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And so the first week in Belfast has ended. Even though I hardly understand all the Irish lingo (wee, cheerio, craic) and possess atrocious cooking skills (I have made sandwiches nearly everyday of the week), I have somehow managed to live on my own! It's incredible how fast I have fallen in love with this place. The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming and the land itself is beautiful. I think I have even come to love the rain (which somehow never fails to come everyday); I caught myself smiling last night as I walked back home without an umbrella and almost did a double take.
The place I am working at: NOW Project is also inspiring to be at. It's a social enterprise (I know what is that?), a business that instead of putting it's money into the pockets of the people at top reinvests it into the community. I think however, what NOW Project is doing has the most impact on me when I actually meet the people whose lives it changes. Specifically NOW Project provides employment opportunities and training for people with learning disabilities.
It's incredible that it helps people who otherwise would be left behind by society (while also making a mean batch of scones). You see, NOW funds it's projects through a series of cafés and a catering service. Currently, I am working at the Loaf Café and Bakery, the newest café to open up. I have been helping out with marketing, and hopefully by the end of the placement will have made some progress with my research.
This whole experience is both incredibly scary and amazing. To put it one way: although I feel as if I have fallen into the deep-end, I realize that I love the water and am eager to swim.
"I don't know about your philosophy, but I can sum up all that I've learned in life into 3 words: It goes on."
