Thanks Ireland!

Ireland has had absolutetly beautiful weather for the last week. Bright sunshine, no cloud to be found, a light breeze and 75 degrees...this sort of weather makes me want to stay. If only, it was like this year round.

Not only have I had great weather, but I got to spend the last few days with my Mitchell class. We started off on Wednesday in Dublin with a great reception where we received our class rings, a silver band with symbols depicting Irish history. The next few days were spent enjoying last bits of Irish culture. Some of the highlights were a chat with John Minihan and a look at one of his exhibits, a cooking class with Rory O'Connell and a lovely dinner in Kinsale (the "food" capitol of Ireland) at Crackpots. (Ireland has this emerging, and very popular food culture where there is a big emphasis on locally produced foods. Kinsale is at the heart of this revival and I recommend everyone stopping there in their travels through the island. I wish I had gotten there earlier!) So after all the excitement of the past few days, I'm now sitting in a bare dorm room with two huge suitcases blocking my door.

Y'all I'm coming home! Tomorrow morning to be exact. 

Packing up has been harder than expected, and I don't mean because my suitcases weigh more than I do. Not that I haven't enjoyed Ireland and my course, but there is no denying that I was homesick. My deep love for Mississippi proved a harder habit to break than I had ever imagined. For the past two months, as I began to wrap everything up I thought that I would be itching to leave. I sort of had this idea that it had been a good year, good learning experience, but it was time to bring it to an end. Honestly, even just a few weeks ago I thought I was ready to pack up and head back South (a very different south than my Irish south). But I have been surprisingly emotional the past few days.

I came to Ireland thinking it would be an extension on what I had experienced during some of my study abroad experiences in college. I would drink a lot of beer, take some cool pictures, meet some new people, and extend my carefree college experience for another year. I also thought it was a reputable enough thing to do post-college, reputable enough that nobody would question that I had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life.

While I drank some beer (not really that much) and took some pictures, I grew up more this year than I ever expected. I learned things about myself that I didn't even know could be learned and I made some friendships that will last a lifetime. While I might have complained to a few of you about the slow mail or the constant use of potatoes, those surface level frustrations can never compare to what I really experienced this year. While I have always said that my love for Mississippi can be a complicated one, I think it is safe to say I have similarly complicated feelings for Ireland.

So while I am happy to be getting back home to MS cooking, a nice big shower, driving again, and cheap bud light...there are other, deeper parts of Ireland that I will always miss. There is struggle in Ireland for identity and ownership, that I have no doubt extends to 1916 and before. That translates into a modern Ireland that is quick to assert itself culturally, and incredibly proud of its history. But this quick and dominate assertion of a national image of "Irish" doesn't include everyone. Identity is complicated, and getting to watch the complexity of being Irish unfold has taught me more about being a Mississippian than I ever imagined. I have some good friends with kind souls to thank for letting me into their lives and giving me a real understanding of what it means to be "Irish." I also have some American friends with incredibly thoughtful natures, who have taught me about the complexity of being "American" and just how far our place shapes us. Those lessons and those friends will always be with me.

So this is it. I started this blog to keep friends and family updated at home, while also forcing myself to keep track of my year, both in travel terms and in personal reflection. While the personal reflection might not really be complete, the year is. I want to thank y'all for reading. On a live album, the Avett Brothers make a comment about it being hard to sound sincere from a microphone. Well, I think a blog might have the same problem. It is hard to sound sincere from a blog post, but really, I mean it. Thanks you the time, the comments, the encouragement and the positive thoughts.

While this blog won't stay active, I will be blogging about the next stage in life. As part of our commitment with Mississippi Teacher Corps, all of the teachers update a blog with reflections on the challenges and rewards of teaching.  So maybe a little bit of Ireland will make its way to the MTC website . For everyone back in Mississippi, I'll be in Oxford all summer training with MTC. As for next year, I think (there is a little bit of holdup, but it should work out) I will be teaching high school social studies in Jackson, MS.

Ireland, you and your people will be missed. Stay green and I hope to see you soon!

So one last time,
Cheers Y'all! Thanks for the year, Ireland!
  Chelsea

London Calling

Sorry for the lack of posts the past few months! My life these days is usually filled with me waking up, spending all day in the library working on my thesis, and then coming home to do thesis reading at night. I really am living on the edge. Instead of boring you with the details of life in the Maynooth Library, I thought I would just give the blog a break until something exciting happened to come along.

If the title wasn't enough, a little of The Clash...

Last week, I hoped over to London for a few days with friends and a much needed thesis break. I was happily surprised by London! I had never had much of an interest in London, for some reason expected it to be sort of bland? Unfair judgement on my part. What I really liked about the city was the spread out, neighborhood feel. London lacks a real city center, giving each neighborhood a unique character. That, and the fact that it is just a really big city, so obviously there will be different areas with different feels. Luckily for us, we stayed in the SoHo area and spent most of our time in what I would consider "very hip" London.

Everyone was just so stylish?! No offense to the Irish but there is this really popular trend in Ireland for guys to wear sweatsuits everywhere. After a year of sweatsuits the polished dapper blazers and loafers of London were a nice surprise.

I was traveling with a fellow Mitchell scholar from West Virginia and her sister, and friend who happened to be visiting Ireland for a few weeks. It was nice to see London while getting to listen to accents with a soft edge and getting to take about one of my favorite things: place. (no surprise there, right?)

For only being in London two days, we knocked out most of the sites. Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, House of Parliament...saw most of the official sites on a walking tour (which we just happened to have perfect weather for! A rare UK treat right now!). Then we spent the afternoon at the Tate Modern Art Museum. And wrapped it all up with a pint and Turkish food with Ole Miss friends!

Westminster Abbey

Ol' Big Ben

Ryan and Matthew: Ole Miss-UK residents. I think the state of Mississippi is pretty lucky to have these two as representatives abroad! Seriously, Ole Miss grads at London School of Economics and University of Cambridge. Impressive stuff. 

The disappointment of London: bad, bad food. Sure this is a stereotype but a few of our meals helped perpetuate that myth (exception, we ate some great Turkish food. Something new for me, and pretty delicious!). I'm sure there is some great food in London, we just didn't have the best luck in finding it.

Besides bad luck with snacks, I liked London and want to go back! I didn't get enough time to do some of the more laid back things...like shop at one of many London markets, see some British punk rock history, and take a cheesy picture on Abbey Road (you just have to). So London will keep calling until next time!

Cheers Y'all!
 Chelsea

The Hurricane that is the Alabama Shakes

Last night I saw one of the most powerful musical performances I have ever seen. Granted, I usually say after every show I see, “that was the best show I’ve ever seen.” I get a little carried away. But this time y’all, this time I mean it. The Alabama Shakes. 

The lead singer, Brittany, has a voice that can hit a high pitch and come down instantly. It’s almost like her voice is this car with the best brake system around. That quick stop allows for this incredible power in their songs that is constantly pulling you in and swirling you around, just like a hurricane.

So here is this band from Athens, Alabama playing a venue (small but reputable) in Dublin, Ireland. I thought I might be the only person in the audience who actually knew their stuff. I was sooo wrong. The show was sold out and the crowd joined in on a good number of songs. The few the crowd didn’t sing along to were some of the songs the Shakes haven’t put on their album. Of those, my absolute favorite: Hurricane Strut. So yes, my hurricane reference isn’t totally my own doing.

I went into the show expecting to hear some really great music. I knew how powerful the band was when it came to playing. But I didn’t know exactly what to expect when it came to stage performance. Sometimes the most talented musicians let the music speak for itself and go for a more subtle approach. The Shakes stage presence was far from subtle, but the perfect fit for their music. They just rocked out and had a hell of a time doing it. 

At points Brittany gets a little bit of “jesus hands” going where it looks like she has caught the spirit as her hands raise in the air and shake. When she introduces the band she gives them all stage names that reflect the band’s mix of soul and gospel with some serious fun-having thrown in. So the Alabama Shakes turn into Mahogney T. Jones, Cobra Snake Jackson, Scooter Johnson and Styrofoam Jones on stage. 

Quick side note: weird small world, the guy standing behind me in the crowd grew up in Meridian, Mississippi. WE ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD! 

I was giddy like a little kid to see them last night and I woke up this morning in a great mood. Standing in the audience hearing a deep rich southern accent kill it on stage, well I just sort of felt like I had everything I wanted in one place.

BUY THEIR MUSIC. SEE THEIR SHOWS. THE ALABAMA SHAKES NOW HAVE A NEW STALKER NAMED CHELSEA.

And now, back to writing my thesis... after a couple more watches of this. 

Cheers Y'all!

 Chelsea