Words cannot explain the beauty

By: Julie Mills

I have now been in Northern Ireland for six days. And for most of us here, our lives will forever change due to the experiences we have embraced and the eye opening historical events that make up this country. It is hard to put on paper the impact this trip has made on my life thus far.

Basalt formations at Giant's Causeway

Three days ago, Sunday to be exact, was our free day. We took a bus ride to Giant's Causeway. The pictures of that place do not do it justice. As I tried to walk through 60 mile an hour winds to get to the basalt columns awaiting to see another beauty that nature has produced, I thought to myself, now this is the Ireland I have seen in movies. How does she do it? How does mother nature produce this type of beauty from a volcanic eruption? The columns were everywhere, some on top of each other, some laid out like a perfect walkway.

With the wind blowing and the mist in my face and the glorious fresh air smell, I headed toward the top, or at least as far as I could possibly go. I wanted to endure every moment I was there. I may not be able to see this again in my lifetime. I wanted to remember everything I was seeing and experiencing. All the stresses from everyday life just disappeared. Being right there in that moment was all that mattered. There is a meditation quote that I try to remember by Chuang Tzu: "Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate." That is what I was experiencing that day while on the top ridge of Giant's Causeway.

The Perfect View

Since Sunday, we have listened to peace builders explain the Troubles this beautiful place has gone through, the killings, hurting of others, lack of respect for each other's religions, lack of respect for each others well being, and mostly the pain everyone went through and still continues to go through to control this country. Northern Ireland is one of the most beautiful places of the world. I pray that something can be done and a true agreement can be reached to protect this beautiful place and the fascinating people who make up the land. As the piece builders try to bring the opposite sides together and bring some type of harmony, and just like a volcano can erupt and then produce something as beautiful as Giant's Causeway, so can the people of Northern Ireland create peace and harmony amongst each other.