Delivering our final presentation in Carrigart felt like the moment everything from the past month finally came together. All the research, interviews, walking the main street, and building the bulletin board and website led up to that morning in The Carrigart Hotel’s meeting room. I was nervous, obviously, because presenting in front of actual community…

I’ve been thinking back on our time in Fanad, and it seems like the kind of place that’s so quiet it feels like the area itself is in some fantasy world. It’s beautiful, but it’s also the kind of rural where you start wondering what people do if they need an Amazon delivery. That’s where…

This week gave me a closer look at how tourism actually works in Donegal. At the Downings Festival, it felt like the whole community showed up: local families, teenagers, people from nearby towns, and plenty of visitors who clearly traveled in for the weekend. The festival didn’t feel like something built for tourists; it felt…

After two full days exploring Donegal’s landscapes, I have accepted that the weather here is not just part of the scenery but the main character. Glenveagh shifted moods every few minutes, bouncing between sunlight and ominous fog as if it couldn’t decide which mood it wanted. Doe Castle felt uniquely dramatic with gray skies. Sliabh…

Our first visit to Carrigart felt different from anything I imagined back in Pittsburgh. We spent two weeks talking about this town, looking at photos, and trying to picture what it might be like, but actually being here made me realize how much you miss when you’re only hearing about a place instead of walking…

The past few days in Northern Ireland have shown me just how differently places can tell their stories. One moment we’re standing on the edge of Giant’s Causeway, staring at rock formations that look like they came out of “The Lord of the Rings”, and the next we’re walking beside the Peace Walls or along…

Our first two days in Northern Ireland have been great. The kind of great where you look around and think, “Okay, this place might actually be cooler than I expected.” I knew Belfast would have history and scenery, but I didn’t expect it to feel so alive, or for every neighborhood to feel like it’s…

As the Pittsburgh portion of our program starts winding down, I’ve been thinking a lot about everything that’s happened so far. It’s wild how fast time moves when you mix academics, professional development, and whatever chaos my roommates and I get ourselves into. Looking back, it doesn’t feel like a typical program. It feels like…

This afternoon felt like one of those days where you learn a lot without realizing you’re learning a lot. We started with the Riverhounds Director of Promotions and Entertainment, who somehow made me rethink what a sports team even is. I always thought teams were just teams. You show up, you cheer, you go home….