In a few short weeks, many of my fellow Mitchells will return home to the US to continue on their incredible paths, and I’ll be staying here. While I’m so excited to begin my next chapter in Belfast, this last year will always hold a special place in my heart. The beginning! As I reflect on the last few weeks, so many of my favorite memories were spent with Trina and my Mitchell cohort, so this blog is an ode to them.
Early May, a few of us went to a the monastery at Glenstal Abbey for a day trip. Three monks took on three separate tours, highlighting their favorite places on the grounds. My favorite tour was the first one, with Brother Antony, who led us through the forest and told us beautiful stories about the trees. He explained that when early Christian missionaries landed on Irish shores to teach the word of Jesus Christ, the Irish replied, “Sure, Christ, we know him well. Is he not the singing of the birds? Or the swaying of the trees?”
As we walked through the woods he told sort of parabilic stories about the trees, focusing on their natural processes – how they grow, how they communicate – and the rest of us kinda just listened and looked at each other, not having anything to possibly follow up with.
Later, we all gathered for tea and Owen and I played songs on their guitars. It was a really intimate and peaceful day – beyond I think what any of us were expecting.
Back in Dublin, Lisa and I hung out for hours waiting for my bus to arrive. After two skipped buses and a sprint down N Wall Quay, we ended up with a funny story and plans to make a short film together.
Two short weeks later, we all met up in Galway for our end of the year trip. Despite the (mostly) terrible weather, we had a really nice time traveling around, eating, drinking at pubs, and signing Trina’s thank you card. We met up with Mitchell alum Ali Watkins, a reminder of our tight-knit Mitchell fam, and took time to sign photographs for each other.
The Mitchell Scholarship has been a deeply unique experience – for so many reasons! But one of the reasons that I think the Mitchell is so unique is because of the bonds that form within each cohort and the alumni network at large. I hope we’re not the last Mitchell class, but if we are, I feel so lucky to be apart of it and excited to stay involved for years to come.
