Some Closing Thoughts

By: Josh Meeks
This Week In Louisiana Agriculture

After nearly two weeks here in Ireland, the trip is coming to an end. The kids, parents, and chaperones are all waiting for their respective flights back to Louisiana and are eager to see their friends and families again. So am I. It’s been a whirlwind trip, and Karl and I are incredibly lucky to have been a part of it. I genuinely don’t think I could have done this trip without him. His technical know-how is enviable, and he’s so natural when interacting with strangers. I’d imagine most of our group was sad to part ways with him.

When we got here, I was terribly worried we’d get on each other’s nerves. Sharing a tiny car for hundreds of kilometers in a foreign country is enough to make anyone a little testy. For two weeks, we had to act basically like a married couple: agree on places to eat, carry each other’s bags sometimes, and try not to scream when one of us drove a little too close to the hedges on the sides of the road. But in the end, it all worked out, and I owe a lot of that to Karl’s patience. Whether it’s putting up with my Taylor Swift playlists or bad jokes, he was a trooper through it all.

Now that I’m heading home, the real work begins. We get to sort out the more than 850 gigabytes of video and pictures we shot into stories that convey the experience these kids had in Ireland. That means a lot of re-watching, logging, and editing over the next four weeks as we parse out content for TWILA. It sounds daunting, but after having so much fun shooting it, I’m the lucky one who gets to relive it.

Before I board this flight to Washington D.C., I must thank the people who made this happen for us. Hannah Devall was our main point of contact who kept the ball rolling to include Louisiana Farm Bureau on this trip. Absolutely none of this would be possible if it weren’t for her. Next to her, I’m glad we got to spend time with our other group leader, Jeremy Hebert. His sense of humor and chill disposition were infectious to nearly everyone in our group. Though we didn’t spend any time together due to the two groups being separated by two days, I have to give a shout out to Dr. Toby Lepley (who sparked this thing off at a livestock show a couple years ago) and Lynnette Hebert, the leaders of the second group. Thanks to Avery Davidson and the LFBF board who signed off on this trip. Lastly, a huge thank you to all the parents, chaperones, volunteers, staff, and of course: the kids. You made this venture worthwhile. I hope our paths will cross someday soon.

For now, I can’t wait to get back to the states, climb into what will now feel like a monster truck, and likely immediately pull out into the oncoming lane.

One final time, from Ireland, slán.