Picture this- your first day in a brand new city in a brand new country, you’re lost, and the whole group is waiting for you on the bus. Well, that was me in Belfast!
The crew of Victory Scholars was brought to the market downtown to explore a bit for a couple hours. We were given a time and a place to meet back up after. Only, I really didn’t understand that well where exactly the meeting point was because my sense of direction is subpar, and I was a little distracted by the sensory overload in this fantastic new place. I figured I would just follow the group, buddy system right?
I had an amazing time walking through the market and speaking with a bunch of locals. I learned about special Irish beers, leprechauns, and the hot spots for food. Before I knew it, it was time to wrap up and get going. I was in line getting a falafel pita with another scholar, Courtney Walsh, when we realized that everyone had already started to make their way over. Along with me, she was unsure of exactly where to go too, so the buddy system failed us a little. We quickly grabbed our food and ran out of the market to find exactly zero of our group in sight.
To make a long story short, we ended up sprinting around the city for 15 minutes trying to find everyone. Luckily another scholar and my DCU roomie for the year, Adaysha Williams, had service and was able to send her location, so we found our way. Both of us dripping sweat, panting, and apologetic, we made our way onto the bus to be greeted by our coordinator, Sam Woodside.
“Ladies, it’s okay. No worries!” he said. Courtney and I looked at each other, relaxed a little, and realized right then and there just how incredible our Sports Changes Life staff is. Sometimes things happen and you take a wrong turn. Let’s not get crazy here, this doesn’t mean I should get in the habit of showing up late or not following directions. It just means that when I make an honest mistake, they will be here to tell me it’s alright and bring my blood pressure back down to normal!
I’m stoked to be here with such amazing peers and leaders, and I look forward to the adventures to come! Wish me luck that I don’t get lost in Dublin!