Over the course of the 12 days we spent together in Northern Ireland, there were multiple highlights and days that stuck out to me the most. The day we spent learning about traditional Irish music and walking to the pubs was probably my favorite part. I really enjoyed when they had us close our eyes and listen to the uilleann pipes. It was so amazing how when you closed your eyes and just listened to the music that you were transposted to a whole different world. So many of us said that when we closed our eyes it almost felt like we were transported to hundreds of years ago and could feel the land. I absolutely loved getting to also hear them share about the Irish language and how even in all the efforts to kill it, Gaelic has survived and so many people are making efforts to learn it and know more about their history.

That takes me into the next part of the trip I enjoyed the most and that was speaking to Linda Ervine. Linda is both a teacher and someone who has advocated for the teaching of the Irish language. She started her own group where she taught both Catholics and Protestants the language, and through this also helped create community among members as well. In 2021 she started her own primary school to teach integrated children Irish. However, she was faced with a lot of backlash and hate from people online. Threats were made to her which halted the process of opening the school. However, she did not want to let the ignorance and hate of others stop her from teaching and bringing communities together. One quote I took down from her said, “some people will never be able to change, but that shouldn’t hold the rest of us back.” Linda had a passion for teaching and wanted the people of Northern Ireland to learn their native language. I loved hearing her speak as she had the most positive and optimistic outlook on life. You could just tell by her presence that she was genuine and cared a lot about what she did. 

The biggest challenges I faced during this trip were adjusting to the culture and experiencing homesickness. Spending time in any new place can be challenging and as someone who is really close with their family, I struggled a lot with being away from them in a whole new environment and a different country. However, meeting everyone on the trip helped me feel so much more comfortable. I loved getting to know everyone and creating connections that will last way beyond just our travel course. Another thing I struggled with on our trip was the adjustment to the culture and environment in Ireland. This was my first time being in a different country and it was definitely a challenge to adjust to the food, weather, transportation, accents and environment as a whole. That being said, having the experience of traveling to a new country, learning about their history and culture, and getting the opportunity to create new relationships with other Chapman students is something I will always cherish.