I didn’t know it was possible to do so much in such a short period of time. Somehow, we have reached the halfway point of the program, and then some. We are at the point where we are reminiscing about our early days, and scheduling the remainder of our time, and it is crazy to think that next month I’ll return to school.
The last few weeks have been a bit of everything. Of course, the vast majority of my hours are spent at work. That has been incredibly interesting as I am placed with more and more responsibility. I got the amazing opportunity to attend a workshop with a few members of the team, and I really got an excellent grasp of how storytelling is vital in raising awareness and understanding of different issues. In this instance, the discussion centered around FGM, which was a serious and grave topic, but something that was so relevant to advocacy, womanhood, and connected well with the central aim of my nonprofit, restorative justice. Instances like these are wonderful reminders of what is at the root of my pursuits- human connection and understanding of one another. I have been fortunate enough to be able to expand my worldview during my time here. Not only with my understanding of human rights issues, but also in a literal sense of my travels.
I’ve travelled to Paris and Dublin in the last few weeks, and those have both exceeded my expectations. It’s incredibly surreal to see these new places with such convenience- a brief flight or train ride can bring me to cities I’ve dreamt of seeing.
Paris is indeed an incredibly romantic city, not just with the obvious things like the language of French, or the dozens of couples holding hands or dancing along the Seine, it’s romantic in smaller ways. It’s the constant sound of the accordion playing that French song ( the one from Ratatouille) everywhere I went. I figured that was probably incredibly annoying for the natives there just going about their days, but to me, it added a little… Je ne sais quoi. I don’t think I’ve experienced awe quite like I did when I first saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night, until maybe a few hours later when I had the opportunity to enjoy a midnight milkshake at a crepe restaurant, which was the best milkshake I’d had in a long time, mostly because it reminded me of home. Either way, I felt incredibly appreciative and lucky. Lucky that this was an opportunity I was able to pursue, that I had access to in the first place, and lucky that even in my experience doing all of these amazing things, I have things and people that made me miss home so much.
The luck carried beyond Paris to two weeks later, this past weekend, when I found myself in what is arguably, the luckiest place on Earth, Ireland. This trip was particularly exciting and special to me because it was a country I had never been to previously, and it was less demanding in comparison to Paris. This time, there were a few things that we intended to see in Dublin that were conveniently walkable, low-stress, and fun! My favorite part of the entire trip was the live music and dancers in the Guinness Storehouse, where I discovered a newfound love for Irish music. The energy that filled the room was honestly indescribable. Cello, Harp, Singers, Irish Dancers, talent after talent that worked together to create the most lively energy. Before we knew it, we realized we had been sitting in that room for over half an hour, when it was initially supposed to just be a quick stop along the way of the experience.
As I round out my experience, approaching the final two weeks here, I hope I do more losing track of time. Every single day is packed to make the most of the time remaining, and I know I will still find things I wish I had time to do once I get home. Until then though, my plan is to chase the energy I felt in that room, put myself into my work like the women from the workshop, and continue to enjoy life.
