Final Day on the Island-- Friday June 21st

I was awoken from my short one hour nap at around four in the morning. I woke up to the sweet cows I had befriended waiting outside my window, as if they knew that we were going to be leaving.

      Two of my housemates, my roommate Rya, and Brendan, were actually staying longer and would continue to travel around Ireland and Europe.  Brendan was still sleeping, so I couldn't say goodbye to him, but my "so long" with Rya was a tough one! When the cab arrived at four-thirty, we loaded up our belongings and I took one last photo of the place we had called home for two weeks.

     Upon arriving at the airport after a two-hour ride into Dublin, we had to say our farewells to Caroline and Ryan, who would both be getting direct flights to their home in Toronto (lucky!).  Kelli Jo, Matt, and I sullenly continued on.  First, we would all travel to London Heathrow (Kelli Jo and I on one flight and Matt on a later one).  We had to say goodbye to Matt after buying a few final gifts (Including, of course, Tayto Crisps). Our first flight was only around two hours long and both Kelli Jo and I got a wee bit of shuteye. Upon our arrival into London, we figured that we had enough time to relax and get some coffee and tea. We found a cafe and began to unwind, only to realize that the gate would close fifty minutes before takeoff (instead of what we're used to in America... maybe fifteen minutes at the most early!)  We then tore our way through the airport and arrived to the plane barely on time. 

     Once on the plane, and sadly separated, we began our longest flight (around nine hours or so).  I had the pleasure to sit next to a very nice young man named Stephen who I'm sure I bugged to no end. I alternated between talking, sleeping, and reading throughout the flight.  As we flew over Ireland for the last time, I definitely shed a few wee tears. 

     Upon arriving in Chicago, we had to lumber through customs.  Afterwards, I knew that I had to say goodbye to Kelli Jo. It was another hard goodbye and we promised to stay in touch and keep each other updated with our lives. We, along with Caroline, Brendan, and Rya, will hopefully be meeting at Irish Fest again this year in Milwaukee, WI in August. I had thought that London was a tricky airport to get through but Chicago left me lost and completely confused! Between confusing my flight between United and American, losing (and thankfully recovering!) my liquids bag, having to change terminals multiple times, and checking back through security, I found myself at my gate roughly on time. However, due to storms earlier in the day, our gate was moved three times and delayed from 7:30 to after 10:30. When we finally boarded our American Airlines plane, the captain announced that the First Officer was not legal to oversee the flight and we would have to wait until they could find another. 

     After a tiring flight, I finally arrived home in Phoenix, Arizona at around midnight or so. My wonderful parents and friend Kyle were there to welcome me home! Although I was heartbroken to leave the beautiful island of Ireland, I was happy to be home after over 27 straight hours of traveling.  Unfortunately, on my arrival home, I found myself sick with a stomach flu and completely worn out. However, I am recovering and will be doing a presentation on my amazing trip on Monday the 24th at the Phoenix Irish Cultural Centre at 7:00 pm. I hope to see everyone there!

Much love and thanks for all of the well-wishes and prayers for me during my travels!

Kelsey Kelleher

Thursday June 20th

Today was my only really unplanned day of the trip. While some of the other Young Ambassadors had assignments to go to, Caroline, Matt, Kelli Jo, and I were free to do as we pleased. Dr. Tim was kind enough to give us a lift to the beach.

On our way, we stopped at Dundrum Castle and visited Brendan on his archaeological dig. The castle was absolutely beautiful and, as always, Kelli Jo and I stopped for some photos.

We continued on our way to a coastal town. We grabbed a bite to eat and drink at a nearby pub and then headed down to the rocky beach.  Because it was such a lovely day, we were actually able to walk down the coast and touch the water.  I picked up a couple of really beautiful stones along the way for dear family and friends back home. We spread out our coats on the sand and sat on the beach talking for a couple of hours and relaxed in the sun.

     Some time later, we decided to walk through town and shop a bit. The town was beautiful and slow-paced, and the stores were so cute! After a bit of shopping, we caught a double-decker bus (just in time!) and headed back to Downpatrick.  I tried to stay awake on the bus ride, unlike Caroline and Matt!

     Dr. Tim met us at around 8:30 to talk to us about our experiences, what we had enjoyed, and what surprised us.  I could barely believe that our time was almost over! I was really surprised at how quickly I fell in love with Ulster. It's not a question of "if" but "when" I am going back!  I really enjoyed meeting the group as well as locals and seeing all of the beautiful scenery.  There is so much to do in Northern Ireland! We were going non-stop to the point where we were getting only a few hours of sleep before heading out again.  For this reason, I was not able to keep up my blog the way I had hoped and am just now working on reviewing the first week or so. I again apologize for the delay and I promise to get it up shortly!

Our last full day in Ulster ended with packing and spending time with local friends we had made. As our Taxi would be picking Ryan, Kelli Jo, Matt, Caroline, and I up at 4:30, some just stayed up all night. I was happy, though, to get an hour of shut-eye.

Much love,
Kelsey

Wednesday June 19

     Today, Maynard took Caroline and I first to meet with David Scott, Comminity and Educational Outreach Officer of the Grand Orange Lodge at Schomberg House. The Orange Order is a Protestant Unionist brotherhood that celebrate the victory of William at the Battle of the Boyne and are based here in Ulster. We were able to ask him about his job and everything he does. He gave us a short history of the lodge and explained what they do. He emphasized that they promote charity and outreach programs in the community. We also had the pleasure to meet Grand Orange Lodge Secretary Drew Nelson, Deputy Grand Master Reverend McAlister and Grand Master Harry Stevenson. Everyone we met was quite nice and they generously gave us a whole packet of information and goodies.

     Afterwards, Maynard was kind enough to take us to pick up batteries and send out our postcards and also bought us ice cream! He then took us through Newcastle and stopped for a picture and a bite to eat at The Gallery Cafe in Annalong on the way to visit where Maynard lives.

     We drove around Kilkeel, the Mourne town he lives in, and drove to Hanna Close, which are holiday cottages once opened by the Hannas (Maynard's family). We walked around a bit and got some lovely photos.

     Then, Caroline and I were fortunate enough to meet Maynard's lovely mother, May. She was so sweet and her house was absolutely lovely. Maynard then drove us back to our cottage where we refreshed ourselves and then went to the St. Patrick's Centre for a concert from a visiting choir from Chicago. After a quick clean up and more present shopping, we came home.

     The sky was absolutely gorgeous as the sun was setting, so I went out for a lovely walk. I found a public trail, ventured down to the lakeside, and found some of the ducks I had previously made friends with. After returning home I wound down for the night due to a headache.

I really don't want to go home.

      Much love, Kelsey