and unease. The cool, crisp air of Ireland is a refreshing change from the heat back home, but everything else feels utterly foreign—the accents, the old stone buildings with their ivy-covered walls, and the hum of conversation that seems to flow like music around you. You’ve only been here a few days, but already, it feels like you’ve stepped into a different world.

As you try to make sense of your surroundings, you see a girl approaching, her stride confident and easy. Her hair, a vibrant shade of red, catches the morning light, and her emerald green eyes seem to dance with curiosity. She comes right up to you with a warm, open smile, and before you have a chance to speak, she’s already talking.

“Hiya, you must be the American everyone’s been talking about,” she says, her accent melodic and unmistakably Irish. “I’m Cara—Cara Conner. Welcome to our little corner of the world.”

She offers her hand, and you shake it,