This summer will change my life forever.

Today marks the last day I will spend in Northern Ireland, and this part of my journey is already fueling my growth and self-discovery, while introducing me to people and a place that will stay with me forever.

Northern Ireland is such an interesting little place. I spent my time working with and talking to people who are passionate about the Irish language, everyone from preschool teachers to politicians to radio DJs. What’s most interesting about these people and all residents in Northern Ireland is that everyone has a story, a very unique experience within this history in the making, and everyone is willing to share it. Northern Irelanders are so proud of their little piece of the world, and that’s heartwarming to see. They can tell you the whole history and significance of every village and church and field. I couldn’t even name all of the US presidents.

The nine wonderful people I lived with here have also changed me for the better (queue Wicked soundtrack). To be real with you for a second, I am a very shy, self-conscious person. I’ve been in college for two years and I still haven’t seemed to find a place where I fit, where I feel welcome. Within the first hour of being detained with these strangers, I felt more at home than ever. I stopped worry about how I looked and how people would react to things I did and said. This led to some pretty hilarious moments ie: somersaulting into the street because I was laughing so hard, knocking stuff off a ceiling at a bar because I was too busy dancing to care, gerbiling an entire flute band, keeping Tide-To-Go in business, and awkwardly swimming around in the ocean with my hands up because it was so cold, hoping that kicking and floating would get me from one place to another. Oh, and I kicked Honore in the face.

If any of you are reading this, thank you for helping me be myself.

The experiences I’ve had here have also changed me forever. I can’t believe that in two short weeks I met with Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, got my face painted like Mimi from the Drew Carey Show, and jumped off cliffs into the ocean. There’s been so much more, but I’m having trouble describing it all in words.

If I didn’t have to go to school, I would stay here forever.

I feel it’s appropriate that I’m ending this trip where it started – not in the detainment section at customs, but sitting in Oakley Fayr sipping on a cup of tea.

As this chapter of my life closes, I can feel the next one beginning to write itself. Two predictions for the rest of this adventure:

- My life will never be the same
- Everyone in Europe will know who I am before I leave

Today, I taught an entire flute band some self defense moves, including the elbow throw, the ear-clap-eye-scratch combo, and the infamous gerbil-ing.

They were impressed.

If the rest of this trip is anything like the last 24 hours, it will be the most eventful two and a half months of my life.

Yesterday morning, I realized the Obama’s were in town and that Barak decided to take a day trip to Louisiana.  What this meant for me was that the highway between my house and the airport would be completely blocked off at an undisclosed time.  Naturally, it happened while I was on my way to the airport, so my mom and I took a super secret shortcut and luckily made it to my flight to Newark, NJ on time.

This flight was supposed to take me to Newark where I would connect to a flight to Belfast, and I only had twenty minutes between the two to run to the next gate.  The Newark flight was delayed by forty-five minutes while I was sitting at the gate, so I already knew I’d miss the flight to Belfast.  Then, while we were sitting on the tarmac, Obama landed.  Our pilot came on and said we would be delayed another forty-five minutes, which turned out not to be true, and we took off soon after.

As we finally stepped off the plane in New Jersey, the PA system shouted, “Final boarding call for Belfast.”  I booked it, and so did a few other girls who I realized were in the program with me.  We made it just in time to get on to our last flight.

One movie and three hours of sleep later, I finally touched down in Belfast.  The green fields were a pleasant welcome home, reminiscent of my last summer in Conamara.  When we walked up to customs though, we were given a much less pleasant greeting.  Yes, my groupmates and I were detained for the first time in our lives.  It was actually kind of nice though because it gave us a chance to bond, and our program director, Tim Campbell, was able to get us into the UK.  Apparently there’s a very new law that says you need work visas even if you’re volunteering.

After we were rescued, we went to our little cottages, dropped off our things, and bused over to the St. Patrick Center in Downpatrick.  It’s such a beautiful building.  We toured around, came back to the house for a showers, naps, and grocery shopping, and then we headed back to the St. Patrick Center for the Peace Garden blessing and  a nice barbeque with other members of the Friends of St. Patrick and some of the people we’ll be working with for the next two weeks.  There were a lot of politicians and other important Northern Irish people present.  We had the chance to schmooze and meet a lot of interesting folks.  I actually spoke in Gaelic with a few people.  That was soooo intimidating!  But I think I did well.

I’ll be volunteering at a bunscoil (a Gaelic immersion school for gradeschoolers) an then with another Gaelic-speaking group.  Hopefully the kids at the bunscoil don’t put my skills to shame.

Tomorrow we’ll be going to some sort of fair that Tim said involves ferrets.  I don’t know how I feel about that.

I’ll post pictures tomorrow (my time) :]