Marita O’Connell lives in Montgomery Village, Maryland, where her house overlooks a lake that enhances her deep connectedness to nature. She grew up in Dublin, Ireland, in the 1950...view moreMarita O’Connell lives in Montgomery Village, Maryland, where her house overlooks a lake that enhances her deep connectedness to nature. She grew up in Dublin, Ireland, in the 1950s and, seeing emigration as her only road to a better life, she arrived alone in America in 1962. She has written diaries and journals all her life, accumulating about 800,000 words to date, but also has been employed as a writer and editor for more than 30 years. A gypsy at heart, she loves travel and adventure, but also likes being near her two adult children and her grandchildren.view less