So it almost begins...

To all whom it may concern...

 I'm attempting this blogging thing again as I adventure off for the summer. This time it's a nearly 12 week journey landing me for 10 of those weeks in Belfast, Northern Ireland, working with East Belfast Mission and The Skainos Project.

 It all began in the fall when I was fully introduced to the idea of Skainos and the mission behind it (I knew about East Belfast Mission from YTI). The idea of a new center based on the idea of the tent of meeting and shared space for the full community beyond the body of the church was intriguing and drew me to the idea of looking at this system as a possibility in the future for a community in the domestic US. Who knows?! I guess I'm going to go find out. And thank goodness I got the opportunity through Candler Advantage to do this for class credit and with monetary help...this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will prove my awesome packing skills and provide insight and wisdom from some great supervisors and mentors who have lived through watching conflict and a need for peace and shared spaces among community members. I will get to learn so much about identity, change, and the church's role in peace building...I'm excited!

 So the plan is to fly out of here in not-so-hot-lanta on Friday May 17 and find my way to Belfast on Saturday May 18, where I will intern it up through July 29 before doing some tourism of the Republic of Ireland with mom and dad. I'll return home on August 8...most likely jet-lagged.

While I am excited to go, I'm nervous. It's my first international trip alone, and I'm leaving some wonderful people behind. Here's hoping I land in Dublin and make it on a bus to Belfast...

I guess we'll wait and see.

Until I'm across the pond,
Carrie