Give it a go!

By Sibéal Cherry

This trip was an amazing experience that I will not forget. I feel very lucky that I was part of a group that got to take part in such a unique project. I will not be able to write about everything that happened because it would take days, so instead I will describe three of my favourite parts of the trip.

We went for a hike in the Dolomites mountains in Pozza di Fassa one of the days. The views were stunning! Mountains in Ireland are lovely but I have never seen so many high mountains in one place before. There was also snow which was weird because it was over 20 degrees. The snow was the best I have ever seen because it was so light and fluffy. It was very strange to see snow but also to be wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It was a really nice way to cool down from the sun though, me and Anna had stuck our heads in it to cool down.

We played a game of volleyball and a bit of football with the Italians and the Bosnians before lunch and then walked back down the mountain.

Another important part of the trip for me was when we travelled to Rovereto and met with other students doing the Ambassadors Project. When we arrived at the building the first thing we could see was all the flags of the countries who had signed up to promote peace through the local peace foundation. It was a great sight against the mountains of the surrounding area.  We presented the projects and work we had done all year in the programme and saw the work the other schools had done as well. Freyja did a great job for us with her speech and the slides. I really enjoyed watching the movie the Italian school made about Irish history because it was interesting to see their perspective. It was also funny because I have watched the movies they tried to recreate many times before and I know what they’re about. We then walked to the great Bell of the Fallen, we watched the EU flag being raised and heard the bell being rung.

The last highlight of the trip for me was all the bus rides we got from place to place around Italy. We spent a lot of time on that bus but I do not regret a moment of it. We could chat to each other, listen to music or catch up on sleep we had missed the nights before. It was a perfect chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery outside the window. I felt guilty about napping on the bus because then I couldn’t look out and watch all the snowy mountains go by.

I am so grateful to Beppe, Daniela and Mr. Oman who put heaps of time and effort into this project, making it possible, and I would recommend to any younger students in the future years of TY to give it a go.