If you would have told me 6 months ago that I would be traveling to Northern Ireland twice in one year, I would have thought you were crazy. But life has a funny way of surprising you and rewarding you when you least expect it. I feel incredibly blessed with the opportunities Brad and I have been given. 2013 is going to have a hard time topping the many adventures and experiences that 2012 has presented!
While our first trip was incredible and memorable, the second trip will forever hold a special place in my heart. We got to be a part of the initial stages of the Ulster Project Graduate Program. And it opened my eyes to the extreme beauty and darkness that exists within mankind.
Here are some highlights from the trip:
Day 1 – Saturday October 27, 2012
Brad and I were transported to the airport by ever so lovely and wonderful Colleen & McKay Burdette! After a pit-stop at Steak ‘N Shake, we were on our way to Cincinnati, where we had to check an extra bag full of candy and treats for our friends! Things were fairly uneventful, other than the fact that we were leaving New York City as Hurricane Sandy was coming in (we missed her by about a day). The overnight flight to Dublin seemed long and tiresome and I sat next to what I will refer to as the “Seat Nazi.” She was very territorial and I was terrified to get up to use the toilet. But 2 movies, 2 meals and a half a book later, I survived and we landed in Dublin.
Day 2 – Sunday October 28, 2012
We got off the plane and made it through customs (where Brad was accidentally granted a 90 day visa!) and found James and Laura anxious awaiting our arrival! After a loud and joyous reunion, we headed to Enniskillen with some stops to take pictures along the way. Laura skipped church and we all had breakfast together at Wetherspoons. We went on to James’ house to rest and recover from the flight. James had to work at the Crowe’s at 6, so we went with him and met up with Lindsey and Stephen. Brad, Laura and I walked to McDonalds to see some of the previous years’ teens. We walked back to the Crowe’s and helped James close up for the night.
Day 3 – Monday October 29, 2012
This day was full of fun! We met up with last year’s teens at the youth center and celebrated Josh’s birthday - complete with pin the tail on the donkey, cake, candles, air hockey, laughter, and American sweets! Then we all headed across the street to Maude’s for some good food and more laughter. We finished strong at Costa Coffee in the mall and saw even more teens! It was a great day of reliving old memories and creating new ones. We said goodbye to the teens and headed to Wetherspoons for a Quiz, only to discover that it was super lame. But it was still a good day overall!
Day 4 – Tuesday October 30, 2012
Last day in Enniskillen L After packing up the car, we headed to the Enniskillen Castle for a tour. Then I had a coffee date with Colin & Lynne and we had a great time catching up and shedding light on some of the things that happened in the past. It was a very humbling and redeeming conversation and it set the tone for a great ride to Belfast, picking up Les Sage in Omagh on the way. We spent the hour and a half talking about exciting things that are happening in our projects and new ideas for Time of Discovery. It’s a beautiful thing when the “babies” and the “dinosaurs” can come together with their ideas and perspectives. After getting checked into the apartment in Belfast, we met up with more of the Americans at the Crown Pub for a few pints and warm welcomes.
Day 5 – Wednesday October 31, 2012
A Halloween that will not soon be forgotten. We spent the morning at Belfast City Hall with the Lord Mayor, who is a former Ulster Project teen. He talked about how he is using his leadership position to bring the two sides together – a true message of hope for the Ulster Project. Then we went to Stormont to tour the parliament building and meet with different sides of the local government. We visited the peace walls and saw messages of hope and reconciliation and change and we wrote messages of our own. We visited a chapel and prayed to the Prince of Peace to unite us when differences divide. We ended the evening with a group dinner at Made in Belfast, where the food was great and the company was even better! And we all learned a lesson in sharing J
Day 6 – Thursday November 1, 2012
The day started off with the tragic news of a man who was killed on the M1 on his way to work. David Black, a prison officer, was attacked a mere 15 miles from where we were in Belfast. This act of violence was an attempt to stir up the Troubles that exist just beneath the surface. Our group spent the day at YouthLink, an inter-church organization that provides support and training for youth workers and community relations experiences for young people. Our conversations focused on the hopes, fears, purpose and direction of the Ulster Project as we move forward. The death of David Black definitely gave us all a bit of perspective and reminded us that our work with the project is so relevant. I think we were all a little more motivated to continue to break down the barriers and walls in people’s minds. The time flew by and we were all a little sad to see it end. We all reconvened for dinner at the Crown Pub (excellent food shared with friends!) and some of us stuck around afterwards to continue the discussions from earlier.
Brad, James, Laura and I had a bit of a late night, as we met up with Ruairy and another one of James’ friends for some pints and laughs. Well worth the few hours of sleep we got that night!
Day 7 – Friday November 2, 2012
If I had to come up with one word for this day, it would be soggy. A heavy rain poured over us as we toured the Titanic Quarter, but that didn't stop us from having a good time! First, we saw the set where Game of Thrones was filmed. Although I've never seen it, I guess it’s a pretty big deal. Next, we toured the Titanic Drawing Room that is currently not open to the public. This is the room where the plans for the Titanic were written and drawn up. Pretty cool stuff! We also got to see a development model of the future plans for Belfast. Once inside Titanic Belfast, we had tea and coffee to warm up before our self-guided tour through the exhibit began. We got to see the Titanic staircase and all sorts of neat Titanic artifacts and replications. A very cool experience. Next time you’re in Belfast, you should definitely go! We had lunch at The Dock Café, which is best described as “a pop-up coffee shop, art venue and information point, right in the heart of the Titanic Quarter beside SS Nomadic. It’s a space for community, chat, chilling-out, meeting-up…Life in the Titanic Quarter.” They call themselves an Honesty Box Café, in which there is no charge for the food but you can make a donation for what you think it’s worth. Such a neat concept and it’s thriving! Be sure to check them out: http:www.thedockchurch.org
The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping and getting ready for the evening.
Friday night we were joined by Rev. Kerry Waterstone, who founded the Ulster Project in 1975. It was such an incredible experience to witness how things have come full circle since then. He gave a very inspiring speech about why he started the project and how it was still needed today. I feel so honored to be a small part of such a powerful and life-changing program.
We said our goodbyes to the Graduate Program people and headed out for a fun night in Belfast.
Day 8 – Saturday November 3, 2012
We packed up all of our things and had a delicious lunch at Nandos. We did some last-minute shopping before heading out of the city. We had a little bit of an adventure looking for an Asda on our way to Dublin, only to find that the one on the map was not even open yet! We made it to Stephen’s house just in time to catch the train into the City Centre. We met up with Laura’s friends and went on a scary/sexy tour of the leprechaun museum – that was definitely an interesting experience! We had a great night out in Dublin drinking and impressing each other with magic and card tricks. End day 8.
Day 9 – Sunday November 4, 2012
This was a lazy day, but it is just what we needed. The boys didn’t get out of bed until 1:00! We had a nice brunch and then did some shopping and watched Skyfall. We had Thai food back at the house then Brad and I packed up our stuff to leave in the morning L
Day 10 – Monday November 5, 2012
Our trip home was pretty uneventful. We stayed awake most of the flight and watched movies. Once we landed in New York, it was quite evident that our country had gone temporarily insane over the election. I finished reading The Book Thief in the airport and bawled my eyes out in front of several thousand strangers. That was fun. My parents picked us up in Cincinnati and we ate at Skyline Chili on the way home. We were home by 9:30 and asleep by 10:00 and at work by 8:00 the next morning. To say we were exhausted would be an understatement, but it was well worth every second of it and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Final Reflections: Beauty and darkness. Darkness that exists with the taking of a man’s life as a result of the Troubles, the “peace walls” that still divide the city, and the animosity that is still present just below the surface in Northern Ireland. And in our own country - darkness in the hatred that has been spewed from both sides as a result of this election, and an unwillingness to come together and work things out. But still so much beauty – the beauty that comes from a diverse group of people who have found enough in common to love each other, the beauty of both sides coming to the table with creative imagination to dream up a better world, the beauty of redemption and forgiveness. I have seen a small fragment of the darkness, but I have also seen the brilliant light bursting forth. I have hope for the future. I believe another world is possible. And I believe that we are the ones that can make it happen if we continue to work together.
Love & Peace,
Katie
