Hannah

Standing on a latter, paintbrush in hand and the hot August sun beating down on my neck, I reached upwards to patch up a spot of trim I had previously missed. Since temporarily returning home, I had begun working as a day laborer, which although brought in decent pay, did very little with regards to excitement and entertainment. Suddenly, I felt a buzzing in my pocket. At first it was just for a quick second, but soon it happened again, and again. Clearly, it was now apparent that someone was trying to contact me. I quickly descended the latter. What could it be? I opened my life-infringing mobile device and saw a message from Hannah, a friend I initially met two years ago and reunited with again last year on a visit to Ireland. Instantly the tension of the day receded and the bored expression on my face transformed into a smile. I decided it was time for another Awesome Person post.

This picture is awesome!

This picture is awesome!

There have been many different personalities I've come across, but none are quite like Hannah. Not only is she someone that could make you laugh unexpectedly at any time (whether it be through sarcasm or by pointing out what a certain statue at Trinity College strangely resembles), her creativity was second to none. The times we hung out, I felt like we could talk forever without an awkward silence or a dull moment. Her take on everything from society to movies to drinking on the street was always so interesting to hear. Plus, whenever need be, she was ready to stand up for her friends and for what was right. Whether it be societal injustice or being confronted by a belligerently drunk guy acting like an obnoxious prick, Hannah had no fear standing up and speaking out (and successfully making the drunk guy back down).

One moment I'll never forget though happened over a cup of coffee (which I need to live, of course). I asked her, "If you could speak to anyone ever, living or dead, for one hour, who would it be?" I've asked this question before and usually get answers saying famous historical-religious figures like Buddha, Jesus, or Peter Tosh, but Hannah surprised me by saying, "The Librarian from the ancient Library at Alexandria." It was brilliant. All the lost information about the history of humanity that was lost forever and the nameless person who would have known it tall: the answer blew my mind.

If I could sum it all up, Hannah is always awesome to be around. This was clear from the first time we met two years ago on a spelunking expedition in the caves under Budapest (a place where awesome people tend to go) and continues through my two subsequent trips to Ireland. She knocked herself out being the best host imaginable and because of her, I got to see the film Sing Street (highly recommended) on a large screen projector in one of Dublin's parks, got to explore Trinity College, and had someone to dance alongside with (despite the fact my dancing resembles the Frankenstein monster having a seizure) in one of the city's best local pubs. If that isn't friendship, I don't know what is.

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