Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Post date: Mar 22, 2017 9:53:44 PM

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." - Mya Angelou

Let the journey begin! Though the weather may not have given us the warmest welcome, the people of Belfast surely did!

(Above: Rotarians from Belfast welcoming us to their city!)

These past two days have been quite an adventure. We started our travels yesterday, leaving school and arriving at O'Hare Airport with time to spare. Once we had some lunch, we boarded the huge plane and settled into our seats for the seven and a half hour flight to London Heathrow. Between movies, music, naps, dinner, and breakfast, the plane ride was a breeze and suddenly we were halfway across the world! We hung around the airport in London, many of us experiencing our first time in the UK, before heading off to our flight to Belfast. Once we landed in Belfast, we headed straight to our luncheon with the chaplains. This was very interesting and educational. I know we all appreciated the time they took out of their day to talk to us about the similarities and differences of their religious denominations and how those similarities and differences manifest themselves at Queen's University. After hearing from Anglican/Methodist, Presbyterian, and Catholic representatives, we all came away feeling extremely educated on how the religious divide affects young adults, specifically in college communities. As we discussed ways in which the Northern Irish have mediated their issues, we shared stories of conflict that exist at our school (HP). The representative from the Catholic faith said something that really stuck with me at the end of our meeting. He said, "If you want to take down a wall, remove one brick at a time and begin to build a bridge."

(Above: meeting with 3 chaplains at Queen's University)

Next, we headed off to our bus tour! We all had a great time sitting at the top of a double-decker bus. The cold and rain did not deter us! It really was a great way to see the beautiful city of Belfast and get a nice overview of it's history. I feel like I have a greater understanding of certain historical areas of Belfast now, and I am very excited to learn more!

(Below: Hannah and Felicity on the bus tour.)

After the tour, we went to meet our host families. Nya and I are staying with Aimee's family, and they have been absolutely lovely from the moment we walked in the door. We've had the pleasure of meeting both her parents as well as her sister and brother, who has a family of his own. After a delicious home-cooked meal, we even hopped out to pick up some Irish candy!

We already feel so welcome here and are very excited for the next 10 days that we know will be truly amazing!

- Hannah