Reflecting on two weeks abroad

cre: Reflecting on two weeks abroad

From the start of my travels, I knew this was a period of my life that I was going to learn. I’m not entirely sure I realized how much I would learn – until I sat down after a week in Ireland and thought.

Similar to how you attend class and study for an exam in school, I find that as the days pass you easily forget the little things until you review them. Every day I sit down and write down what I did, what I saw, and what I felt – almost like taking notes from a personal conference. I’ve been in Ireland for just over two weeks and it’s scary how incredibly easy it is to forget an experience. I don’t want this time to be as momentary as a stamp in my passport or as distant as a photograph. I want to memorize these moments so that they are not just a chapter of my life that ends and reopens for me to say “look what I did”. Rather, I mean “look who I am”.

Classes haven’t started yet but my studies abroad have definitely started. Here is a preview of some shots of my week.

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May 26 – Airports are fascinating. They are carefully organized mazes that guide people scattering in countless directions at varying speeds. Everyone has a place to be and a place to go. Everyone has a final destination. Traveling alone, I met many people with different plans of action. The craziest thing is that some of them were going to Shannon, Ireland, just like me. An elderly woman was traveling with friends but decided to join them at the last minute and booked her flight a few days before departure. Another woman had dual citizenship between the United States and Canada and was on her way to see a sick friend. A group of young students were going on a European tour. A family was going to see their grandparents. Some people were going to see new things, go on adventures and explore. Others were going to cry or have a last experience with someone. Be aware that not everyone is on the same momentary or life journey as you.

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May 28 – Bed and breakfasts are a lost art. In Ireland, these welcoming open houses make you feel like part of the family. Without forgetting, we offer you a beautiful breakfast often homemade in the morning. We stayed with a woman named Florence who my grandmother has known for a while. Over the past year, she has faced many tragedies. However, she has the most wonderful disposition and kind heart. She warned me several times throughout our stay take time for yourself and your family and don’t work all the time; in the end, family is what matters. She also explained how the Irish have a different sense of time. It’s not uncommon for people to have clocks that don’t tell the correct time, or even don’t work at all. Instead, they come when they come and go when they go. Don’t live your life on an inflexible schedule, you miss unexpected beauty in life.

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May 30 – Perspective is everything. I have visited the Cliffs of Moher three times. Each time they have been breathtaking and amazing. But this time it was different. I hiked 8.9km from Doolin to the top of the cliffs led by the farmer who created the trail. This time was amazing as I walked for three hours and was rewarded with countless stunning views of the cliffs. You may think you’ve seen it all, but a change in perspective can transform the beauty you see. The farmer told us his story as we walked. He convinced thirty-nine farmers that creating a cliff edge path through their land was a good idea. It took him years, but he finally did it, and now it’s been one of the greatest experiences I’ve (and many others I’m sure) have ever had. He told us at the end of the hike, we’re only here for a short time – do something with it.

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June 1 – We are connected with the place where we live. Driving through the Doolough Valley promotes a myriad of thoughts. During the Irish Potato Famine, a group of people walked 12 miles through the valley to ask the guards at Delphi for food. Many died of starvation and fatigue along the way. When they were denied food, they turned back and returned with many more dying on their return journey. On the road to Delphi there are high mountains that close the way. The road seems to go on forever, sandwiched between the rocky and green walls. Then all of a sudden, you turn a bend, and there’s a lake. The scene is beautiful, filled with hope. The villagers had the same sense of hope as they moved towards the possibility of being helped. When they were turned back, they returned to the wasteland outside the valley. When you are in this space, history surrounds you. The earth speaks to us of the people who have gone before us.

It was a great week of reflection leading up to my formal pedagogical study. The most impactful thing I’ve learned so far is that people want to tell their story and many will invite you to also share your story.

As I was walking one day I saw an old Irish blessing written on the pier. Now I bring these good wishes to the next stage of my journey to Dublin Theater School. A whole period of my life that focuses on telling stories in a country that likes to tell stories.

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