A warm welcome to anyone reading my first blog post!
I just wanted to share a bit about myself and the small place I call home before posting about my past and future travels. I’m a soon-to be Modern Languages (French and Spanish) graduate of Queen’s University Belfast with a passion for, you guessed it, languages and travelling the world! Originally from a small town in Northern Ireland (Dromore, Co. Down), I got the travel bug from an early age. Although I do not come from a wealthy family, my mother was an avid traveller in her youth and I was especially inspired by her adventures in Greece and South Africa. My passion for travel really bloomed when I was in school and got the chance to go on trips to Edinburgh (Scotland), Aix-en-Provence (France) and Asturias (Spain). I also travelled alone for the first time when I was 16 and was offered a place on a week-long linguistics course in Foxton (England). Of course, this wasn’t exactly a far-flung adventure into the unknown, but it certainly opened my eyes to my ability to travel independently.
Northern Ireland (Norn Iron*)
So you might have already heard about Northern Ireland, a relatively young country (created in 1921) which is politically part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but being the special folk that we are, its citizens have the right to dual-nationality (British and/or Irish) and our nature could be compared to either the Irish in general or even the friendly Scots with whom we have many historical links. Our history is short but interesting and rather dark. Infamous for the Troubles during the 20th Century, a largely sectarian conflict between Nationalists (those in favour of a united Ireland) and Unionists (supporters of the union with Great Britain), Northern Ireland has often been portrayed as a violent country. Whilst this perspective perfectly reflects its troubled past, I’m pleased to say that things have changed drastically from when my parents and grandparents were young. People are more open-minded now and more willing to work together for the future of our ‘wee’ country.** Belfast in particular (the capital city) is a lively, student- and family-friendly city which, in spite of its rainy/unpredictable weather and small size, has attracted and continues to attract tourists from all over the world who fall in love with the place!
We also built the Titanic… which sank… but, we tried. Besides that, we are also home to actors Kenneth Branagh, James Nesbitt, Jamie Dornan and the incredible Liam Neeson, as well as the the genius behind Narnia CS Lewis and the playwright Seamus Heaney, football legend George Best, Van Morrison, Snow Patrol and the Undertones… Not bad for a small part of a small island in the Atlantic Ocean!
All in all, no matter where I may go in this amazing world, I will always be proud to call Norn Iron my home.
*Northern Irish slang for Northern Ireland mirroring a very strong Ulster (another name for NI) accent.
**The word ‘wee’ is a very Northern Irish/Scottish term used for ‘small’ or simply as a term of endearment.
