Hope in Belfast

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a Hope College alum in Germany.  He wanted to know if I was still living in Belfast, and explained that a group from Hope on a May Term in the UK would be coming through Belfast.  He then asked if I could meet with them and discuss life post-Hope.  I responded, and he put me in touch with one of the professors on the trip.  I read the professor’s response to Dave, and it turns out that the professor was an RA in his freshman dorm at Calvin (small world!).  We set up a time and a place, and this past Monday we broke bread with fellow Americans.  The conversations were wonderful, with Dave and the former RA/current professor catching up, me hearing about the latest happenings at Hope, and both of us talking with some of the Hope College students about living overseas.  One of the questions a student asked me was if I would recommend moving overseas.  At first I responded with “I’m not sure”, but as the conversation went on, I changed my answer to “yes”.  I explained that first of all, if I could live overseas, anyone could live overseas.  (I also added that overseas experience is a plus in today’s job market.)  I finally said that as hard has it has been at times for me to be here, it has been a good overall growth experience.  Today, the 24^th, marks 4 months since we touched down in Belfast International Airport, and I am already a changed person and I still have 9 months to go.  I cannot wait to see what the remaining 9 months will reveal about life lessons and life experience in Northern Ireland.