Colleen D'Angelo
Happy Anniversary to me!
No, I am not 100 years old, but I have written over 100 columns and articles for Dublin Life Magazine. That means I have had dozens of opportunities to learn new facts, experience different activities and meet oodles of Dublin residents.
Some interviews and stories make me laugh in disbelief while others hit a jarring, emotional chord. The best part is the continuation of growth, learning and sharing with the reader that I hope endures for many years.
People always ask where I come up with my ideas and the answer is varied. Sometimes the editor will make suggestions, or I will have a lightbulb moment about a topic. Most of the time, ideas come from Dubliners who I meet while shopping at Kroger or enjoying a glass of merlot at Tucci’s. The Facebook group Dublin Moms in the Know is a tremendous source of information and regularly connects me to fascinating stories.
While the last eight years of columns are archived online, I only have physical copies of the earlier years and don’t revisit them often. Browsing through them recently gave me an amazing trip down memory lane.
The Dublin Irish Festival
I covered the 20th and the 30th anniversaries of the festival, including 30 things I love about the festival. The rock night on Friday, darts and whiskey tastings, and petting the Irish canines are some of my favorite events. I gave a behind-the-scenes look at Irish Dance including the wigs, costumes, shoes and history. Through the years my daughter, Courtney, went from an 8-year-old beginner dancer to a professional touring the world with the show Riverdance.
Sports and More Sports
In two years of health and fitness articles, I tried almost every sport and fitness craze around. I went from hip-hop and water aerobics classes to sand volleyball and kickboxing. I also learned the tricks to shopping for nutritious food in the supermarket and got CPR certified. The number of folks who, after reading my column, decided to get their own CPR certification is a point of pride for me.
Food, Glorious Food
I am always ready to volunteer for a foodie article, so send your ideas anytime! At one point, I had the joy of trying five food trucks in five days to report my favorites. The Korean Barbecue from Cupzilla was only topped by the pork belly sandwich with corn and jalapeno jam from En Place.
Progressive Dinner Parties, where guests travel to a different house for each course of the meal, were a lot of fun to cover as was the exploration of red wine and chocolate pairings that my family did during Covid. Many years ago I wrote a similarly delicious piece called “Sweet Street” and tasted desserts at all of the downtown Dublin restaurants. That’s hard to imagine today as all of the new options on both sides of the river would make it a week-long challenge.
Travel
If you know me, you know I love to travel all over the world. And if I can’t be the traveler, then I’m reading about the adventures of other lucky people. Over the years, I’ve written about Dubliners fulfilling fascinating adventures. Rebecca Hinze visited 40 countries before she turned 40. She and her husband, Todd, listed hiking the Inca trail to 8,000 feet in Peru as one of their favorite parts. The Mangan family traveled to all seven continents before the kids graduated high school. Their high points were hiking Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and riding elephants in Nepal’s Chitwan National Park.
Humorous and Quirky
“Promising Promposals,” took look at the creative and over-the-top ways that teens ask their dates to prom. It included scavenger hunts, costumes and lots of planning and surprises. One of my favorite funny columns focused on wedding proposal stories as told by local jewelers who had an inside scoop. The highlight was a hot air balloon ride that nearly ran out of fuel and had to land inside the walls of a women’s correctional facility!
Thought-Provoking
As a writer, it’s gratifying to take quiet time to reflect and share thoughts on simple actions. I also enjoy in-depth research on parenting ideas and asking advice from Dubliners of all ages who can share their wisdom as we traverse each chapter of life. My column on helicopter parents who hover closely while their children try to spread their wings was eye-opening for me. The sandwich generation column described those of us who are still parenting our children but also taking care of aging parents. My mother had a stroke and moved into our home in August. We are living this firsthand and I recently reread that article to study my own advice.
I am blessed to have watched and written about Dublin’s expansion as well as the growth of my own family. In 2005 when my first article for Dublin Life was published, my children were 5, 8 and 11 years old. I shared our exploits with picking high schools, managing sports and travel, and choosing colleges and careers. Now our youngest, Catie, is graduating from Ohio University and starting medical school in August. Courtney lives in Los Angeles when she isn’t on tour performing, and Christopher is married with a house in North Carolina. Time passes quickly, my friends. Hug your family, look out for your fellow neighbor and I’ll see you in 2022!
Colleen D’Angelo is a freelance writer who lives in Dublin with her husband and several small animals. She enjoys playing tennis, walking the Dublin bike paths and traveling.
