We visited Liverpool England, Cardiff Wales, and Dublin Ireland. Each place we went we learned new things about the culture, and met some very interesting people. My favorite place was Cardiff and I hope to see more of Wales in the future because I think it is an underrated gem. One thing I realized when my friends came is that I have matured and grown a lot this year. As we all talked and caught up I realized I wasn't the only one that has changed and grown. Living a post grad life is challenging. You go through transitions no matter if you are 5,000 miles away from your friends in a new city, or still living in the city you went to school in. But this transitioning has been good for all of us. We are still just as good of friends and although I miss them like crazy, I know our friendships will last because they have lasted this long.
Seeing my friends again was very normal, comfortable, and familiar. But when I got back to Glasgow that also felt normal, comfortable, and familiar. I realized that it feels like I am living in two different realities. I feel like I have two separate lives. My life in the United States and my life here in Glasgow. In the US I was a student and here I am a volunteer. My challenge for next year and the rest of my life is going to be trying to connect these two realities. I have learned so much this year and have been touched by all the people I have met and all the experiences I have had and I don't want to forget any of it. I want my future to reflect the things that have changed about me and my new perceptions on the world.
I am afraid that when I return things will go back to how they were and I will get settled in the comfortable. Instead I want to take my experiences here and challenge myself to continue questioning the system and the injustices in the world around us. I want to be bold in my life decisions and make sure to always have passion in what I am doing rather than fall victim to the insecurities in my head telling me society would not approve.
One of the challenges I overcame this year was my own negative thoughts that what I was doing this year was going to set me back when I got home. I felt pressure to have this year be "just a year out of my life." Now having lived through 8 months of the year I do not believe that anymore. I want to embrace the changes, challenge the pressures, and come out stronger.
It was wonderful to have my friends visit, I was able to laugh like I haven't laughed in 8 months, reflect on my experiences over the last 8 months, share my life here with my friends, and I was able to have a break that allowed me to get back to working as a happier, well rested, and re-energized member of staff.
Here are some pictures from the travels. Hope you all enjoy!
Blessings,
Julie
These first few are from the first weekend of April when my friend Sophie had just arrived and my dad came to visit for the weekend in between business trips. The three of us and my roommates Sam went around Loch Ness, Fort William, and Loch Lomand.
The next few are when my friends Amanda and Anna arrived and all of us went to Liverpool. We visited a bunch of different sights that are famous due to the Beatles.
The next ones are from our travels to Cardiff, Wales. We went to two different castles. The first was Caerphilly Castle, which is mostly ruins and the second was Cardiff Castle.
The next ones are in Dublin Ireland, where our other past roommate Michelle met up with us. She is currently living in Italy teaching English for the year. We also were met in Dublin by my friend Shannon who is currently an aupair in Cork, Ireland. We went to the Guinness Factory and learned how to properly pour a Guinness.
These are pictures from St. Patricks Cathedral in Dublin. My favorite Cathedral I have seen thus far.
This was a picture at the traditional Irish music and dancing show we went to!
This was a wall in an alley I really liked; the theme was all about love.
This was an extremely rainy day in Howth, a city outside of Dublin that has beautiful cliffs. Too bad it was so rainy and windy we couldn't see much.
Back in Glasgow, showing Anna and Amanda St. Mungos Cathedral.
For the final weekend of the trip Anna, my roommate Sam, and I took a trip to the Isle of Arran. It was absolutely stunning.
