Goodbye, Northern Ireland!

March 13, 2014 

Another incredible day in Northern Ireland! I cannot believe it was the last at Corrymeela; tomorrow we leave for Dublin.

As usual, the day started with breakfast and worship time, then we had our very last conflict/reconciliation session where we discussed our opinions on the Northern Ireland situation some more and then all had a chance to voice one thing we learned on the trip. I’ve learned a lot during my time in Northern Ireland; most of all, I leave Europe with an overwhelming respect for the people around me. So many of my daily conversations are superficial, but this week everyone on the trip really engaged with each other, and our conversations were meaningful and thoughtful. I am inspired by the way that each of my fellow students, professors, and the staff at Corrymeela came together to create an honest, safe, and truth-seeking community. It’s amazing; given the chance, people are capable of so much more than you may guess! 

Off the soap box.

After everyone went around the circle and shared, we had some tea and then loaded onto the bus that would take us to Dark Hedges, Giant’s Causeway, and the rope bridge. 

Dark Hedges is a small strip of road in the country lined by tall, bare trees. It’s definitely cool-looking but is mainly exciting because parts of Game of Thrones were filmed there. I don’t watch Games of Thrones but that didn’t stop me from taking a bunch of pictures under the archway of branches! 

As neat as Dark Hedges was, it didn’t even come close to comparing to Giant’s Causeway. Giant’s Causeway is a popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland... And I can see why! It’s a geological phenomenon. Thousands of hexagonal columns squeeze together to line the side of a mountain and spread out into the sea. It is really difficult to believe that these weren’t man made; some of the columns are perfect hexagons! 

Legend has it that there were once giants in Ireland and Scotland, and these giants built the causeway so that it stretched between them. Long story short, the Scottish giant was much bigger than the Irish giant, but the Irish giant was more clever. His wife put him in a stroller and dressed him up as a baby. So when the Scottish giant came to fight the Irish one, he saw the giant and thought “If that’s the size of his baby, the Irish giant must be huge!” And he ran away in terror, smashing the causeway behind him. 

However, apparently the Causeway is really just a result of a volcanic eruption. 

(I choose to believe that God was just feeling a little mischievous when he created it, thinking “Oooh this one is going to puzzle a lot of people over the years!” He probably made Stone Henge on the same day.) 

Jokes aside, I really enjoyed climbing all over Giant’s Causeway, and I especially enjoyed hiking up a nearby mountain to get a view of it from high above. It really was awesome in the literal sense of the word. The mountains, ocean, and these wondrous columns all came together to make a spectacular sight! 

I wandered the Giant’s Causeway for some time, and then the group joined back together and the bus took us to the rope bridge. 

The rope bridge is an old, rickety, bridge between two mountainous islands. It was created for salmon fishing but, since the salmon population in the area has decreased, now it is mainly a tourist attraction. The view from the bridge is really gorgeous if you dare to look out! Even those who weren’t comfortable crossing the bridge enjoyed looking out at the sea and mountains around us. I crossed and found it wasn’t half as unstable as it looked! 

After wandering around the rope bridge for a while, we made our way back to Ballycastle for some dinner and pub night!

Oh you read that right. Lizzie Dockery had her first pub experience! I’ve never had much of an interest before, but when in Rome, right? I sat with four other girls, and we decided that, between the five of us, we’d share four different drinks. None of us were interested in really finishing a drink, but we all wanted to sample! It was like tapas Irish pub style. 

So of course we had to get a Guinness. We also sampled a dark Irish ale, some whisky and ginger ale, and something called a snake bite. When I told Jonny, our guide, that we were getting a snake bite he laughed at me and said “Snake bite?? Okay. But you should know, most people stop drinking that when they turn 16.” 

Of course it ended up being the only one I liked. 

That may be because it’s half apple cider, part black current juice, and part Guinness. So really there isn’t much alcohol in it at all. Ooh! And it’s bright pink. That may have something to do with it. 

Jonny’s mocking aside, it was a really fun night! One side of the pub was filled with white haired old people playing traditional Irish music on their accordions and flute and, on the other side, the young people share beers and chat. If it weren’t for the sixteen Americans in the middle, that scene would perfectly mirror the mental image I have of a stereotypical night in Ireland. So fun to get to be in the middle of this culture! 

"Americans Have Loads of Ferrets!"

March 12, 2014

Hey readers! Sorry I’ve gotten behind on blogging. We’ve been so busy, and there is only wifi in one area at Corrymeela. For the sake of clarity, I’ve gone back through my previous posts and added the day of the week and date to the top. 

The morning started with porridge once again and then some worship time spent meditating on the story of Prodigal Son. Then our group had a session with some Corrymeela staff learning about conflict and discussing our thoughts on conflict and reconciliation.

Once again we were blessed with a beautiful day; the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and it was the perfect temperature! I spent a significant amount of my day frolicking on Corrymeela's campus and then taking some person arts and crafts time. It was perfection.

After crafting for a while, we had a delicious (and very Texan!) lunch of baked potatoes, baked beans, and cole slaw. But get this... they put the bans ON the potatoes. What?? I'm all about it.

When we'd finished eating, a group of us walked along the beach to the town of Ballycastle. The walk was incredible. To my left were miles of rolling green hills (and a golf course, dad!), to my right was an infinity of blue ocean, and in the distance were dots of beautiful homes along the coast. My pictures don’t even come close to capturing it. I was with a great group of girls, and we even made friends with a local old man and his dog, Tilly. Old man and Tilly are my new best friends.  

The town of Ballycastle is the cutest tiny town ever. We all enjoyed honeycomb ice cream (the best ice cream in Ireland, apparently) and stuck our head into a few of the little shops. It’s quiet, quaint, peaceful, and yet didn’t feel sleepy or boring. The perfect place for wandering on a gorgeous day!

We took our time in Ballycastle and on the walk back, stopping for pictures and to take in the view. 

Once we arrived back at Corrymeela it was time for another one of our sessions, this one was about religion and faith. 

But the best session of all-- out of all the fascinating conversations and workshops we’d had at Corrymeela-- was the session after dinner with a man named Padraig (or “Patrick” if you’re American). Patrick, with his thick pull-over sweater, round glasses, and curly hair, introduced himself as a poet, theologian, and group worker. I was instantly fascinated. His interest is in words and people, “how words shape our encounters with each other”. Really interesting guy! He started out by reading some of his poetry to us. Most of the poetry he read is about the conflict in Northern Ireland, and nearly all of it was influenced by something personal to him or by a story someone had shared with him. I felt more a part of the Northern Ireland conflict as I listened to his poetry than I had when actually touching the dividing walls. Once again, I was struck by this idea of creating healing and community through storytelling, art, personal narratives, words... It’s become a theme of this trip!

Listening to and discussing Patrick’s poetry, and discussing religion and society with Patrick and the group, felt like acts of worship. But, after our session was finished, we had another worship time with the Corrymeela community, reflecting on the anniversary of the Ghandi salt march and the heroes in our own lives. 

Once all of this was finished, I decided that I’d behaved enough for one day, and I spent the rest of the night (and a little into the morning too) just being goofy with my friends: telling stories, singing a little bit of showtunes, and generally just bonding and laughing with this great group of students who I feel so blessed to know. 

*Note: The title of today’s blog really has nothing to do with the day. In fact, it was said on Tuesday, but it is quite possibly the best thing I’ve heard on the trip. We (myself, some students, and Naill, one of our Corrymeela volunteers from London/Dublin) were playing a game similar to Catch Phrase. The word we were trying to get was “Ferret”. I was crawling on the floor trying to pantomime a ferret. Someone was shouting “Like a long, skinny rat!” Someone else was yelling “Sounds like ‘carrot!” In the midsts of it all we hear Naill shout “Very popular pet in America!” We all started cracking up. Try and imagine the following exchange with a Texan accent on one end and a heavy British one on the other: 

“Naill! Who told you ferrets are very popular in America? I mean, we have them, sure. But they aren't very popular!” 

“Sure they are! They’re the third most popular pet in the U.S!” 

(Let’s think about that for a second. Think of all the pets we have: dogs, cats, fish, birds, hamsters.... and Europeans think we chose the ferret to be in the top three.)

“No, Naill. No, they are not the third most popular pet in the U.S. Who told you that?”

“Google it! Everyone knows it. Americans have loads of ferrets!”  

I think everyone in the group was in tears at this point. So, of course, I had to include it somewhere on the blog! I thought it was pretty worthy of today’s title. 

Today was legen-- (wait for it)

March 11, 2014

derry! Legenderry! Okay, bad joke. But I had to do it! We went to a city called Derry!

And wow. What a city! 

Derry (or London-Derry, depending on who you ask) is by far my favorite spot that I've visited in Northern Ireland. If I were able to come back to Northern Ireland and live somewhere, I would definitely live here! 

After an early morning and some worship time, we took a bus and started touring Derry.  I would live here because, as you walk through the city, you can feel this sort of upward energy. Like in Belfast, the division in Derry is very real, but Derry seems to be moving in a positive direction. Once again, I encountered people who are trying to use storytelling and theatre as tools to foster reconciliation. I love that this has becoming a recurring theme this week! These are my people! 

I say that it's "Derry/London-Derry" because the Catholics (who consider themselves Irish) call it "Derry", but the Protestants (who are loyal to the UK) call it "London-Derry". I'm going with "Derry" for the sake of simplicity. I am not Catholic. 

One cool thing about Derry is it's history. There are large stone walls which surround Derry. It used to be entirely closed off, a kind of dumping group for Protestants in the 17th century when King James, a Catholic king, attempted to purge his kingdom of Protestants. Interestingly enough, today the city is mostly Catholic, but the stone walls remain. I love that this city feels modern and growing but there are still so many beautiful, antique relics everywhere you turn. 

Another interesting thing about today was getting to hear the Catholic side of the debate. Before today, our guides were all Protestant and our tour of Belfast was mostly in a Protestant area. Everywhere we looked in Belfast I saw British flags and images of the Queen. I didn't see a single Union Jack while in Derry except in what our Catholic guide called "the Ghetto"- the Protestant part of town. 

Hearing both sides of such a complicated and historically complex debate has been fascinating, but also exhausting! After touring the city, visiting museums, and hearing the arguments of both those who consider themselves British and Irish, it was time to relax and get some coffee and scones.

A part of our group split off and wandered into a random cafe where we all enjoyed hot coffee or tea and scones. Once again we were blessed with a gorgeous day, but it was still nice to have a few minutes inside. We took our time, talking for hours, before we finally made our way back through the city to the bus. 

After a bus ride, which began with a jam session to classic Britney Spears and ended with me completely passed out asleep, we arrived back at Corrymeela. We all enjoyed dinner together, worship time, and then an incredibly epic game of charades. 

All in all, I would say that this was a fantastic day. Beautiful weather, lovely friends, and a fascinating, artistic, historically rich (yet strictly divided)  city.

Derry.... I hope to see you again some day! 

Hot Chocolate, Toast, and Good Company

March 10, 2014

Rolling green hills, clear blue water, and rock piles jutting out of the ocean. And all of this just outside of your door.

Today was the first day where I really got a chance to take in the beauty of Northern Ireland! Walking out my door this morning was such a change from the urban, semi-chlostrophobic setting of Belfast yesterday. As I walked through Corrymeela's campus today I felt like I was in an entirely new country. Not only have we moved to the coast so the setting is geographically different, but we also had incredible weather today. I spent most of the day in a short sleeved shirt, sometimes with a coat or scarf,  and sunglasses.

The day started with porridge and a short worship time. Then our group did some fun team building exercises: dodgeball, obstacle courses, and other fun bonding games. It was such a great way to get out in the beautiful nature and enjoy the group!

the whole gang! 

After tea time (which is a beautiful, beautiful thing that I'm definitely bringing back to the states), our group got together with our Corrymeela leaders and spent some time reviewing the politics of Northern Ireland and discussing conflict; what conflict means to us, how we deal with conflict, different words and ideas that pertain to conflict... It was just a time to try and define conflict and express the different ways to approach it. I'll say it again: this is such a thoughtful group. I love the way that the conversation flows so easily with this gang!

Next we all had lunch together and then had some free time. I used my free time to "go for a wander" (another phrase I'm stealing from the folks here!) down to the beach.

The beach. Is. Breathtaking.
The walk down takes you down a winding road through green hills with tall grass, the water is clear and blue, and there isn't any sand-- just huge slabs of rocks. It is the cleanest, most quiet, most peaceful beach I've ever been on. Climbing on the rocks and looking out at the water (seeing Scotland in the distance!) was the highlight of my trip thus far.

I wandered back up to Corrymeela and had a few moments to relax before our group art class! Corrymeela has an arts and crafts room where we were guided in creating projects as a group and abstract self-portraits. I loved seeing the way that the people at Corrymeela, specifically our guide, Johnny, used art as a way to help aid in reconciliation. No one in our group is a trained artist, but each person's project really told a story and was an expression of that person's values/self-image.

After our art session and dinner we watched a really interesting documentary called We Carried Your Secrets. I strongly recommend that you look it up right now; I believe it's on Vimeo. It's a really interesting documentary about "Theatre of Witness", a project that interviews people in Northern Ireland and takes their stories, scripts them, and works with them to produce an actual play where they are telling their own stories. I loved this! I am such a believer in the power of storytelling. I loved getting to see that power in such a tangible way in this movie.

Our group took some time to debrief after the day, and then we had supper... Hot chocolate and toast, once again! I love this whole supper thing. I am now convinced that there is no better way to end a day than with hot chocolate, toast, and good company.

Belfast Tour and Introduction to Corrymeela

March 9, 2014

Wow. What an incredible day! Where do I begin? 

I mentioned in my first post that the focus of this week’s trip is to work with the Corrymeela Community in Ballycastle and learn about their efforts to promote healing of division in Northern Ireland. So this day was our introduction to that division.

After our hotel breakfast, the group met up with a few Corrymeela volunteers who would serve as our guides for the day. One of the guides gave us a history lesson on Belfast over tea and coffee. The conflict here is complicated, emotional, and deeply rooted. I’ll admit that I am (as the locals would put it:) a “wee bit” overwhelmed by all of information I took in today, but from my understanding it all boils down to this: those who consider themselves Irish vs. those who consider themselves British. The former are called Republicans, Nationalists, and/or Catholics; the latter are called Loyalists, Unionists, and/or Protestants. It is sometimes considered a religious divide, sometimes social, political, cultural... No matter what you call it, it’s evident that this issue is causing serious division. 

To better understand the extent of that division, we next took a bus tour of Belfast. What a fascinating city! 

Tri Deltas Reppin'

Johnny, a local artist who works with Corrymeela and who will be with us all week, described Belfast as a cultural hub; a place where artists and musicians thrive. I can definitely see this artistic influence in Belfast’s street murals. At the end of every street, on the sides of homes, there are huge paintings expressing the artist’s political feelings. Many are paintings of Union Jacks, commemorating those lost fighting for the English in war, or other “proud to be British” messages. Some murals are of the Irish flag, sporting phrases in the traditional Irish language. I was so fascinated by the way these people were using street art as a way to address social injustice and also as a way of creating an identity for themselves or that area. It struck me that there really is no neutral here; driving through the streets you are constantly confronted with politics, and what you think about the government determines where you live, where you go to school, who you associate with, what sports team you cheer for... etcetera. 

In fact, in some areas the division between Catholics and Protestants is so great that there are literal walls sectioning off certain areas. The walls pictured here run between a Catholic and Protestant neighborhood. It’s interesting, during most of the day you can get past the walls if you want to. They really are only there for peace of mind; the people on both sides of the walls want them to stay up. We, as a group, spent a lot of time reflecting on what that that says about human nature.

After the tour, we took the bus (and I took an hour and a half nap!) up to Ballycastle and arrived at The Corrymeela Community by dinner time. After eating, we got an introduction to Corrymeela, learning what they do to try and create a safe space for Protestants, Catholics, outsiders... anyone who is looking for a community that fosters reconciliation. For more information, check out the website for Corrymeela-- http://www.corrymeela.org/ -- It’s a really interesting place, and I love what they’re doing here! 

Corrymeela has twice a day optional worship services, and I chose to go to one tonight. When I hear “worship service” I picture a band leading everyone in Hillsong, but this was more of a personal quiet time. I reflected on part of this Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi which is written on a door at Corrymeela:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love.

Where this is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light. 

Where there is sadness, joy. 

Afterwards we all got together as a group and had hot chocolate and toast (...Cause supper- second dinner- is a thing here! And I’m all about it.). The only thing more beautiful than the hot chocolate and toast was the stimulating discussion that came with it. As a group, we sat around for several hours just discussing what we’d learn today, what had surprised us, what we were interested in, and what all of that meant for our lives. This group of students is so thoughtful, transparent, and self-aware. I am amazed by the discussions we’ve had today and by the wisdom of my peers. How lucky am I to have a week to be engage spiritually and intellectually with these young people? And to do it all in the context of this beautiful country and this fascinating culture! 

I can’t wait for more exploring, bonding, and fellowshipping tomorrow. 

Ireland at Last!

March 18, 2014

After months of anticipation, I'm excited to say that I am finally here in Northern Ireland! 
Friday afternoon our whole crew- 10 sophomores and 2 professors- arrived at GSP airport for our 7:30 flight to DC. Shortly after arriving in DC, we took off again for a 6.5ish hour flight to Dublin. During all of that time, I worked on homework: reading plays, breaking down monologues, and sketching... It was marvelous! However, I just realized that as of right now (8pm on Saturday) I haven't slept since Thursday night, so this will be a short post!

After getting in to Dublin, we took a bus from the airport to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. We arrived in Belfast early afternoon and spent the rest of the day wandering, eating, exploring, and shopping. Walking down one of the main streets in Belfast, it feels like you might be in NYC, urban and modern; take a turn down a side road and suddenly Belfast feels quaint and antiquated. Tomorrow our group takes a tour of Belfast, and I'm excited to see more of this fascinating city and learn about the history here! 

Some favorite moments of Day One:
1. Geeking out with Liza over our favorite musicals. 

2.Wandering the streets with my fab friends, enjoying the gorgeous day! 

3. Lunch with the whole gang (his picture is missing our two professors and two more girls)

4. Chilling in this local boostore (and fighting the temptation to spend all my money here!) 

5. Meandering into a random cafe for hot chocolates and coffee with Bridget, Liza, and Anna 

6. Thrift shopping!

I can't believe I get an entire week of this. This group that I'm traveling with is fantastic, the Irish people are all so friendly and kind, and our travels have been hiccup-free so far!

....Alright, friends, it's bed time for this traveler. Until next time!

Here We Go...

March 6, 2014 

Here it is! My first blog post. 

I'm blessed to say that I'll be doing a lot of traveling over the next ten months, and this blog will serve as the number one way I document my journeys! Think of this blog as a public travel journal. I want to share my experiences abroad with my friends and family, and I want to have an account of these adventures for myself. 

"But where are you going, Lizzie?" Glad you asked...

• This week I'll be in Northern Ireland working with Furman University's Cothran Center discovering ways The Corrymeela Community of Ballycastle is working to promote healing of division and reconciliation. 

• This May I'll be in Japan studying art and religion for about a month.

• This fall I'll be all over the British Isles studying theatre for the semester. 

I leave tomorrow for Trip 1! I'm so grateful for this incredible opportunity and to share my stories with you here. 

I'd like to end today's post with a quote by one of my favorite authors, Terry Pratchett, from his novel, A Hat Full of Sky: 

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”