The last 2 weeks in Coleraine went way too fast. We finished up all 3 of our final papers and spent a lot of time just sitting around trying to spend time with each other before we had to separate. I wrote a reflection on our time in Dublin, an independent project about punishment attacks and a group project with Adam on masculinity theory in Northern Ireland. Instead of giving a group presentation, the UNESCO Centre and Nigel decided to have us do a presentation on our experiences in Northern Ireland. We did that on Wednesday the 15th at Skainos in Belfast.
Our presentation went really well and I think everyone who attended was really impressed by what we had to say. My part was to give some final reflection and conclusions on my time. I talked about 3 big things that made my semester great. The first was the way we got to learn. Nigel always reminded us not to separate learning from emotions. Also, the whole of Northern Ireland was our classroom, not just a stuffy classroom at the University of Ulster in Coleraine. The second thing was my internship with Public Achievement and working with the BCC WIMPS crew. Everyone was so welcoming and made me feel like I was making a difference there. The third thing was our group. I talked about how we come into Northern Ireland as complete strangers and were leaving as best friends. It was because of how the program is set up that we became so close. We got to learn, experience and reflect on everything together. My final conclusion was that despite being very shy when I came to Northern Ireland, I was able to open up and find a community for myself there and I'm very proud of that. I wasn't sure how well I really was able to convey my feelings about Northern Ireland, but I took comfort in the fact that I had made people laugh and cry. It was also nice to see my supervisor, Davy and my coworker Jayne one more time, as well as see a bit of Belfast again.
On our last weekend in Northern Ireland, we took a day trip to Portrush. Right when we got there, we discovered Barry's, a small amusement park right by the train station. We decided to go on the Hellraiser, which is a Waltzer (Tilt-a-Whirl). We had tons of fun on that as the worker made us spin very very fast for a long time. My legs had turned to complete jelly by the end and I was feeling a bit dizzy. After that we took a dander around the town, went into a few shops and visited the beach. It was so beautiful and I got to put my feet in the cold ocean water for the first time. We then went to supper in a fancy restaurant and had a delicious three course meal. I ate whole fish, like with the heads and tails still on them. It was interesting and I'm shocked that I actually did it.
Our last week in Northern Ireland was emotional but we got to do a lot of great things. We revisited Murlough Bay on a sunny, beautiful day, stood on the incredibly amazing Fairhead cliffs (and had a funny incident with a tap where I tried to drain the ocean), and walked across the terrifying Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. I was especially proud of crossing the rope bridge since I'm so afraid of heights. They were all so lovely that it was hard for my mind to comprehend it.
On Friday, we dropped Anna Mae and Jaira in Belfast. It was a tough goodbye. Those girls mean so much to me. Before dropping Jess off, we took our time driving around Belfast and even visited the little fair in Bangor. Too soon, we were heading back to Coleraine minus 3 great people. On our last night in Northern Ireland, Mallory, Rebecca, Megan and I hung out for awhile then tried to get a bit of sleep before our flight. We were at the airport by 9am and on our plane by 11. It was also tough saying goodbye to Nigel, who has done so much for us, and Adam. Us 4 girls flew to Newark together then Mallory headed off to Detroit, Rebecca to Sioux Falls and Megan and I to Minneapolis.
It was surreal coming home and Northern Ireland felt like a crazy, amazing dream I'd had. Leaving so many friends and my heart in a place where my dreams had come true was the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm going to keep in touch with everyone as much as possible and I'm already planning to go back and visit next summer after graduation.
This semester has done so much for me and I feel like the luckiest person in the entire world for all that I got to do and all the amazing people I had the privilege of meeting. I've also changed in a lot of ways. I've come out of my shell and found freedom and independence that I've never had before. It's hard to put in words what that felt like but I know for sure I want to hang onto that here in the United States. It might mean I need to make a few changes in my life but I feel like it's worth it. I don't want to settle back into my old habits here because I love the new person that I've become.
Last few bits of advice: take risks! Try new things, get out and meet new people and have fun! It will be the best thing you've ever done for yourself.
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