I am more confused than when I landed here...

As my title may give you a hint, I am much more confused about this place called The North or Northern Ireland than some of my first couple of days. It has been quite awhile since my last post and as you can expect, so much has happened. I finished my internship at The Junction, I moved away from Derry, I had a fun, long week trip to Dublin, and I am currently living back in Coleraine. I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that I arrived on this campus almost three months ago. I don’t know where my time, money (hint..hint..dad!) and heart have gone.

Saying goodbye to Derry, was a tough thing to do. (to the left is a picture of Kelly and I....we cooked lasagna when we treated all 13 group members, Nigel, and two visiting HECUA staff to dinner at flat #6...luckily everyone was alive the next day!)

Although I am glad to leave the rainy weather and many hills behind, I will greatly miss The Junction and the people there that I spent a lot of time with. Looking back on the past 7 weeks of my internship, I realized I gained invaluable skills. Something I will take away from that experience was the importance of relationships. Trying to work with people to create social change can only happen if you give the time and energy to get to know them. I appreciate the hard work and patience that goes into making a non-profit working for peace actually work!

After packing up my ever expanding suitcase, the whole group was reunited and we set out for a week in Dublin. (to the left is a picture of some of the girls outside our trusty van...we of course had to decorate it!) I did all sorts of activities such as seeing a couple of very old stones at New Grange, visiting the Book of Kells, meeting with politicians at Leinster House, visiting a Peace and Reconciliation center located in the Wicklow Mountains, and last but not least downing a pint of Guinness at the famous and highly tourist populated Guinness Storehouse. I soaked up a great amount of sunshine walking the streets of Dublin. The weather was beautiful and I think that is the reason why I have a changed opinion of the very big city!

I am now back safe and sound at the University of Ulster at Coleraine. Compared to the bigger city of Derry and especially Dublin, I have deemed this town a bit boring. I will be spending the majority of my time in the library with my nose in the books and therefore, however unfortunate it may sound, it is really a positive thing! I have two huge papers to write, one in a group that is focusing on Integrated Education and the second an individual paper focusing on dealing with the past and the power of acknowledgement. Send your positive learning thoughts…I need all the help I can get.

This is all for now. I hope everything back home is well and that the warmer weather is coming your way!

Love and hugs from Norn Iron,

Sara