Last summer after Matt O'Reilly, 21, ended his college career early at Colby-Sawyer College and moved out of his parents' Milford house, he found himself a home in Newmarket.

"Colby-Sawyer was too small and isolated," said O'Reilly. "I wasn't happy." So after O'Reilly conferred with some of his UNH friends, they decided to set up house in the rural community.

Right now he works as a coffee barista at the Big Bean Cafe and Bakery in Newmarket. The owners of the shop recently purchased the property in June are in their 20s themselves. It's full of bright clean colors, photos of flowers on the walls, and a sign welcoming patrons to "please take a menu and a seat."

"I love it," said O'Reilly.

When the barista isn't waking up in the morning to serve people coffee and breakfast orders, he's jamming on his drum set. He often plays with his friends who play bass and keyboard. On the weekends, his typical spot is Newmarket's music venue, The Stone Church.

"It's the place to be. I go to bluegrass there every week," said O'Reilly.

Once he gets back in the swing of school, he plans to finish his college degree at the University of New Hampshire. He's looking to concentrate in art, specifically photography, since he became inspired by a high school teacher of his.

"I had a pretty amazing photography teacher who got me into contests. That was my goal," said O'Reilly. He also writes poetry but has refrained from submitting owing to his reservations.

"I'm pretty shy about it," said O'Reilly.

He hasn't become engulfed by Newmarket's pretty scenery. O'Reilly loves to visit his family in Milford. He has four siblings, three of whom are enrolled in school.

"I have a big family and love being there. It was a good place to grow up," said O'Reilly.

HANGING OUT WITH
Matt O'Reilly, 21
11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 7
Downtown Newmarket, the Big Bean Cafe and Bakery