Rope Bridge
Hiking
Sheep Farm
Cliff
Joseph
The standout in school last week has been one of the best lessons I’ve had so far here on politics and the culture of the divide that there was in Northern Ireland, on things such as Bloody Sunday. It thoroughly opened my eyes to how much history isn’t past tense in people’s lives here and expanded my knowledge of how much more there can be than just reading in books. Being able to see it for myself first-hand and being told about it at the same time instantly gave me a different kind of respect for just how much place has power in the creation of memory and identification.
There, I also had the privilege of visiting Belfast’s district of Dalriada, which I had never even heard of until that time. It had a guided tour that went beyond displaying all about the Troubles, but also about changes occurring in Belfast culturally nowadays. It touched my heart to see just how much Belfast tries to mend and restore but still have to deal with so much turbulent history.
If I were to recommend one thing to someone visiting Dublin or the surrounding area, I’d have them simply go north to Northern Ireland. Having the experience of viewing something like the rope bridge and experiencing history up close in Derry will give one a different view of the island and will not soon be forgotten. One thing I didn’t expect was just how stressful it was to walk across that rope bridge. I figured it would just be a brief photo stop, but it placed us beyond my comfort range, and I’m just glad that it did.
We didn’t have buses to great around with in Belfast or Derry, but we didn’t need to because our hotels were directly in the city.
Also going into my fourth week of internship, I feel truly settled into the work culture and environment now. Just last week we had a company barbeque where I got to meet the other interns and converse with them. I super grateful for the opportunity and truly grateful that my fellow coworkers are very easy to be around.
Overall, I’m deeply thankful for my experience here, most of all for individuals I’ve encountered and circumstances that have led me to reflect. Ireland’s already taught me so much in five weeks.