Grateful

This experience of studying away in Northern Ireland is one I am immensely grateful for. I will never forget the memories and all of the meaningful things I have learned during this trip. Because I have a nursing background, sociology was not something that I had ever studied or was very familiar with. However, I am so thankful for everything I have learned because it compliments the nursing knowledge and care I will need in the future as a nurse. My eyes have been opened to social structures and social change, as well as the needs in our society. 

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In my love for nursing, I have always been interested in the healing process, both physically and psychologically. Much of the conflict of Northern Ireland is still affecting individuals today as there are still so many open wounds of the trauma and the sectarianism. We were able to hear from people and projects that are working toward finding healing and reconciliation, such as Theater of Witness and Richard Moore. The Theater of Witness shares how storytelling is an effective way to express your reality and hurts by uncovering your secrets to order to find healing. It also became a method to bridge the divide between the two groups by humanizing everyone’s story and seeing the human behind the label. Richard Moore lost his vision due to violence during “The Troubles,” but instead of being angry, he uses his story as a message of peace and of hope. He practices forgiveness in a way that many people in Derry have not implemented yet, which is something I think is crucial to the peace-building process here. These are just two examples, but so many wonderful people we have met here have been using their stories and working hard to build peace and reconciliation. Although there is still work to be done for peace in Derry, many people speak of so much hope which is really inspiring.  

While this trip was amazing in so many ways, it also was very challenging and difficult for me a few days into the trip. My grandma, who I was very close to, passed away unexpectedly because of a hemorrhagic stroke. Despite my desire to fly to Boston to be with her and my family, I stayed immersed in this experience. Through this challenging time of grieving abroad and away from family and my support systems, I learned a lot about my own resilience and strength that I did not know I had. Resilience is something we have talked a lot about during this class, so it was interesting to gain a different understanding of it in my own life too.

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I am so thankful for the many beautiful and historical sites I was able to see, the experience of traveling more independently to London, all of the incredible things I’ve learned, and for all the beautiful people that I journeyed with on this trip that I now get to call my friends.