{"id":215,"date":"2026-06-29T20:40:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T20:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/?p=215"},"modified":"2026-06-29T20:40:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T20:40:19","slug":"goodbye-for-now-kaileys-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/2026\/06\/29\/goodbye-for-now-kaileys-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"Goodbye for Now – Kailey’s Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the last-minute decision to apply for this program on the day it was due, to experiencing the rich culture, people, and history of Northern Ireland, sometimes it\u2019s those risky choices that we\u2019re scared to fully commit to that end up being the most rewarding. I\u2019ve always loved history, and yet I never knew much about the events of the Troubles. With this intensive 2-week course, I feel as if I\u2019ve learned so much and have a thirst to know more. Oftentimes, when studying conflict, peace, or communication, we\u2019re given textbook examples that may talk about tragic, traumatic, or violent means that can hit you to your core; however, it\u2019s a rare experience in itself to be able to physically see, feel, hear, taste, touch, and speak with the people who lived what\u2019s in the books we read. <\/p>\n\n\n

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*”Derry Girls” show mural in Derry (on Netflix)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As I\u2019ve only recently gotten into studying Communication, I\u2019ve heard the common spiel that Communication classes are easy and that it\u2019s useless to study something so \u201csoft\u201d compared to more \u201cdifficult\u201d fields. However, anyone who invests themselves in political peace processes, policy-making, or creating posters and murals is engaging in a form of communication; all of which are methods still used in Northern Ireland today. Communication is essential for bridging historical divides among communities toward peace and for spreading messages, such as encouraging people to vote in the upcoming elections or to join clubs or social groups. Communication is what keeps people together, and not just for advertising purposes. From having the privilege of listening to the stories of so many individuals from all sides of the conflict, I have come to see that communication can be a form of healing, power, and immense difficulty. With a culture of silence being religiously bred and followed for many years, putting trauma into words, especially for the digestion of an audience, is no easy feat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, witnessing so many individuals put so much effort into revitalizing the Irish language through programs like Turas, playing lively traditional Irish music with the Ballycastle Trad Trail, and working tirelessly to give victims a voice and access to mental health services is so inspiring. It reminds me that even small changes can be instrumental in a person\u2019s life, and makes me want to work in diplomacy, study international affairs, or become a lawyer to be the voice and change for those who feel powerless. <\/p>\n\n\n

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*Queen’s University Belfast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While this trip was filled with excitement and learning, the intense schedule definitely challenged my attention span, especially since so much information was crammed into our brains. While I expected the academic workload, I was surprised by how much the emotional weight of the stories lingered with me. I spent a lot of time later thinking about the stories that were told and what certain facts meant, and I still think about how to piece the puzzle together for the bigger picture weeks afterward. Homesickness, amid being tired and in a place so new to me, did affect me at times. Especially traveling back home alone on international flights was something that I had never done before, and I was nervous that I might end up stuck somewhere. I did make it back home safely and smoothly, but the challenges definitely helped me to grow as an independent individual. <\/p>\n\n\n

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*View of a lookout point of Giant’s Causeway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Some of my favorite highlights included the stunning ocean-view landscape at Corrymeela, learning to Irish dance, singing with the Ballycastle Trad Trail, and visiting a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Giant\u2019s Causeway. Corrymeela provided that warm, fuzzy sense of being home away from home, with the nostalgic feeling of being at summer camp. The competitive and strategic game we played of picking either \u201cBlue, Red, or Green\u201d stuck with us all, as it gave us an in-time lesson on how complicated communication, trust, and peace negotiations can truly be. Going on an Irish music trail hit me in the feels with how beautiful Irish music is and how it can transport you to beautiful places upon simply closing your eyes. Learning how to Irish dance with everyone was so much fun, I didn\u2019t want to stop. Giant\u2019s Causeway\u2019s beauty (and our luck of having a beautiful, clear day with no rain) made me so happy to soak up the coast\u2019s liveliness, and learn about the legends of Giant\u2019s walking between Scotland and Ireland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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*Inside Stormont – Northern Ireland’s Parliamentary building<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Everyone has something to say, no matter what side they may be on. I\u2019ve learned that conflict is always complicated and never just black-and-white, good-versus-bad guys, but full of shades of gray. While listening to personal narratives can help paint a vivid picture of the Troubles era, bias is still an important element embedded in these stories that should be noted when analyzing them. History is also written with bias, often by the winner, so the real truths and the gathering of memories can be flawed due to human nature. Peace is also precarious, as I\u2019ve learned that even when conflict is deemed over, tensions may still linger, and grudges are still held. Overall, I\u2019m eager to see how Northern Ireland develops culturally, socially, and economically, potentially creating that \u201cNew Ireland.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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*Left: Interior of St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast *Right: Picture of Travel Course students with our animated bus driver, Buzz\/S\u00e9amus <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Being able to connect with my ancestral culture, developing new friendships, and life experiences through this trip have been invaluable. Ireland has stolen a piece of my heart, and I aim to return to it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From the last-minute decision to apply for this program on the day it was due, to experiencing the rich culture, people, and history of Northern Ireland, sometimes it\u2019s those risky choices that we\u2019re scared to fully commit to that end up being the most rewarding. I\u2019ve always loved history, and yet I never knew much […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":223,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/223"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215\/revisions\/229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/peacecomm2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}